Procurement Process Lead — SAP Ariba +Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

About the Role

Our client, a prominent FMCG manufacturer, is seeking a Senior Procurement Professional to lead the source-to-contract process for North America within a dynamic SAP Ariba environment. This role encompasses a comprehensive approach, guiding everything from spend analysis and sourcing events to negotiations, contract awards, and the management of supplier relationships.

In this position, you will take full ownership of the categories, contracts, and supplier relationships, with Ariba serving as your operational platform rather than your project focus. Following the successful go-live of the system, you will be instrumental in managing a continuous stream of change requests pertaining to sourcing and contracting processes — your expertise will be vital in determining priorities, validating importance, and ensuring effective delivery.

This role is based onsite in the Cincinnati area.

• End-to-End Source-to-Contract Management
  :
  Lead the entire process, including spend and market analysis, sourcing strategy formulation, RFx events, supplier selection, negotiations, and contract awards.
• Category Strategy Ownership
  :
  Develop and oversee category strategies for your designated spend areas, ensuring a robust savings pipeline from identification through to realized value.
• Contract Lifecycle Management
  :
  Manage all aspects of contract lifecycle, including drafting support, negotiations on terms, renewals, expiry management, and coverage of addressable spend.
• Supplier Qualification and Onboarding
  :
  Conduct due diligence, manage risk and compliance screening, and approve suppliers for inclusion in the supplier base.
• Supplier Performance and Development
  :
  Monitor and enhance supplier performance through scorecard evaluations, delivery and quality escalations, corrective actions, and fostering top-level relationships.
• Catalogue and Supplier Enablement
  :
  Ensure that awarded contract terms are effectively implemented and made available for purchase.
• Change Request Management
  :
  Prioritize and shape the sourcing and contracting change request queue, establishing clear problem statements and acceptance criteria while securing business sign-off on deliverables.
• Reporting
  :
  Provide regular reports on procurement KPIs to leadership, including metrics on savings delivered, spend under management, contract coverage, sourcing cycle times, and supplier risk and performance.

• Experience
  : 12+ years in strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement leadership within the FMCG, CPG, or manufacturing sectors, including prior senior or lead-level responsibilities.
• Sourcing Expertise
  :
  Proven track record in managing competitive sourcing events end-to-end, with direct leadership in negotiations.
• SAP Ariba Proficiency
  :
  Hands‑on experience as a business user in SAP Ariba, adept at running sourcing events and managing contract estates within the platform.
• Category Strategy Ownership
  :
  Demonstrated experience in owning category strategy and achieving savings targets for a business unit or region, with quantifiable results.
• Supplier Management
  :
  Strong background in supplier qualification, performance management, and development, including experience in escalations with senior stakeholder suppliers.
• Location Commitment
  :
  Must be based in the Cincinnati area or willing to relocate at your own expense.

• Implementation Experience
  :
  Prior involvement as a business lead or process owner during an Ariba implementation, migration, or post-go-live stabilization phase.
• Diverse Spend Management
  :
  Experience managing both direct and indirect spend categories, including ingredients, packaging, logistics, MRO, and services.
• Supplier Enablement
  :
  Familiarity with supplier enablement processes and catalogue program management.
• Risk Management
  :
  Knowledge of supplier risk frameworks, ESG considerations, or compliance screening processes.
• Certifications
  : CIPS, CPSM, or equivalent certification is a plus.