Director Proteins Strategic Sourcing

Reference: PR/ Proteins Strategic Sourcing Nashville, TN (Monday-Wednesday in office | Thursday-Friday remote) Industry: Restaurant / Food service (Required)

Position Overview Our  client isseekingahighlystrategicandresults-driven

Director Proteins Strategic Sourcingtoleadsourcinginitiativesacrosscriticalfoodcategories,including

Beef,Chicken/Poultry,Pork.

Thisindividualwillberesponsiblefordevelopingandexecutingcategorystrategies,managingsupplierrelationships,mitigatingcommodityrisk,anddrivingvalueacrossanationalrestaurantoperation.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in protein procurement within a restaurant, QSR, casual dining, or food service environment and has demonstrated success leading sourcing teams and developing talent. This role will serve as a key business partner to Operations, Culinary, Quality Assurance, Finance, and Distribution teams to ensure uninterrupted supply, cost optimization, andproductquality.

Key Responsibilities Strategic Sourcing &Category Management Developandexecutesourcingstrategiesfor :

Beef Chicken/Poultry Pork Managesupplierselection ,RFPs,contract negotiations,andsupplierperformanceprograms.

Drivecostsavingsandmarginimprovementinitiativeswhilemaintainingqualityandservicestandards.

Monitorcommoditymarketsandprovideinsightsonpricing,availability,andmarkettrends.

Developshort-andlong-termprocurementstrategiestomitigatesupplydisruptionsandmarketvolatility.

Leadannualbudgeting,forecasting,andinflationplanningforassignedcategories.

Supplier Relationship Management Buildandmaintainexecutive -levelrelationshipswithkeysuppliersandstrategicpartners.

EstablishsupplierscorecardsandKPIsrelatedtoquality,service,cost,and innovation.

Identifyopportunitiestoimprovesupplierperformance,continuity,andproductavailability.

Leadcontractnegotiationsandcommercialagreementstosecurefavorablepricingandterms.

Cross-Functional Leadership Partnercloselywith Culinary ,Marketing,Operations,Quality Assurance,and Financeteams.

Supportproductinnovation,menu changes,promotionalinitiatives,andnewproductlaunches.

Collaboratewithdistributionpartnerstoensureservicelevelsandinventorytargetsareachieved.

Providecategoryexpertiseandmarketintelligencetoseniorleadership.

Risk Management&Continuous Improvement Developriskmitigationstrategiesrelatedtocommodityvolatility ,supplycontinuity,andcapacityconstraints.

Evaluatealternativesuppliersandsourcingmodelstoimproveflexibilityandresilience.

Implementprocessimprovements,sourcingbestpractices,andprocurementgovernanceinitiatives.

Utilizedataandanalyticstodrivestrategicdecision-makingandidentifysavingsopportunities.

Leadership&Team Management Lead ,coach,anddevelopateamofsourcingandprocurementprofessionals.

Establishcleargoals,performance expectations,andprofessionaldevelopmentplans.

Fosterahigh-performanceculturecenteredaroundcollaboration,accountability,andcontinuousimprovement.

Mentorteammembersandbuildsuccessionplansforcriticalroles.

Required Qualifications Bachelor 'sdegreein

Supply

Chain,Business,Finance,Food Science,orrelatedfield.
7+yearsofprogressivesourcing,procurement,orcategorymanagementexperience.
2+yearsofdirectpeopleleadershipexperience

Restaurant,QSR,casual dining,food service,orhospitalityindustryexperiencerequired.

Provenexperiencemanagingproteincategoriesincluding:

Beef Chicken/Poultry Pork Strongcontractnegotiationandsupplierrelationshipmanagementexperience .Demonstratedsuccessmanagingsignificantspendanddeliveringmeasurablecostsavings.

Experienceworkingwithcommodity-drivencategoriesandriskmanagementstrategies.

Strong analytical,financial,and problem-solving skills.