Procurement Manager - Materials Management

Blue Diamond Growers

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Procurement Manager – Materials Management is responsible for ensuring uninterrupted supply of direct materials required to support production and customer demand. This role owns the materials management strategy and planning, purchase execution, supplier performance, and inventory optimization for both ingredients and packaging. This person will be a Blue Diamond employee, but be based in Elgin, IL and have an office at Blue Diamond’s primary co-manufacturer, who is located there. First and foremost, this person will do the purchasing of all direct materials essential to our production operations at multiple sites (approx. 3-4) including a mix of co-manufacturing and Blue Diamond plants across the east coast, Midwest, and west coast. Additionally, this Manager will be the first point of contact for Blue Diamond’s other co-manufacturers when supply issues arise and they need escalation support to Blue Diamond’s suppliers. The Procurement Manager is also responsible for the development of the overall strategy, tools, and processes around the purchasing and replenishment of direct materials for Blue Diamond including, but not limited to, determining target days of supply by material item (and maintaining that target supply); defining the replenishment process; maintaining master data; developing regular forecasts for suppliers; establishing KPIs; determining storage capacity needs; resolving PO/invoice issues; and communicating with suppliers. This person will report to the Director of Global Procurement. He/she will work closely with the Sr. Manager - Procurement (Direct Materials), as well as the broader procurement team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in materials management and is highly analytical, proactive, and experienced in balancing service levels, lead times, pricing, and inventory targets to drive a reliable and cost-effective supply chain.

Requirements

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or related fields.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in materials management, supply chain, procurement, or inventory control
• Strong understanding of inventory planning concepts (forecasting inputs, safety stock, lead times, service levels)
• Proficiency in ERP/MRP systems (e.g., ERP, MRP, SAP) and strong Excel skills
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and analytical skills
• Proven ability to collaborate across departments, manage costs, and think critically and strategically to develop new processes and systems and to challenge the status-quo
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment with high attention to detail.
• Knowledge of best practices and industry standards for materials replenishment strategies
• Previous experience in food manufacturing and managing materials with short shelf-life
• 5-15% travel required to visit Blue Diamond manufacturing plants, co-manufacturing partners, and/or suppliers
• A high-energy individual with a positive can-do attitude

Nice To Haves

• Working knowledge of supplier contracts and negotiation
• Experience with S&OP/IBP processes.
• APICS certification (CPIM/CSCP) a plus
• Lean or Six Sigma certification or experience
• Experience with PowerBI, Tableau, or other data analytical tools/systems
• Passion for agriculture, the food industry, sustainability, and our mission

Responsibilities

• Direct Materials Replenishment & Execution Create and own Blue Diamond’s materials management strategy for direct materials to maintain optimal inventory levels and prevent shortages or overstock, based on industry standards, production needs, inventory levels, target days of supply (DOS), and forecasted demand
• Determine and maintain key data inputs such as target DOS based on company’s needs, cash, and storage capacity; reordering point; lead times; item pricing tiers; MOQs, safety stock. Ensure replenishment strategy follows best practices and utilizes technology, optimized tools, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Create, manage, and release purchase orders (POs) aligned to forecast, demand plans, and production schedules (for 2 Blue Diamond sites and 1-2 co-manufacturers)
• Work with IT to implement an MRP that provides for accurate PO recommendations and supplier and item-level forecasts and aligns to Procurement’s master data and inventory targets such as DOS, lead times, safety stock, etc. Use Excel or other analytics tools (e.g., PowerBI) that mimic an MRP as a forecast to purchase from, until Blue Diamond has a fully-functioning MRP in place; be able to manipulate data as needed to use as a forecast for purchasing raw materials
• Monitor inventory health and proactively adjust orders based on changes in demand, lead time, or supplier constraints. Ensure materials are available to meet production requirements and customer delivery commitments
• Develop process for overseeing Blue Diamond’s co-manufacturers’ materials replenishment strategy including providing forecasts to suppliers; monitoring their inventory levels; escalating their issues to suppliers; and tracking KPIs
• For packaging or formulation changes, lead and manage the runout of materials to minimize scrap and excess costs
• Attend co-manufacturers’ daily production meetings to capture required information in order to place accurate POs for ingredients and packaging used in production, while also relaying pertinent information back to Blue Diamond and its procurement and planning teams
• Supplier Management Manage day-to-day supplier relationships for assigned direct material suppliers
• Track supplier performance including on-time delivery, lead time adherence, fill rate, quality issues, and responsiveness, which will be used in supplier scorecards at quarterly/bi-annual business reviews
• Create, ensure accuracy, and distribute forecasts on a monthly cadence to all direct material suppliers
• Resolve supply disruptions through escalations, expediting, substitutions, or alternate sourcing strategies
• Collaborate with Quality and Operations teams on supplier corrective actions and continuous improvement
• Ensure contract compliance by reviewing all Blue Diamond’s ingredient and packaging contracts that are executed in order to comply with the company’s obligations such as forecast cadence, lead times, etc
• Support Senior Manager, Procurement – Direct Materials with materials and data for Supplier Business Reviews and scorecards; attend business reviews for direct material suppliers and follow-up on action items related to replenishment
• Work with Accounts Payable to ensure timely payment of invoices; work to resolve any three-way match/invoice issues
• Inventory & Cost Optimization Balance inventory targets and service level expectations while minimizing working capital and avoiding obsolescence
• Identify cost-saving opportunities through negotiation, standardization, freight optimization, MOQs, and supplier collaboration
• Support periodic pricing reviews, contract renewals, and cost/usage analysis
• Cross-Functional Coordination Partner with Planning, Manufacturing, and Logistics to align materials plans with business needs
• Provide clear communication on supply risks, constraints, and mitigation plans
• Support new product launches, material transitions, and engineering, and regulatory changes by ensuring supply readiness
• Work with the Logistics team to arrange for Blue Diamond-managed freight in some instances
• At times, assist in inventory counts at co-manufacturers for Blue Diamond
• Reporting & Process Improvement Develop (and report out on) industry-standard KPIs for inventory management (inventory positions, open orders, DOS, shortages), create replenishment dashboards to track them monthly, and ensure compliance.
• Drive continuous improvement in procurement planning processes, tools, and data accuracy
• Maintain accurate master data related to purchasing (lead times, vendor information, pricing, MOQ, pack size, etc)
• Track and report out on forecast accuracy
• Assist possibly in creating reports with IT or analysts to enhance the Procurement team’s data

Benefits

• In addition to working at the world’s largest, state-of-the-art almond manufacturer, we offer a safe and collaborative team environment, with numerous opportunities for free training and career advancement.
• Check out the BDG Benefits, Health & Wellness Guide HERE .

What This Job Offers

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