Sourcing Specialist - Packaging

Mars•Chicago, IL

13d•$79,280 - $109,010•Onsite

About The Position

As a Sourcing Specialist - Packaging at Mars, you’ll join a collaborative, global organization and build your expertise within a complex and evolving packaging category. This is an opportunity to take meaningful ownership, gain exposure across the business and help translate category strategies into measurable value. You’ll work closely with the Senior Sourcing Manager, Buyers, suppliers and cross-functional partners across Operations, Supply, R&D, Quality and Finance. The ideal candidate is curious, analytical and ready to bring a point of view while continuing to grow as a strategic sourcing professional.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
3+ years of procurement or strategic sourcing experience.
Demonstrated experience leading RFQs/RFPs, evaluating supplier proposals and supporting supplier selection decisions.
Experience preparing for and participating in supplier negotiations and commercial contracting.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret spend, pricing, market data and commercial scenarios.
Ability to develop well-rounded sourcing recommendations that consider cost, quality, service, innovation, sustainability and supply continuity.
Strong communication, stakeholder-management and supplier-relationship skills, with the ability to work independently in an ambiguous, fast-moving environment.

Nice To Haves

Packaging, FMCG/CPG, direct-materials, manufacturing, cost-modeling, commodity-pricing or global sourcing experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Own assigned packaging subcategories, sourcing initiatives and workstreams with increasing independence.
Lead competitive RFQs and RFPs from market analysis and supplier engagement through proposal evaluation, supplier selection and award recommendation.
Analyze spend, supplier proposals, cost drivers, market indices and external developments to identify sourcing opportunities and commercial risks.
Develop sourcing scenarios, business cases and recommendations that balance value, service, quality, innovation, sustainability and supply-chain continuity.
Partner with internal cost-modeling and business teams to prepare negotiation strategies, lead supplier negotiations and support end-to-end contracting.
Maintain accurate pricing and commercial agreements following sourcing events.
Build productive supplier relationships and support supplier segmentation, performance management and portfolio optimization.
Collaborate across Procurement, Operations, Supply, R&D, Quality and Finance to implement sourcing decisions and deliver business commitments.
Support regional and global sourcing initiatives, including standardization, analytics, automation and continuous process improvement.