Director, Procurement

Russell Stover•Kansas City, MO

About The Position

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy! As the Director of Procurement , you will lead Russell Stover's sourcing, procurement, supplier management, commodity risk management, and material planning functions. You will partner closely with Operations, Manufacturing, R&D, Finance, and Commercial teams to develop strategies that ensure a reliable supply of materials, optimize costs, support innovation, and strengthen supplier relationships. You will monitor commodity markets, mitigate supply chain risks, negotiate contracts, and lead strategic sourcing initiatives across ingredients, packaging, indirect goods, and services. In this role, you will play a critical part in driving business performance while leading and developing a high-performing team. You will also enhance supply chain resilience and champion continuous improvement initiatives that deliver long-term value. This is an opportunity for you to make a visible impact by balancing strategic leadership with operational execution, ensuring Russell Stover has the materials, partnerships, and capabilities needed to support growth and delight consumers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Business Administration, Finance, Operations Management, or a related field.
10+ years of progressive procurement, sourcing, supply chain, or purchasing experience, including 3+ years leading teams, functions, or multi-category sourcing strategies.
Proven ability to develop and execute strategic sourcing programs that deliver measurable financial, operational, and business process improvements.
Strong knowledge of procurement best practices, supplier relationship management, contract negotiations, category management, commodity purchasing, risk mitigation, and supply continuity.
Strong financial acumen, including experience managing budgets, cost savings initiatives, and supplier investments.
Excellent analytical, negotiation, communication, and leadership skills, including the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or a related field, or professional certification such as CPSM, CPSD, CSCP, CPIM, or equivalent.
Experience in food manufacturing, confectionery, consumer packaged goods, or related industry.
Experience with agricultural commodities, ingredient sourcing, packaging procurement, supplier networks, sustainability, responsible sourcing, and supplier compliance.
Experience implementing or using procurement technologies, ERP platforms, spend analytics tools, or digital procurement solutions.
Demonstrated success leading complex sourcing initiatives, supplier negotiations, high-performing teams, and change in a fast-paced business environment.

Responsibilities

Lead procurement strategies across key categories, including ingredients, packaging, indirect spend, logistics, supplies, and services.
Oversee sourcing, supplier management, contract negotiations, and procurement operations to support business goals.
Ensure reliable material availability for manufacturing, distribution, ecommerce, and retail operations.
Use market insights, forecasting, and supplier partnerships to manage commodity risk, cost, quality, service, and supply continuity.
Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, Finance, Quality, Marketing, and other teams to support innovation, commercialization, and business priorities.
Monitor procurement performance, supplier scorecards, savings initiatives, budgets, and process improvements.
Support ethical sourcing, compliance, sustainability, supplier qualification, and continuous improvement efforts.
Build, develop, and lead a high-performing procurement team while presenting key strategies, risks, results, and opportunities to senior leadership.
Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product quality and maintain compliance with food safety standards.
Complete and follow FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the plant’s food safety and quality objectives.
Promptly report and take appropriate action on any observed or potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non-conformities by notifying the designated plant supervisor, in accordance with your role and responsibilities.
Actively contributes to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role.