Manager, Ingredients - Cheese & Dairy (Canada)

Kraft Heinz•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Manager, Ingredients is responsible for procurement and commercial management of the Canadian Cheese and Dairy portfolio, including Cheese, Dairy Powders, Cheese Powders and Cream Mix. The role develops and executes sourcing strategies aligned with North American category strategies while accounting for Canadian market conditions, business priorities, regulations and supply-chain constraints. It leads complex negotiations, supplier decisions and contracts, and provides governance across portfolio maintenance, productivity, innovation, reformulation, promotions, plant transitions, capacity changes and new business opportunities. The position coordinates cross-border cheese and dairy flows, Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) requirements, quotas, tariffs and customs-related considerations. It also provides leadership for forecasting, inventory and materials coordination; manages strategic supplier relationships and performance; and serves as the principal Procurement partner for Cheese & Dairy in the Canadian Business Unit. The role leads cross-functional programs and process improvements, maintains procurement governance and internal controls, and provides monthly business updates to the Associate Director, Cheese & Dairy.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in supply chain, operations management, finance, business, food science or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
4–6 years of progressive experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, supply chain or a related commercial discipline.
Experience developing category strategies, leading complex sourcing events and negotiations, and managing high-value supplier relationships and long-term agreements.
Strong understanding of Canadian dairy or food ingredient markets, commodity and conversion cost drivers, supplier capacity, forecasting, inventory, working capital and supply risk management.
Ability to translate broader regional or global category strategies into market-specific sourcing and execution plans.
Strong commercial and financial acumen, strategic judgment and analytical problem-solving capability.
Ability to influence senior stakeholders, lead cross-functional teams and clearly communicate complex category, market and supply dynamics to executive audiences.
Ability to manage multiple high-impact priorities in a fast-paced environment, with strong governance, accountability and execution discipline.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office.
Familiarity with source-to-pay and enterprise systems such as SAP and Ariba.

Nice To Haves

Dairy, cheese, food ingredients, commodity or external manufacturing experience is strongly preferred.
Knowledge of Canadian dairy trade and regulatory considerations, including quotas, tariffs, cross-border processes and CDC requirements, is ideal.

Responsibilities

Own and execute end-to-end sourcing strategies for the Canadian Cheese and Dairy portfolio, including market analysis, supplier segmentation, sourcing events, negotiations, contracting, implementation and commercial governance.
Develop and maintain a multi-year Canadian sourcing strategy aligned with North American category strategies and Canadian market conditions, business priorities, regulations and supply-chain constraints.
Partner with North American category experts to leverage market intelligence, supplier relationships, sourcing scale and best practices while remaining accountable for Canadian Business Unit outcomes.
Lead complex negotiations, supplier award recommendations and contracting, protecting cost, service, quality, capacity, flexibility and risk requirements.
Develop and communicate insight on Canadian and North American cheese and dairy markets, including commodity drivers, manufacturing economics, capacity, trade flows, tariffs and regional supply-demand dynamics.
Ensure pricing, contracts, specifications, supplier records and sourcing decisions are accurate, current and compliant in relevant source-to-pay and business systems.
Lead procurement for Cheese, Dairy Powders, Cheese Powders and Cream Mix across the Canadian Business Unit, balancing cost, functionality, specifications, service and supply requirements.
Provide portfolio governance across maintenance, productivity, innovation, reformulation, promotions, plant transitions, capacity changes and new business opportunities.
Partner with R&D, Quality, Manufacturing, Commercial, Finance, Materials Management and the Canadian Business Unit to define requirements, technical specifications, project economics and implementation timing.
Lead supplier and procurement readiness for innovations, renovations, reformulations, promotions, plant transitions, product maintenance and business continuity initiatives.
Assess category complexity, including specifications, lead times, minimum order quantities, yields, conversion economics, supplier capacity and cross-border supply lanes.
Build and maintain contingency strategies for critical materials, suppliers, manufacturing locations and logistics routes serving Canada.
Coordinate procurement for cross-border cheese and dairy flows into and out of Canada in accordance with applicable quotas, tariffs, customs requirements and regulatory obligations.
Manage procurement requirements and processes for the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC), supporting compliant and cost-effective execution.
Monitor quota availability, tariff exposure and cross-border cost implications, incorporating them into sourcing decisions, budgets, negotiations and risk assessments.
Coordinate with Trade Compliance, Legal, Finance, Logistics, customs brokers, suppliers and category experts to resolve cross-border issues and maintain supply continuity.
Maintain governance, documentation and escalation paths for quota, tariff and CDC activities affecting the Canadian portfolio.
Provide leadership and governance for coordination with Materials Management on forecasts, inventory policies, material requirements, lead times, capacity and availability.
Lead cross-functional resolution of supply disruptions, delivery issues, allocation constraints and inventory imbalances, with clear ownership and recovery plans.
Improve forecasting discipline, inventory visibility, supplier communication and working-capital performance with Mount Royal Planners, Materials Management and Finance.
Own strategic relationships with key Cheese and Dairy suppliers serving the Canadian market.
Support management of key Canadian Semi-Finished Goods suppliers, including Agropur and other strategic partners, in alignment with relevant North American category owners.
Define supplier strategies and performance expectations for cost, quality, service, delivery, capacity, innovation, sustainability and risk.
Lead strategic business reviews, negotiations, performance interventions, improvement plans and resolution of escalated commercial or supply issues.
Establish supply agreements, pricing mechanisms, service commitments, capacity protections and risk mitigations appropriate to business needs.
Develop a resilient, competitive and capable Canadian supply base, including qualification of alternatives and management of supplier concentration or dependency risks.
Build collaborative supplier relationships that enable innovation, continuous improvement, transparency and long-term value creation.
Act as the principal Procurement partner for Cheese & Dairy within the Canadian Business Unit, aligning category strategies and sourcing actions with Business Unit priorities.
Participate in Canadian Business Unit Leadership Team sessions as the Cheese & Dairy Procurement representative.
Share relevant market, supplier, cost, supply, policy and project information with the Canadian Business Unit Leadership Team, and communicate decisions, priorities, risks and actions to Procurement and North American category teams.
Influence senior cross-functional stakeholders and resolve competing priorities across Procurement, Materials Management, Manufacturing, R&D, Quality, Finance, Commercial and the Canadian Business Unit.
Prepare and deliver monthly business updates to the Associate Director, Cheese & Dairy, covering market developments, category performance, productivity, supplier performance, inventory and supply risks, strategic decisions and next steps.
Represent the category in annual planning, productivity, innovation, risk and business review forums.
Lead cross-functional Canadian programs related to productivity, innovation, portfolio maintenance, supplier transitions, specification changes, risk mitigation, supply continuity and process improvement.
Establish governance, milestones, resources, decision forums and escalation paths for priority category initiatives.
Improve procurement processes, category analytics, supplier performance management, contracting, forecasting, inventory coordination and cross-border execution.
Ensure compliance with procurement policies, sourcing governance, approval requirements, contracting standards, supplier due diligence and internal controls.

Benefits

Performance-based bonus eligibility.
Healthcare coverage for employees and eligible dependents, including medical, prescription drug, dental and vision plans.
Paid time off and company holidays.
Leave of absence programs.
Flexible work arrangements.
Recognition programs.
Training and learning opportunities.
Employee Assistance Program.
Wellbeing programs.
Family support programs.
401(k).
Life insurance.
Accidental death and dismemberment coverage.
Disability coverage.