Procurement Manager, Indirects – Marketing Agencies

The Kraft Heinz Company • Chicago, IL

20h • $104,200 - $130,200 • Hybrid

About The Position

This role is responsible for managing indirect procurement, specifically focusing on marketing agencies. The Procurement Manager will deeply understand and utilize procurement processes, tools, and systems to execute and oversee lifecycle management. They will be an expert in category planning, development, and execution, achieving tangible results in competitive and non-competitive supplier negotiations. The position involves managing mid-to-executive-level client and supplier relationships, leading sourcing and category management for complex and critical categories, and establishing performance goals for categories representing significant spend. The role requires leading strategic sourcing projects, managing supplier relationships and business reviews, and acting as a high-level escalation point for performance and risk issues. Additionally, the manager will segment suppliers, develop and manage the supplier base, lead discussions on long-term objectives and market trends, support major supplier issues, and identify business needs related to supply assurance, quality, service, cost, and innovation. A key aspect is developing multi-year category visions and strategies, building strong business relationships to influence total category spend, and identifying value-generating projects. The role also includes managing a prioritized portfolio of projects, leading the supplier selection and RFx award process, executing complex contracts, and applying expert negotiation techniques. Maintaining a strong understanding of category dynamics and communicating changes to stakeholders is crucial. The manager will manage Total Cost of Ownership, enable continuous process improvement and cost reduction, ensure the strategic sourcing process is robustly applied, and collaborate with global procurement peers.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, finance, business, or related field. Candidates with extensive relevant experience and certifications (e.g., CPM, CPIM, etc.) may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Possess at least 5 to 7 years of experience in Procurement, preferably in Indirect Procurement with relevant category expertise.
• Marketing background a plus.
• Experience in Supplier Performance and Risk Management tools desirable.
• Strong written, verbal, and analytical skills, as well as interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Proven project management skills along with solid analytical and consultative skills; able to make sound, data-driven business decisions.
• Prior experience with business case development and multi-workstream project management is critical to success in this role.
• Strong Business acumen with the ability to understand and explain Procurement results and variances to non-Procurement audiences.
• Experience in developing long-term business strategies and confidence when doing so.
• Possesses extensive experience in the sourcing life cycle process and have a strong grasp of the tools needed to complete the process.
• Ability to multi-task, attention to detail, organized, and outstanding customer service skills.
• Judgment to handle confidential information and complicated business situations; ability to lead and influence others; project management, problem solving, leadership and team building skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) and have an understanding for source-to-pay tools (SAP, Ariba, etc.).

Nice To Haves

• Marketing background a plus.
• Experience in Supplier Performance and Risk Management tools desirable.

Responsibilities

• Deeply understand and utilize procurement processes, tools, and systems, execute, and oversee lifecycle management processes.
• Be a proven expert in category planning, development, and execution, as well as ability to achieve tangible results in competitive and non-competitive supplier negotiations both directly and as a coach to others.
• Manage mid-to-executive-level clients and supplier relationships on an ongoing basis to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Lead Sourcing and Category Management for a wide portfolio of complex and/or critical categories to Kraft Heinz.
• Establish and deliver performance goals for a portfolio of categories representing a significant amount of spend.
• Lead strategic sourcing projects for supplier selection/optimization to execute Category Management vision and strategies.
• Manage Supplier Relationships and conducts Supplier Business Reviews – High Level Escalation Point for Performance and Risk Issues.
• Segment suppliers at the category level, while developing and managing the supplier base for your categories.
• Lead discussions with critical suppliers around long-term objectives and strategies, ongoing market trends, innovation and technology advances, and potential investment decisions.
• Support major supplier issues and work with stakeholders to identify and drive resolution.
• Identify business needs at the sourcing and category project level in the following areas: Assurance of supply, quality, service, cost, and innovation.
• Develop multi-year category vision and strategy based on the data, insights, and business requirements.
• Build strong business relationships to increase influence over total category spend.
• Identify and evaluate potential value generating projects based on complexity, resources, risk, time to implement, and estimated financial impact.
• Manage prioritized portfolio of projects for the category in the near and long term.
• Lead the supplier selection and RFx award process.
• Executes highly complex contracts in accordance with policies and processes; ability to apply competency across categories.
• Applies expert level of negotiation techniques and tools in all situations; ability to apply competency.
• Actively maintain strong understanding of category dynamics (current market, pricing, cost drivers, industry, and supplier variables) through trade groups, publications, etc. and communicates changes to business stakeholders.
• Manage Total Cost of Ownership at the category level and be accountable for measuring and reporting value delivery.
• Enable continuous process improvement and cost reduction.
• Ensure the strategic sourcing process is robustly applied to all sourcing projects.
• Collaborates with global procurement peers to ensure support of and alignment to the supported functions.

Benefits

• Coverage for employees (and their eligible dependents) through affordable access to healthcare, protection, and saving for the future, we offer plans tailored to meet you and your family’s needs.
• Events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire a physical, social, emotional, and financial well-being lifestyle for our employees and their families.
• Physical - Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, Vision, Screenings/Assessments
• Social - Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training
• Emotional – Employee Assistance Program , Wellbeing Programs, Family Support Programs
• Financial – 401k, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level