Purchasing Manager

We’re partnering with a well-established, family-owned beverage co-manufacturer to help them identify an experienced Purchasing Manager to lead the procurement team. The company produces premium cocktail mixers, coffee syrups, sauces, and concentrates for major national brands. Reporting to the Supply Chain Director, the successful candidate will be a balanced leader with strong execution skills and a passion for developing people. This individual will own procurement for ingredients and packaging, manage a 5 person team, and serve as a key partner to customers and internal stakeholders. The role was created to strengthen supplier management, inventory health, and team capability in support of expanding customer demand and operational complexity. What You'll Do You’ll lead the company’s procurement function while building a scalable, professional purchasing organization. Lead, coach, and develop a five-person procurement team, setting clear expectations, accountability, and growth plans. Own sourcing and purchasing strategy for all raw materials, including food ingredients and packaging. Lead supplier negotiations, contract management, and performance improvement initiatives. Serve as the primary escalation point for supplier issues and proactively manage supply risk, market volatility, and lead times. Partner closely with Inventory Management to optimize stock levels, turns, and shelf‑life management. Monitor aging and expiration risk to minimize waste, obsolescence, and production disruptions. Collaborate with Planning, Production, Quality, Finance, and Sales to align material availability with customer commitments. Participate in regular customer calls to build trust, communicate constraints, and reinforce supply chain ownership. Ensure accurate purchasing activity and master data integrity in Microsoft D365 Finance & Operations. Develop and track KPIs related to cost, service, inventory health, supplier performance, and team effectiveness. Lead continuous improvement initiatives across procurement and supply chain processes. Why This Role Leadership & Team Impact You’ll build and shape a capable, engaged procurement team with clear accountability and development pathways. Operational Ownership You’ll own raw material sourcing and inventory performance, directly influencing cost, service, and customer satisfaction. Customer‑Facing Partnership You’ll work closely with key customers, strengthening relationships and reinforcing the company’s reputation for reliability. Growth Environment Join a financially stable, growing organization where your ideas and leadership will drive real change. On‑Site Collaboration Based in Chicagoland, this role offers hands‑on leadership and close partnership with operations and leadership teams. Who You Are A proven people leader with 5+ years of experience managing and developing teams. An experienced procurement professional with 5+ years in a manufacturing environment. Knowledgeable in purchasing raw materials, ideally food ingredients and/or packaging. Strong in inventory management, including shelf life, expiration risk, and stock optimization. Experienced working with ERP systems, preferably Microsoft D365 Finance & Operations. Comfortable collaborating cross-functionally and engaging directly with customers. A clear, confident communicator with strong analytical and problem‑solving skills. Organized, detail‑oriented, and capable of balancing strategic priorities with daily execution. Preferred Requirements Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or related field. Experience in food, beverage, CPG, private label, or co‑manufacturing environments. Familiarity with commodity markets and cost modeling. #J-18808-Ljbffr Red Kite Recruiting