Sourcing Lead - Crop Protection

Farmer's Business Network

About The Position

Farmers Business Network, Inc. (FBN®) is a pioneering digital marketplace and farmer-to-farmer network dedicated to empowering family farmers globally while promoting sustainable agriculture. With over 117,000 members, FBN's Farmers First® promise unites growers and ranchers in their quest to maximize profitability and increase food production. FBN leverages data, AI and direct-to-farm delivery to simplify the agricultural supply chain, boosting convenience and transparency, reducing farm input costs, enhancing access to financing and services, and providing personalized farm insights. Its Gradable® joint-venture helps thousands of farmers adopt and earn rewards for regenerative practices while simplifying the access of regenerative products for the world’s leading food companies and grain buyers. Position Summary FBN Marketplace is expanding its third-party supplier ecosystem, where external partners compete to serve farmer demand through a scalable platform. Reporting to VP of Category Management, the CP Sourcing Lead is the single-threaded owner for third-party supply of Crop Protection products within FBN Marketplace. This role consolidates supplier sourcing, supply coordination, negotiation, and performance management for non-manufactured products. In a lean operating model, this role functions as the primary third-party supply capability, partnering closely with Marketplace, Category Management, Demand Planning, Finance, and Logistics to ensure the right products are selected, funded, and available to meet farmer needs. This is a senior individual contributor role with broad accountability for outcomes, not people management.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations, Agriculture, or a related field
6–10 years of experience in supplier management, sourcing, category operations, or marketplace roles
Experience negotiating commercial terms with external partners
Strong cross-functional collaboration skills
Financial and margin acumen

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting third-party or marketplace-based product models
Agriculture, ag inputs, or supply chain experience
Familiarity with demand planning or S&OP processes (participation, not ownership)
Experience operating in a fast-paced, matrixed organization

Responsibilities

Serve as the single-threaded owner for third-party supply execution across FBN Marketplace for Crop Protection products
Consolidate supplier sourcing, commitments, and execution in a lean operating environment
Act as the central point of accountability for third-party product availability, timing, and readiness
Resolve third-party supply issues end-to-end without reliance on a dedicated supply team
Achieve savings targets by deploying appropriate negotiation strategies, such as bids, sharing price intelligence, and securing multiple supply options.
Own end-to-end relationships with third-party CP suppliers across all non-manufactured products
Lead supplier identification, evaluation, onboarding, and ongoing management
Negotiate commercial terms including pricing, payment terms, rebates, and service levels
Maintain clear supplier expectations aligned to Marketplace demand and operational constraints
Partner with Category Management to determine: Which products are sourced vs. internally manufactured (GCS) Which suppliers participate in each category
Support assortment rationalization to reduce complexity and improve execution
Ensure suppliers are operationally ready for new product launches, promotions, and seasonal demand
Work with Category Management on preferred model, ie, Vendor Stock on Demand or Direct Purchase
Work closely with Demand Planning to align forecasts, buy quantities, and replenishment strategies
Translate demand signals into supplier commitments and purchase plans
Identify and mitigate supply risks including lead times, shortages, substitutions, and supplier constraints
Adjust buy plans dynamically based on in-season demand and supplier performance
Partner with the Demand, Supply Chain and Logistics teams to execute inbound, storage, and drop-ship strategies
Ensure third-party products are positioned appropriately to meet customer delivery expectations
Coordinate timing, quantities, and fulfillment methods with logistics and demand partners
Act as the primary escalation point for third-party supply execution issues
Partner with Finance to manage cash requirements and working capital for third-party purchases
Track replacement COGS on a weekly basis
Balance product availability with disciplined cash management
Track margin performance and support variance analysis for third-party products
Support quarterly and annual planning processes related to third-party supply
Work closely with the Marketplace and Sales teams to ensure pricing, availability, and assortment support conversion
Support campaigns, promotions, and demand spikes with aligned supplier execution
Communicate supplier constraints, opportunities, and substitutions proactively
Own supplier performance metrics including fill rate, availability, margin performance, and service levels
Drive corrective actions with underperforming suppliers
Support a lightweight governance and approval process for new third-party product introductions
Ensure clear documentation and decision ownership across third-party supply activities