Senior Commercial Procurement Category Manager - Direct Materials & Innovation

Glanbia•West Haven, CT

1d•$145,000 - $170,000•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Commercial Procurement Category Manager is responsible for the end-to-end strategy, value creation, and innovation enablement across strategically critical ingredients and pre-mix direct material categories. This role serves as a strategic business partner to R&D, Operations, Commercial, Product Strategic Management (PSM), and Finance—delivering competitive advantage through supply market intelligence, supplier innovation, total cost leadership, and speed-to-market enablement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, or related field.
7+ years progressive strategic procurement experience in food, ingredient, or FMCG industry.
3+ years leading complex cross-functional projects.
Demonstrated experience in innovation sourcing and category strategy ownership.

Nice To Haves

MBA or CPSM/CPM certification preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute multi-year category strategies aligned to enterprise growth objectives.
Build and manage value creation roadmaps (cost savings, avoidance, innovation, working capital, resilience).
Serve as Regional or Global Category Owner as assigned.
Deliver measurable procurement value contribution.
Embed procurement into the product development lifecycle.
Enable rapid sourcing solutions for new product launches.
Partner with R&D to identify innovative suppliers and emerging technologies.
Reduce commercialization cycle time through proactive supplier engagement.
Develop should-cost and total cost of ownership models.
Lead complex negotiations and contracting strategies.
Model make-vs-buy and scenario-based cost analysis.
Drive transparent savings tracking and benefit realization.
Act as Supplier Relationship Owner for strategic suppliers.
Lead quarterly and annual executive supplier reviews.
Drive joint innovation and cost-reduction initiatives.
Establish KPIs, scorecards, and performance governance.
Monitor global market trends and commodity risks.
Develop risk mitigation and dual-sourcing strategies.
Lead business continuity planning within category.
Lead end-to-end sourcing events (RFI/RFQ/RFP).
Ensure compliance with procurement policies and contracting standards.
Own or co-own major Procurement Work Processes.
Drive continuous improvement in sourcing methodologies.
Build alignment across Operations, Finance, R&D, Quality, and Commercial teams.
Present strategy and value outcomes to senior leadership.
Influence decision-making in a matrixed global organization.
Lead and develop a team of sourcing professionals.
Shape organization design and resource allocation.
Drive talent development and succession planning.
Own relationship between Commercial/PSM and Category.
Lead Customer RFP pricing responsibilities.
Prepare and present market intelligence reports to Commercial/PSM.
Support Traded division with market pricing and portfolio building opportunities.