Procurement Category Manager

Position DescriptionResponsible for sourcing ingredients, packaging, and plant supplies, and buying assigned raw materials, ingredients, packaging, and plant supplies. Analyzes spend, usage, inventory, supplier performance, and market data to support sourcing decisions, safety stock levels, warehouse utilization, and cost opportunities. This involves determining right price, right quality, and right quantity to commit to in order to have the right product in the right place at the right time.Coordinates activities between sourcing decisions, PO submission, receiving, outside warehouse locations, vendors/distributors, and quality to ensure timely and accurate receipts of purchase orders. Supports Production, Receiving, and Quality as it relates to receiving to specification and supplier performance.Primary ResponsibilitiesLead sourcing and RFP/I activities for ingredients, packaging, and plant suppliesDefine sourcing and hedging strategies that balance fixed pricing, relating meat cost to the price of underlying markets (i.e. oil), formula-based pricing, forward contracts, financial futures, and insuranceIdentify underlying markets, news sources, forecasting, and price reporting tools to generate market analysisCreate purchase orders in response to purchase requisitions, production needs, contract coverage, and sourcing decisionsReconcile and resolve purchase order and invoice discrepancies with suppliers and internal stakeholdersDevelop, track, and report on KPIs; analyze spend, inventory, supplier, and cost data to drive category decisionsTrack and analyze supplier performance, market options, and service levels and provide change recommendationsTrack PO fulfillment including verification of quantities, prices, contract terms, and on time deliveriesAnalyze inventory levels, coordinate with production and sales on adequate supplies and verify requirements for proper inventory turns in support of a well-managed inventory systemDetermine safety stocks for assigned items based upon product mix, sales forecast, supplier lead times, market conditions, and seasonalityGenerate reports and sort and analyze inventory levels in conjunction with forecasted demand, current orders, contract positions, supplier capacity, and customer needs; notifies Production and Sales of foreseeable shortfallsWork with R&D and Sales Teams for new product commercializationConduct department audits to ensure accuracy of information between physical and electronic inventory levels; alerting appropriate individuals of issuesAssist the QA department in addressing any product considered out of spec and compile supplier performance data to support corrective actionServe as a liaison between suppliers and Production in the resolution of issues and the processing of quality claims using Root Cause Failure Analysis and Corrective ActionsAssist Receiving to ensure product arrives as intended - shortages, damage, specification, and service issuesPrepare standard costs for assigned items, participate in month end and accounting activities related to product values and provide analysis of and explanation for variances to standardForecast and adhere to Cost of Goods Sold budgets; provide category analytics to identify risks, savings, and cost avoidance opportunitiesValidate supplier price changes against market fundamentalsLead activities necessary to establish vendors, items, cross references, pricing, and sourcing data in the ERP systemOther duties as assignedSupervisory/Management ResponsibilitiesNo direct reports; leads category ownership, supplier oversight, analytics, and cross-functional issue resolutionRequirements7+ years purchasing, procurement, sourcing, or category management experienceMaster's degree in business, supply chain, finance, analytics, or related field requiredSourcing and supplier negotiation experience with ingredients, packaging, supplies, or other manufacturing inputsExperience in data reporting - ability to apply mathematical concepts, analytics, cost models, and supplier dataAdvanced Microsoft Office, Excel, spreadsheet, and large data set skillsStrong communication, influence, and prioritization skillsStrong organizational and analytical skills; high attention to detailERP, inventory management, purchasing controls, and cost accounting knowledgeTravel 15-20%, mainly to other company locationsPhysical RequirementsFrequently operates a computer, phone, ERP systems, and other standard office equipment while performing purchasing, inventory, forecasting, and reporting activities.Must be able to remain stationary for extended periods while working at a computer workstation and analyzing data, reports, and documentation.Requires frequent communication and coordination with suppliers, production, warehouse personnel, quality, accounting, and other internal departments across multiple company locations.Occasionally moves throughout office, warehouse, and manufacturing environments to support inventory, receiving, quality, and operational needs.Occasional travel to company facilities, warehouse locations, and vendors may be required.May occasionally lift or move standard office materials up to 15 pounds.Specific vision abilities required include close vision and the ability to review, analyze, and interpret data, spreadsheets, reports, and related documentation.May be exposed to varying temperatures within warehouse and manufacturing environments.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.CompetenciesInterpersonal Influence: Builds trust quickly, adapts to stakeholders, and influences across functions.Drive for Results: Uses urgency, persistence, and metrics to achieve results.Analytical Thinking: Uses logical analysis to convert data into actionable category decisions.Action Orientation: Seeks information and acts with urgency.Time Management: Prioritizes work effectively and avoids unnecessary delay.Forward Thinking: Anticipates risks, implications, consequences, and contingencies.Benefits for this role include: Medical, vision, dental, discretionary bonus up to 15% (50% personal performance based & 50% company performance), 401(k) with matching up to a max of 4% and 120 hours PTO in the 1st 12 months.