Head of Procurement – Manufacturing Business

Director of Procurement

Location: Long Island, New York
Reports to: Vice President of Supply Chain

A rapidly growing national food manufacturer is seeking a Director of Procurement to lead enterprise-wide sourcing strategy across packaging and food ingredients. This organization supplies high-quality branded and private-label products to institutional and retail customers nationwide and is experiencing continued expansion.

This is a highly visible leadership role responsible for driving cost optimization, supply continuity, supplier performance, and working capital improvement across multiple manufacturing locations.

The Director of Procurement will lead strategic sourcing and supplier management across all direct material categories. Approximately 70% of spend relates to packaging (corrugated, film, labels, cartons, and related materials), with the remaining 30% focused on food ingredients and commodity-based inputs.

The role serves as a strategic partner to Finance, Operations, Quality, and R&D and plays a critical part in protecting margin and managing commodity exposure.

• Develop and execute a multi-year procurement strategy aligned to growth objectives

• Establish supplier governance frameworks and performance metrics

• Lead high-impact negotiations and long-term agreements

• Build and maintain senior-level supplier relationships

• Lead sourcing strategy for corrugated, flexible film, labels, cartons, and related materials

• Negotiate pricing structures, rebates, and cost-reduction initiatives

• Manage supplier performance (quality, service, OTIF, lead times)

• Monitor commodity markets impacting packaging (resin, paperboard, freight)

• Develop dual-source and risk mitigation strategies

• Support new product launches and packaging changes

• Drive year-over-year savings and value engineering

• Standardize indirect packaging spend across locations

• Source and manage suppliers for key ingredient categories

• Monitor commodity exposure (dairy, grains, oils, sweeteners, etc.)

• Negotiate ingredient contracts and pricing structures

• Partner with Quality and R&D on supplier compliance and food safety

• Ensure supply continuity and documentation governance

• Support demand forecasting and purchasing alignment

• Track purchase price variance and margin impact

• Improve working capital via inventory optimization and payment term negotiation

• Provide executive-level reporting on cost trends and supplier performance

• Support audit and compliance processes

• Develop and lead the procurement team

• Establish policies, procedures, and internal controls

• Improve ERP utilization and procurement analytics

• Drive cross-functional alignment across plant locations

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, or related field

• 8-12+ years of progressive procurement experience in manufacturing

• Significant experience in packaging and/or food ingredient sourcing

• Proven team leadership experience

• Strong negotiation and supplier management background

• Experience managing commodity volatility and cost risk

• Advanced analytical and financial acumen

• ERP proficiency and advanced Excel skills