Category Procurement Manager

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

The Category Procurement Manager actively participates in the strategic sourcing activities for the America’s Region, with the goal of achieving significant initial cost reductions, while maintaining/improving product quality and vendor service levels.  This is a hybrid-based position that will require the individual to visit the Beloit, WI office on a regular basis.  

Key responsibilities

• Directly responsible for the procurement and risk management of commodity categories with an annual spend of approximately $100MM
• Sets strategy and leads category sourcing activities in the America’s Region
• Analyzes market and delivery conditions to determine present and future material availability/price, and prepares market analysis reports.
• Oversees all activities related to procurement of a material, from intent to purchase through delivery of the material
• Monitors procurement reporting systems to meet company requirements.
• Vendor selection and negotiation process for regional vendors
• Recruits and maintains suppliers that provide high quality products and services at a better price while maintaining the highest code of ethics and conduct.
• Negotiates complex requests for materials.
• Works day-to-day with the other functions in the region on implementation of category sourcing initiatives
• Ensures categories are contracted in line with the sourcing strategy to avoid maverick buying
• Ensures master agreements are properly codified into local contracts for the region
• Prepares and issues purchase contracts and change notices.
• Prepares and reviews contracts, bids, proposals, and vendor agreements for legal correctness, price, and acceptability of items to specifications
• Develops and utilizes a system to evaluate vendor quotations with the appropriate negotiation and purchasing techniques to ensure quality, price, delivery, and service.
• Directly solves operational issues with vendors
• Reviews and resolves vendor claims and contracts for conformance to company policy

Qualifications and skills

• 10+ years of food industry and buying experience.
• Dairy, Vegetable Oils, sweeteners, or/and Commodities purchasing, and risk management experience required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Economics, Business, Finance, Economics, or Food Science are desirable.
• MBA or MS degrees are desirable.
• Must be able to travel up to 20% of the time to either Beloit or other sites as required. 
• Strong communication skills: successful candidate will work with Kerry co-workers in multiple functions and locations as well as outside vendors.
• Problem-solving and analytical skills
• Basic understanding of purchasing and supply chain mgmt.
• Ability to comply with existing/quickly adapt to new processes within the organization.
• Able to work in a dual reporting matrix and in virtual teams.
• Able to get buy-in and commitment from stakeholders.