Procurement Manager

Job Description

Job Description

About Chefman

Chefman is one of North America's leading brands of small kitchen appliances, committed to building best-in-class products that make cooking accessible and enjoyable for everyone. From air fryers to electric kettles, our products are designed with the consumer in mind, combining performance, reliability, and innovation in every kitchen. We don't just build appliances; we build trust with every product we put in a customer's home.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly driven Procurement Manager to lead supplier negotiations, optimize vendor relationships, and drive meaningful cost savings across the organization — with a strong emphasis on our China-based supply base. This role will take direct ownership of vendor negotiations, new supplier development, and pricing strategy in China, working in close partnership with our engineering team to understand components and drive sourcing decisions. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented and analytically minded, with the ability to use data and strong negotiation skills to identify efficiencies and deliver measurable year-over-year cost savings through strategic sourcing and supplier optimization.

This role requires approximately 25% travel to China to manage supplier relationships on the ground, conduct factory visits, and lead sourcing initiatives directly with local vendors.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement sourcing strategies to optimize supply, improve quality, and maximize value across logistics, freight, packaging, and distribution.
• Lead supplier negotiations and manage commercial agreements to secure competitive pricing and favorable contract terms, with a strong focus on China-based vendors.
• Build and maintain strong supplier partnerships while continuously identifying opportunities for cost optimization and operational improvements.
• Manage procurement for long-term freight and shipping arrangements including small parcel carriers, trucking providers, and ocean freight.
• Own and execute sourcing strategies for capital expenditures (CapEx) across warehousing facilities, including automation equipment, utilities, engineering services, forklifts, warehouse vehicles, and other site investments.
• Lead supplier onboarding processes including supplier audits, capability assessments, and production trials.
• Anticipate and manage sourcing barriers and supply challenges while proactively managing spend and identifying savings opportunities.
• Develop negotiation strategies, scopes of work, and executive summaries for key procurement initiatives.
• Negotiate renewals of software and service agreements to ensure competitive pricing and reduce vendor fragmentation.
• Attend domestic and international trade shows (including in China) to identify emerging suppliers, materials, technologies, and operational capabilities.
• Identify and implement innovative approaches to reduce costs, improve quality, and enhance overall value across procurement activities.

China Operations & Supplier Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for negotiations with China-based vendors, taking ownership of pricing discussions and challenging existing cost structures to drive continuous savings.
• Proactively identify, vet, and onboard new suppliers in China to diversify and strengthen the vendor base, reducing single-source risk.
• Travel to China (~25%) to conduct in-person supplier negotiations, factory audits, and production trials, and to build direct relationships with vendor leadership teams.
• Partner closely with local vendor contacts and, where applicable, on-the-ground teams to ensure alignment on quality, cost, and delivery expectations.
• Lead pricing renegotiations with existing China suppliers on a recurring basis, using market and commodity data to challenge quotes and benchmark against alternative vendors.
• Represent Chefman at trade shows such as the Canton Fair and Hong Kong Electronics Fair to scout new suppliers, materials, and manufacturing technologies.

Component Sourcing

• Lead end-to-end component sourcing for electrical, mechanical, and electronic parts used in kitchen appliance manufacturing, from initial specification through supplier qualification and production readiness.
• Partner with product development and engineering teams to identify component requirements early in the design cycle, ensuring sourcing strategies align with cost targets, quality standards, and launch timelines.
• Work hands-on with engineering to build technical fluency in components (motors, heating elements, PCBs, plastics, metals) in order to negotiate from a position of technical understanding, not just commercial terms.
• Evaluate and qualify component suppliers through technical assessments, factory audits, and production trials, maintaining an approved vendor list and driving continuous supplier performance improvement.
• Monitor component supply markets, track commodity pricing trends, and proactively manage supply risk through dual sourcing, safety stock strategies, and alternate vendor development.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience negotiating supplier contracts and commercial agreements, ideally including direct negotiation with China-based manufacturers.
• Proven ability to independently identify and onboard new suppliers, and to take ownership of pricing negotiations without significant oversight.
• Strong knowledge of procurement, logistics, and inventory management.
• Experience leading supplier onboarding processes including audits, capability assessments, and production trials.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes related to electrical appliances or consumer products.
• Advanced Excel skills with strong cost modeling and financial analysis capabilities.
• Strong understanding of P&L impact and year-over-year cost savings metrics.
• Excellent negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Highly organized with a strong attention to detail and the ability to drive initiatives independently.
• Willingness and ability to travel to China approximately 25% of the time.

Preferred

• Hands-on experience sourcing electrical, mechanical, or electronic components within consumer products, kitchen appliances, or a related manufacturing environment.
• Extensive experience working directly with Asia-based component suppliers and manufacturers, particularly in China.
• Mandarin language proficiency is a strong plus.
• Familiarity with commodity markets relevant to appliance manufacturing (motors, heating elements, PCBs, plastics, metals).
• Experience attending trade shows such as the Canton Fair or Hong Kong Electronics Fair to identify and qualify new suppliers.

Salary Range (commensurate with experience)

$110,000—$135,000 USD