Strategic Category Manager - Manufacturing

Rich’s, also known as Rich Products Corporation, is a family‑owned food company dedicated to inspiring possibilities. From cakes and icings to pizza, appetizers and specialty toppings, our products are used in homes, restaurants and bakeries around the world. Beyond great food, our customers also gain insights to help them stay competitive, no matter their size. Our portfolio includes creative solutions geared at helping food industry professionals compete in food service, retail, in‑store bakery, deli, and prepared foods, among others.

Working in 100 locations globally, with annual sales exceeding $4billion, Rich’s is a global leader with a focus on everything that family makes possible. Rich’s®—Infinite Possibilities. One Family.

Strategic procurement professional responsible for enterprise‑wide contract manufacturing space who partners with internal/external business stakeholders to drive procurement value, including development and execution of strategies that focus on optimizing transparent cost structures, joint value creation, improving vendor performance, mitigating risk and extracting innovation from supply base. This position will work closely with our sales and marketing groups as well as managing categories with international supply chain implications, collaborating with regional teams.

• In combination with business stakeholders, development and execution of category sourcing strategy for contract manufacturing supplier landscape leveraging industry knowledge, while achieving business requirements.
• Builds a short term and long‑term category vision that is aligned with business stakeholders, and supported by strategic category management and sourcing objectives.
• Directs and leads category specific analyses and reporting, supply market research and spend analytics.
• Directly manages the development of the sourcing strategies, RFI/RFP materials, negotiations, savings model, supplier selection recommendation and contracting.
• Lead the implementation of strategic supplier development plans including maximizing procurement leverage and maximizing supplier performance/joint‑process improvements.
• Negotiation and implementation of supplier agreements/contracts by working with cross‑functional stakeholders and suppliers to reach agreement on contract terms and conditions.
• Deliver price transparency within costing models to establish leverage of category management levers, establishing competitive total cost of ownership (TCO).
• Lead negotiations driven by category strategy to achieve optimal value for business.
• Drive metrics, data reporting and dashboards to support the achievement of value optimization goals.
• Apply Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) strategy and segmentation (transactional, strategic, niche, etc.) to category with goal of streamlining supplier base through strategic partnerships.
• Benchmark payment terms against industry and look to enhance current payment terms especially with core suppliers.
• Responsible for ensuring that maximum amount of spend is under active procurement management.
• Create category dashboarding to measure and manage category KPI’s & metrics.
• Ability to track value creation delivered through category strategy execution.
• Provide strategic category expertise and support to procurement teams located in regions outside the U.S. for assigned category.
• Leverage spend in regions outside the US to drive additional value with strategic suppliers, while delivering additional value to regional businesses.
• Lead internal contract manufacturing team to support achievement of category objectives.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in business, supply chain management or related field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• 5 – 7 years strategic procurement experience, with preference for category management and large project negotiations.
• Demonstrated track record and experience in managing contracting manufacturing procurement at other CPG organizations.
• Experience providing project leadership and effectively managing projects.
• Excellent analytical skills, especially around Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)…