Category Manager

Heaven Hill Brands • Bardstown, KY

83d

About The Position

The Sourcing Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies across key direct and indirect spend categories, including packaging, raw materials and co-manufacturing services. This role serves as a critical interface between suppliers, operations, quality, R&D, and commercial teams to deliver cost savings, secure supply continuity and support innovation. The Category Manager is both strategic and hands-on, requiring analytical rigor, cross-functional collaboration, and supplier relationship management expertise to ensure alignment with the organization’s operational and brand priorities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Procurement, Finance, or related field (Master’s or MBA preferred).
• Minimum 8 years of procurement, category management, or strategic sourcing experience, preferably in the distilled spirits, beverage, or CPG industry.
• Strong negotiation skills and experience managing supplier contracts and commercial terms.
• Knowledge of packaging materials (e.g., glass, closures, labels), direct ingredients (grain, sugar, ethanol), and co-manufacturing a plus.
• Experience with total cost of ownership modeling.
• Deep understanding of supplier cost structures, market dynamics, and supply chain interdependencies.
• Strong collaboration, communication, and project management skills.
• Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, and sourcing tools (e.g., SAP Ariba, Coupa, Jaggaer, etc.).
• Proven experience managing sourcing categories relevant to the distilled spirits industry (e.g., packaging, raw materials, glass, closures, labels, liquid, logistics).
• Ability to develop and execute category strategies aligned with business objectives and supplier capabilities.
• Strong track record in strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, contract management, and cost optimization.
• Skilled in conducting market analysis and benchmarking for ingredients, packaging, and co-pack services.
• Able to identify and develop a competitive supply base across global and regional markets.
• Ability to collaborate with R&D, marketing, operations, and finance to ensure supply alignment with product innovation and brand positioning.
• Strong interpersonal skills for managing stakeholders and presenting to leadership.
• Proficiency in procurement analytics, cost modeling, and performance KPIs.
• Knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements in supplier contracts, including quality, delivery, IP, and compliance terms.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change initiatives, drive procurement transformation, or implement sustainable sourcing practices.
• Advanced Excel and ERP tools (SAP, Oracle, Coupa, etc.); experience with e-sourcing platforms is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of long-term sourcing strategies for assigned categories (e.g., glass, closures, labels, ingredients, contract packaging).
• Conduct detailed category analyses, including market trends, risk assessment, supplier capabilities, cost structures, and internal demand profiles.
• Build and maintain comprehensive category profiles, including spend data, supplier performance, contractual status, and sustainability commitments.
• Define sourcing roadmaps aligned with business goals such as cost optimization, innovation, ESG targets, and risk mitigation.
• Lead RFx processes (RFI, RFQ, RFP) and cost negotiations to achieve target savings and value objectives.
• Evaluate total cost of ownership (TCO), including freight, tariffs, minimum order quantities, and inventory holding costs.
• Collaborate with Finance, Legal, and Operations to execute contracts, pricing agreements, and service-level terms.
• Lead the centralization of procurement activities across multiple production facilities, driving consistency in sourcing practices, leveraging scale for cost efficiencies, and establishing standardized supplier management processes.
• Track realized cost savings and value creation against annual sourcing targets.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for key suppliers within the assigned category portfolio.
• Lead quarterly business reviews (QBRs) to track KPIs, service levels, innovation performance, and continuous improvement.
• Implement supplier scorecards and corrective action plans to drive accountability and alignment with strategic objectives.
• Partner with suppliers on cost-saving initiatives, lead time reduction, and quality enhancement opportunities.
• Identify and proactively mitigate sourcing risks such as single-sourcing, regulatory changes, raw material volatility, and capacity constraints.
• Lead supplier risk assessments and business continuity planning for critical supply categories.
• Support the organization’s sustainability goals through supplier engagement, recyclable/renewable material strategies, and traceability programs.
• Leverage procurement and analytics platforms to enable data-driven decision-making (e.g., spend analysis, contract management, supplier portals).
• Maintain accurate and updated sourcing records, contracts, and supplier documentation.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of sourcing processes, tools, and best practices across the function.
• Collaborate with R&D, Packaging Engineering, and Brand teams to align supplier capabilities with new product development (NPD) and packaging innovation.
• Participate in early-stage design reviews to influence material selection, lead time planning, and cost modeling.
• Work with Quality and Operations to ensure suppliers meet compliance, product integrity, and production reliability standards.

Benefits

• Paid Vacation
• 11 Paid Holidays
• Health, Dental & Vision eligibility from day one
• FSA/HSA
• 401K match
• EAP
• Maternity/Paternity Leave

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees