Senior Procurement Manager

Russell Stover•Kansas City, MO

About The Position

The Senior Procurement Manager, Raw Materials and Packaging, designs and implements strategic sourcing strategies across a diversified portfolio of raw materials—including chocolate, dairy, and sugar—and packaging, including flexibles, corrugate, and displays. This leader operates as a player-coach, combining hands-on execution with team development, and partners with business-unit leaders in Operations, FSQA, Finance, R&D, and Marketing. The role works collaboratively with the Vice President of Procurement and senior stakeholders to build organizational capabilities and achieve savings targets while maintaining quality, timeliness, safety, and customer satisfaction and supporting financial performance and growth. The manager directs projects with significant financial and strategic impact and manages critical, sensitive relationships with key suppliers. The position provides strategic direction for sourcing, category management, supplier relationships, commodity trading and pricing, supply continuity, and procurement talent development. It also provides high-level procurement support to regional operations when requested by the Vice President of Procurement. When visiting manufacturing plants, the employee must follow Good Manufacturing Practices and complete and follow FSQA training and programs. They must promptly report and take appropriate action on potential food-safety hazards, process deviations, or non-conformities, and contribute to continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture. The posting notes that it is not all-inclusive and other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

At least 10 years of progressively responsible management experience in a complex food-manufacturing environment; food manufacturing is preferred.
Experience developing and executing multi-site strategic sourcing initiatives, with demonstrated success managing direct spending.
Previous people-management experience.
Fluent English communication skills, including speaking, reading, and writing, with or without an accommodation.
Knowledge of purchasing concepts and techniques.
Knowledge of food-processing concepts, principles, and practices.
Knowledge of strategic sourcing and category-management concepts and best practices.
Knowledge of contracting and commercial legal practices, laws, and regulations.
Knowledge of strategic planning and forecasting concepts and approaches.
Knowledge of project-management concepts and techniques.
Knowledge of budgetary concepts and procedures.
Ability to drive collaboration within the company and develop and implement successful sourcing strategies.
Ability to conduct sophisticated, multi-year contract negotiations and manage contracts.
Ability to achieve targeted cost savings, safety, and quality results.
Ability to prepare and deliver presentations to senior management, customers, and external representatives.
Ability to use PC-based word-processing, spreadsheet, and analytical programs.
Ability to work effectively in a general business environment with a focus on quality and customer service.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor of Science degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, or a related area.

Responsibilities

Enhance visibility into spend, market dynamics, and risk exposure.
Navigate commodity volatility, including hedge strategy across chocolate, sugar, dairy, and other raw-material markets.
Partner closely with the Vice President of Procurement and CFO.
Lead the development and implementation of strategic sourcing practices.
Achieve savings, quality, and service-level goals and support commercialization of new products.
Identify advantages through spend consolidation, specification standardization, and other appropriate procurement strategies.
Develop and maintain high-level external business relationships, including key supplier relationships, and participate in relevant meetings and conferences.
Develop engagement and communication strategies that encourage company-wide participation in sourcing initiatives and centralized category management.
Provide high-level procurement support to regional operations when requested by the Vice President of Procurement.
Contribute to the strategic direction of the procurement organization in support of growth, profitability, and customer-service goals.
Share timely, accurate information and forecasts about pricing trends and supply issues with sales, operations management, and, where appropriate, customers’ purchasing teams.
Attract, develop, and retain procurement talent, with attention to succession planning.
Guide trading strategy, pricing, and supply continuity in a fast-moving market.
When visiting manufacturing plants, adhere to GMP and FSQA requirements; report food-safety hazards, process deviations, and non-conformities; and contribute to the company’s Food Safety Culture.