R-2199 Global Director Sourcing Personal Care

Vantage provides natural solutions to our customers’ technical performance and marketing needs through a unique combination of chemistry, application expertise and service. Underpinned by our broad portfolio of formulations, ingredients and actives that are built on a backbone of sustainable oils, fats and their derivatives, Vantage targets selected markets and applications including personal care, food, surface treatment, agriculture, pharma, and consumer and industrial performance. Vantage is headquartered in Deerfield, IL., operates in 11 countries worldwide and employs more than 1,000 talented professionals focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences with every interaction.

We are a dynamic people-centered organization where you’ll be part of a collaborative global team. Embracing our cultural diversity, we learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voices and talents of our colleagues, empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results, and we celebrate them by fostering a culture of recognition, development, learning, excellence and shared achievement. Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here. For more information visit: vantagegrp.com or LinkedIn/vantage.

Job Description

Position Summary

The Global Director, Strategic Sourcing – Personal Care is responsible for leading global sourcing strategy for Vantage’s Personal Care business unit. This is a critical leadership role that requires a sourcing strategist, execution-focused leader, and strong business partner who can translate business and product strategies into sourcing strategies that support growth, innovation, customer responsiveness, supply continuity, and margin improvement.

This role will focus on sourcing finished goods, managing principal suppliers, working with tolling partners and other external supply partners, and building a strong global supply map for the Personal Care business. The Global Director will partner closely with Marketing, Product Management, R&D, Supply Chain, Commercial, Operations, Quality, Finance, Regulatory, Procurement Operations, and regional teams to ensure sourcing strategies are aligned with business priorities, customer needs, and product strategy.

Position Scope

This is a global business-unit sourcing leadership role supporting Vantage’s Personal Care business. The role will lead sourcing strategies across regions, supplier networks, principal suppliers, tolling partners, finished goods suppliers, ingredient suppliers, formulation-related supply needs, and customer-facing business requirements.

The position is responsible for managing and continuously improving the Personal Care supply map and supplier pool, ensuring the business has the right suppliers, alternate sources, business continuity plans, and risk mitigation strategies to support global growth and customer commitments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead global sourcing for Vantage’s Personal Care business unit for all categories.
• Manage and add to the Principals portfolio ensuring appropriate levels of profitability in back-to-back sales arrangements.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies that support cost competitiveness, supplier reliability, product availability, quality, speed to market, supply continuity, and business resilience.
• Translate Personal Care business strategy, product strategy, customer needs, and market requirements into sourcing strategies and supplier execution plans.
• Partner with Marketing, Product Management, R&D, Commercial, Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, Finance, Regulatory, Procurement Operations, and regional teams to align sourcing priorities with business objectives.
• Identify, evaluate, and manage global and regional suppliers, including principal suppliers, tolling partners, finished goods suppliers, ingredient suppliers, contract manufacturers, and other strategic supply partners.
• Manage the Personal Care supply map and supplier pool, including current suppliers, alternate sources, regional options, supplier capabilities, capacity, risk exposure, and business continuity needs.
• Lead supplier selection, RFP/RFQ processes, bid analysis, total cost of ownership evaluations, supplier qualification support, sourcing recommendations, and negotiations.
• Negotiate supplier agreements, including pricing, terms, service expectations, supply commitments, quality requirements, contract requirements, risk protections, and long-term value creation.
• Support new product development, alternative sourcing, finished goods sourcing, formulation troubleshooting, and customer-driven innovation by identifying supplier capabilities and sourcing solutions.
• Build business continuity and active risk management into sourcing strategies across the supplier pool and with individual supply partners.
• Monitor supplier performance, market conditions, cost drivers, ingredient trends, finished goods supply options, regulatory considerations, and competitive dynamics impacting the global personal care and cosmetics industry.
• Partner with internal teams and suppliers to resolve supply, quality, pricing, service, and delivery issues that may impact production, innovation, or customer commitments.
• Identify and execute cost savings, cost avoidance, supplier consolidation, productivity, and total cost of ownership improvement opportunities.
• Provide regular updates to Personal Care and sourcing leadership on sourcing strategy, supplier performance, supplier risk, supply map health, savings progress, and key initiatives.

Working Conditions

This role operates in a professional office environment with regular interaction across global and regional business teams, operating sites, formulation laboratories, suppliers, and functional teams.

Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed to Vantage locations, supplier sites, customer-related business meetings, manufacturing locations, formulation laboratories, and leadership meetings. Travel is expected to be approximately 10%–25%, based on business needs.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain Management, Operations, Chemistry, Engineering, Technical Field, or related discipline required. MBA, advanced degree, or procurement/supply chain certification preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supply chain, product sourcing, category management, or related business roles.
• Experience in a distributor, specialty ingredients, personal care, cosmetics, formulated products, specialty chemical, consumer products, or related B2B environment required; distributor or specialty ingredients experience strongly preferred.
• Experience sourcing finished goods and working with principal suppliers, tolling partners, contract manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, or other complex external supply partners strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing a complete supply map, supplier pool, or strategic supplier network for a business unit, division, company, or major product category.
• Experience building business continuity, active supplier risk management, secondary sourcing, contingency planning, and supply resilience into sourcing strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with Marketing, Product Management, R&D, Supply Chain, Commercial, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Regulatory teams to translate business and product strategy into sourcing strategies, supplier negotiations, and execution.

Knowledge, Skills, & Talents

• Strong strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management, category management, and negotiation skills.
• Strong understanding of finished goods sourcing, principal supplier relationships, tolling partners, contract manufacturers, supplier optionality, and distributor-based sourcing models.
• Ability to manage global, complex, high-touch supplier networks and build sourcing strategies that support growth, supply continuity, customer responsiveness, and margin improvement.
• Strong understanding of supply mapping, business continuity planning, supplier risk management, total cost of ownership, supplier qualification, contract management, and supplier performance management.
• Strong business and financial acumen with the ability to connect sourcing decisions to cost, margin, product availability, innovation, and growth.
• Ability to partner effectively across Marketing, Product Management, R&D, Supply Chain, Commercial, Operations, Quality, Finance, Regulatory, regional teams, and suppliers.
• Knowledge of ERP systems, e-sourcing tools, contract management systems, spend analytics, and supplier performance management platforms; experience with SAP, SAP Ariba, Oracle, Coupa, Microsoft Dynamics, or similar systems preferred.
• Strong communication, analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, accountability, urgency, and customer focus.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.