Senior Manager, Strategic Sourcing

Senior Manager, Strategic Sourcing

Join to apply for the Senior Manager, Strategic Sourcing role at Lactalis American Group.

Job Type: Full‑time

Locations: Bedford, NH;
Chicago, IL;
Buffalo, NY;
Minneapolis, MN (or other U.S. locations).

Lactalis is the world leader in dairy and a family‑owned company with over 85,000 professionals worldwide. We produce award‑winning products, including Galbani®, Président®, Kraft®, Break stone’s®, Cracker Barrel®, Black Diamond®, Parmalat®, siggi’s®, Stonyfield Organic®, Brown Cow™, Oui®, Yoplait®, Go‑Gurt®, :ratio®, Green Mountain Creamery®, Mountain High®, Karoun®, Gopi® and Arz®. We live by our core values—Ambition, Engagement, and Simplicity—fostering a workplace where innovation thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and everyone’s unique background is valued.

Even if you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We want to hear about your PASSION, your STORY, and how your EXPERTISE can help shape the future of dairy.

• Supporting global strategy & negotiation initiatives led by the global procurement team by providing information such as pricing specifications and vendor listings, market intelligence and negotiating at local level for finalization. Then implement set strategies and initiatives at a North American level.
• Develop and lead local short‑ and medium‑term sourcing strategies by using in‑depth knowledge and analysis of key cost drivers.
• Develop, maintain, and implement with the support of the global team a sustainable category purchasing strategy at zone level.
• Accountable for the management of all contracts for the Category at the zone level, including qualifying vendors, tender, negotiate, and implement all contracts.
• Lead cost and supply risks for key material supplies within category by maintaining up‑to‑date knowledge of market changes to alert on the risk, contracting in advance of the concern or contracting low and long if it is a price risk, and finding and qualifying alternate vendors or alternate materials.
• Ensure that purchased materials, suppliers and services are following the company’s requirements.
• Evaluate and ensure that all plants are following proper purchasing procedures and communicate changes in purchasing policies and procedures as required.
• Identify and execute negotiation cost savings initiatives on category managed by incumbent, and on escalated contracts from team with senior leadership at Supplier end.
• For the categories the incumbent directly manages, identify and execute value analysis and vendor transfer savings opportunities as a cross‑functional effort to deliver cost reduction targets and optimize other performance measures such as on‑time delivery & lead time on purchased goods and services, without jeopardizing quality, flexibility, and supply continuity.
• Participate as an active cross‑functional team member by providing insight to the leadership within Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Quality, R&D, Sales and Marketing and other key functional areas of the business for effective project execution such as new launches, line extensions, and process optimization. The scope includes sourcing, pricing, as well as sharing process improvements ideas provided by the vendors.
• Responsible for hiring and leading a high‑performing team of purchasing professionals.
• Lead and manage direct reports by establishing goals and priorities, and providing work direction, reviewing performance, providing work support with suppliers, and providing feedback, and in conjunction with the Director, determining training and development needs. Manage the team located in all the zone countries.
• Full ownership of Category Budget with input on the Budget Assumptions from the Senior Director Procurement and the global Strategic procurement team.
• Develop supplier relationships to optimize supplier quality and performance, including continuous improvement, innovation, and reduction in total cost of ownership to add value to North America region. Manage supplier quality and supplier non‑conformance concerns.
• Perform administrative duties such as tracking cost savings initiatives and providing monthly status reports,…