Procurement Manager

Description Choose Us? Taylor Company, an Equal Opportunity Employer, is a dynamic global organization with a rich history of pioneering innovation and operating at the leading edge of manufacturing commercial foodservice equipment. Founded in 1926 and headquartered in Rockton, Illinois, the organization operates through distributorships in 125+ countries world-wide, providing business solutions for major foodservice operations. Taylor Company is a division of Middleby Corporation. Be a part of the team that is a leader in the food service industry. Free ice cream every day might be enticing but Taylor company is much more than ice cream! Taylor Company encourages employees to be the best they can be. Our business offers our employees the tools to learn and advance in their careers. With on site training and succession plans, Taylor sets up employees for success. Competitive salary with bonus opportunity, plus full benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance; Short Term and Long Term Disability, tuition reimbursement, parental leave, 401k match, and other optional benefit coverages. Job Summary: The Procurement Manager leads a team responsible for tactical (operational) purchasing activities, ensuring the organization's day-to-day supply needs are met efficiently, cost-effectively, and on time. This role combines hands-on ownership of the purchase-to-pay execution process with people leadership — building, coaching, and managing a team of buyers/purchasing specialists. The Procurement Manager acts as the operational backbone between strategic sourcing decisions and daily execution, while also developing team capability and performance. Essential Functions: Team Leadership & People Management Manage, coach, and develop a team of buyers/procurement specialists, including goal-setting, performance reviews, and career development. Recruit, onboard, and train new team members on procurement systems, policies, and processes. Allocate workload across the team, balancing category/supplier coverage and individual capacity. Set clear performance expectations and hold the team accountable to KPIs and service levels. Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and cross-functional collaboration. Conduct regular 1:1s and team meetings to review priorities, blockers, and performance Manage conflict resolution within the team and with internal stakeholders. Support succession planning and cross-training to reduce single points of failure. Tactical Purchasing & Execution Oversee the end-to-end purchase order process: requisition review, PO creation, order confirmation, and delivery tracking. Ensure the team executes purchasing decisions within existing framework agreements and contracts. Own escalations for urgent/expedited orders and supply disruptions, ensuring minimal operational impact. Monitor and manage supplier performance (on-time delivery, quality, responsiveness); lead formal reviews for underperforming suppliers. Maintain oversight of procurement records and data integrity in ERP/procurement systems (e.g., Syteline, SAP, Oracle, Coupa). Support invoice resolution and the three-way match process (PO, receipt, invoice), resolving escalated discrepancies. Coordinate with operations, warehouse, finance, and production to align purchasing with demand and inventory needs. Support inventory optimization by aligning order quantities and timing with demand forecasts. Performance, Reporting & Process Improvement Own and report on team-level procurement KPIs: cost savings, on-time delivery, order cycle time, supplier compliance, requisition-to-PO turnaround. Identify recurring operational issues and lead process improvement initiatives to reduce friction, cost, and cycle time. Ensure team compliance with procurement policies, approval workflows, and audit requirements. Partner with strategic sourcing/category management to feed back operational insights that impact sourcing strategy. Qualifications: Required Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Logistics, or related field (or equivalent experience). 5–8+ years of experience in procurement/purchasing, including 2+ years in a people management or team lead role. Hands-on experience with ERP/procurement systems (SAP Ariba, Oracle, Coupa, NetSuite, etc.). Proven track record managing and developing a team. Strong Excel skills and comfort with data-driven reporting. Solid understanding of purchase order lifecycle, inventory management, and logistics basics. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. Preferred Professional certification (CPSM, CIPS, CPM) is a plus. Experience in manufacturing. Familiarity with demand planning or MRP systems. Experience implementing supplier scorecards or performance management frameworks. Prior experience managing a team through periods of growth, restructuring, or system transitions. Key Competencies People leadership: coaching, motivating, and developing team members. Execution-oriented mindset with a bias toward resolving issues quickly. Ability to manage competing priorities under pressure, both personally and across a team. Strong negotiation skills within defined contract parameters. Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management. Data-driven decision-making and performance management. Working Conditions/Physical Requirements: Office setting (temperature-controlled environment). Extended periods of sitting occasional standing and walking. Lifting/moving objects weighing up to 20 lbs. Regular use of hands and fingers to type on keyboard, operate computer mouse, use of telephone and various office equipment. Extended periods of viewing computer monitor. Noise level in work environment: low to moderate. Travel Requirements: Travel required (30%). Employee Acknowledgement I have read and understand the above. Employee Signature Date #J-18808-Ljbffr