Senior Strategic Sourcing Specialist

Amy's Kitchen•Petaluma, CA

About The Position

The Senior Strategic Sourcing Specialist will manage strategic supplier accounts, applying best practices in supplier relationship management, negotiation, and issue resolution to drive value for both Amy's and its suppliers. This role involves proactively providing suppliers with critical information, overseeing the qualification and onboarding of new suppliers, and securing new ingredients and packaging for new products. The specialist will lead complex conversations with suppliers to address performance issues and navigate disagreements, working in partnership with cross-departmental teams to ensure materials meet all specifications. A key responsibility is leading annual or multi-year contracting or RFQ processes, including market assessment, contract allocation recommendations, and negotiation of pricing and terms. The role requires developing and implementing medium to long-term strategies for raw materials to reduce spend, increase supply assurance, improve food safety and quality, and deliver positive sustainability impacts. Additionally, the specialist will partner with planning on purchasing plans, apply knowledge of emerging global supply chain trends to mitigate risks, and lead efforts to reduce supply assurance risks and resolve short-term material shortages. Effective communication with all levels, including senior leadership, is essential, as is leading innovation and continuous improvement projects. The employee is responsible for upholding the Amy's Food Safety and Quality Policy, including following all Food Safety and Sustainability programs and participating in required training.

Requirements

9+ years of experience in a purchasing or related supply chain role, ideally in the food industry and/or organics, or a combination of experience with a relevant degree (Business, Ag Business, Economics, Supply Chain Management, etc.).
Ability to read and write routine reports and correspondence and lead professional conversations and meetings with customers or coworkers.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
Ability to analyze and solve basic math and algebraic problems.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, with intermediate skill in Excel.
Experience using ERP and Supply Chain Plan Systems expected.
Ability to creatively solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Excellent time management and organizational skills.
Proven ability to work in a fast-paced team environment essential, with a high degree of flexibility and tolerance to change.

Nice To Haves

Ideally in the food industry and/or organics

Responsibilities

Manages most strategic supplier accounts with professionalism and excellence, applying supplier relationship management best practices, negotiation and issue resolution skills, and continuous improvement mindset to drive value for Amy’s and suppliers.
Proactively provides suppliers with timely information critical for supplying Amy’s, including release schedules, contract adjustments, payment issues, et cetera.
Oversees processes for qualifying and onboarding new suppliers and securing new ingredients and packaging for new products.
Effectively leads complex and crucial conversations with suppliers to address performance issues, navigate disagreements, and find win-win solutions.
Works in partnership with cross-departmental partners to ensure material meets all spec requirements (e.g., food safety, quality, regulatory, sensory) and to address issues caused by material variances.
Effectively leads annual or multi-year contracting or RFQ process, including assessing the market, providing recommendations for contract allocation, and negotiating pricing and terms with suppliers.
Uses experience in strategic sourcing methodology to develop and implement medium to long term strategies for the raw materials to reduce spend, increase supply assurance, improve food safety and quality, and deliver positive sustainability impacts.
Partners with planning in developing mid to long-range purchasing plans.
Applies knowledge of emerging trends in the global supply chain to make decisions and mitigate risks.
Proactive and forward focused in reducing supply assurance risk; identifies and leads risk mitigation efforts aimed at specific commodities and broader topics and issues (e.g., labor, climate, social responsibility).
Leads on resolution of short-term material shortage risks, including project managing the required support from cross-departmental partners including planning, supplier quality, regulatory, culinary, and manufacturing.
Communicates critical information in a timely and effective way with all levels, with experience preparing briefings and communicating effectively with senior leadership.
Identifies and leads innovation and continuous improvement projects to reduce/contain spend, increase supply assurance, improve food safety and quality, and deliver positive sustainability impacts.
Leverages experience with Continuous Improvement (CI) methodologies to address supply chain issues and identify corrective actions.
Other duties as assigned.