Procurement Manager - Animal & Pet Nutrition - Chicago, IL

Job Description We are seeking an experienced Manager, Procurement – Animal & Pet Nutrition to lead strategic sourcing and category management activities across the United States and Canada. This role requires a procurement professional with deep expertise in the Animal Nutrition and Pet Food industries, including a strong understanding of ingredients, supply markets, manufacturing requirements, regulatory considerations, and supplier networks. Key Responsibilities Develop and execute sourcing strategies for Animal and Pet Nutrition ingredients across the United States and Canada. Build and maintain deep knowledge of ingredient markets, industry trends, supply dynamics, and emerging risks. Create and implement business continuity and risk mitigation plans for critical materials. Lead category planning activities aligned with business growth, profitability, and operational objectives. Identify opportunities for supplier diversification, second sourcing, and supply chain resilience. Leverage extensive industry relationships and market knowledge to identify strategic sourcing opportunities. Develop executive‑level supplier relationships and lead supplier performance management programs. Conduct strategic negotiations and manage commercial agreements that optimize cost, service, quality, and innovation. Monitor commodity, ingredient, transportation, and regulatory developments impacting Animal and Pet Nutrition markets. Represent the company in industry forums, supplier meetings, and market intelligence activities. Lead, coach, and develop a team of 2–3 procurement professionals supporting the Animal and Pet Nutrition business. Establish clear objectives, development plans, and performance expectations for direct reports. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer focus. Build procurement capabilities that support both current business needs and future growth. Collaborate with cross‑functional stakeholders and partners including Operations, Commercial, R&D, Quality, Regulatory, and Supply Chain teams. Provide market intelligence, pricing forecasts, and risk assessments to leadership. Support new product development initiatives through supplier engagement and ingredient sourcing expertise. Influence business decisions through data‑driven recommendations and procurement leadership. Drive procurement process improvements and best practices across sourcing and supplier management activities. Utilize spend analytics, supplier scorecards, contract management systems, and procurement tools to improve performance. Ensure compliance with procurement policies, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and sustainability objectives. Establish and monitor category performance metrics. Deliver measurable value through cost optimization, working capital improvements, risk reduction, and supply assurance. Report category performance, market conditions, and strategic initiatives to regional and global leadership. Support long‑term business growth through proactive category management and strategic supplier partnerships. Qualifications (Required) Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Agricultural Economics, Animal Science, Food Science, or related field. 10+ years of procurement, sourcing, category management, commercial, or supply chain experience within the Animal Nutrition, Pet Food, Feed Ingredient, Feed Additive, Premix, or Agricultural Ingredient industries. Demonstrated expertise in Animal and Pet Nutrition ingredient markets, including proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, feed additives, specialty ingredients, fats and oils, grains, and related raw materials. Proven success developing sourcing strategies, negotiating complex commercial agreements, and managing strategic supplier relationships. Previous experience leading, coaching, and developing procurement professionals. Strong understanding of ingredient manufacturing, supply chains, quality requirements, and regulatory considerations within Animal and Pet Nutrition. Experience managing supply disruptions, market volatility, and business continuity planning. Exceptional analytical, financial, and negotiation skills. Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence stakeholders across all organizational levels. Preferred Qualifications MBA or Master's degree in a related discipline. Experience supporting both Animal Nutrition and Pet Food businesses across North America. Knowledge of North American and global ingredient supply markets. Experience with SAP, Coupa, Ariba, JDE, AS400, or similar procurement and ERP platforms. Familiarity with commodity risk management, contract law, and advanced negotiation frameworks. Experience leading cross‑functional projects and strategic transformation initiatives. What Success Looks Like Maintains uninterrupted supply of critical ingredients supporting business growth throughout the United States and Canada. Anticipates market risks and proactively develops mitigation strategies. Delivers measurable cost savings and value creation while protecting service and quality. Serves as the organization's subject matter expert on Animal and Pet Nutrition ingredient markets. Develops a high‑performing procurement team capable of supporting future business growth. Builds strategic supplier partnerships that create competitive advantage. Location Chicago, Illinois #J-18808-Ljbffr VetJobs