Sourcing Manager – External Manufacturing
About The Position
The Manager – External Manufacturing is responsible for sourcing, managing, and governing relationships with external manufacturing partners, including co‑manufacturers, and repackers. The role partners closely with Supply Chain, Planning, Finance, Quality, Legal, R&D, and Commercial teams to ensure external manufacturing supports business objectives for service, cost, quality, innovation, and risk management. This position sits within Procurement and operates at the intersection of manufacturing strategy, network design, and commercial execution, supporting make‑vs‑buy decisions, capacity strategy, product transitions, and long‑term external manufacturing performance.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, Business, or a related field.
- 5+ years of experience in procurement, supply chain, manufacturing, or related roles (CPG preferred).
- Experience working with or managing external manufacturing partners or closely related categories.
- Strong negotiation and stakeholder‑influencing skills.
- Solid financial acumen with experience managing cost models, productivity initiatives, or operational economics.
- Excellent analytical, communication, and relationship‑building skills.
- Ability to operate effectively in a multinational, matrixed organization.
- Bilingual English/French preferred (role dependent).
- Willingness to travel up to ~15%.
Responsibilities
- Execute external manufacturing category strategies aligned with business growth, service, cost, and risk objectives.
- Lead sourcing activities including RFI/RFPs, negotiations, supplier selection, onboarding, and exits.
- Support make‑vs‑buy analyses, capacity planning, and network design in partnership with Planning and Supply Chain.
- Conduct market and capability assessments to understand supplier technologies, capacity, and future‑state options.
- Own day‑to‑day and strategic relationships with external manufacturing partners.
- Establish, track, and review KPIs covering service, quality, cost, productivity, and risk.
- Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), performance reviews, and ongoing issue resolution.
- Act as the primary liaison between external partners and internal cross‑functional stakeholders.
- Manage conversion economics and total cost considerations across external manufacturing partners.
- Support Annual Operating Plan (AOP), forecasting, and variance management in partnership with Finance.
- Identify, size, and deliver productivity and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Develop and maintain financial models, savings tracking, and performance analytics.
- Lead negotiation and lifecycle management of external manufacturing agreements.
- Partner with Legal, Finance, Tax, Quality, and Supply Chain to structure and govern contracts.
- Ensure compliance with procurement policies, regulatory requirements, quality standards, and ethical sourcing expectations.
- Conduct supplier due diligence covering financial stability, quality systems, service capability, and business continuity risk.
- Collaborate with R&D, Quality, Operations, Commercial, and Supply Chain teams to support innovation launches and product transfers.
- Ensure supplier and internal readiness across quality, regulatory, operational, and commercial dimensions prior to implementation.
- Drive disciplined execution, issue escalation, and decision‑making in a fast‑paced, matrix environment.
Benefits
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
- Disability
- Paid Time Off (including paid parental leave, vacation, and sick time)
- 401k with company match
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Mileage Reimbursement
- Annual bonus based on performance and eligibility
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
