Manager, Strategic Cost

Job Summary

The Manager, Strategic Cost is responsible for driving cost control and enhancing profitability across the organization. This position is expected to develop strategies and provide analytical support for net cost reduction and cost increase mitigation activities. The candidate is adept at leveraging market trends and cost models to produce insights for fact-based decision-making and supplier net cost negotiations. The role is viewed as a subject matter expert for category-specific commodities and cost models.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Cost Modeling

• Develop comprehensive cost models which closely reflect supplier input cost volatility
• Work closely with suppliers to acutely understand cost structures
• Continuously maintain and refine cost models to ensure cost component alignment with production enhancements and contract changes
• Develop a fundamental understanding of the manufacturing process for specific product groups
• Educate and gain alignment with suppliers on cost component eligibility for pricing action

• Supplier Negotiations

• Support Merchants with fact-based market intelligence in supplier negotiations
• Create detailed negotiation insights and benefit targets for Sourcing
• Review contracts to understand supplier cost change dynamics and develop strategies for proactive increase and decrease activities
• Create customized cost breakdown templates for RFPs
• Build working relationships with suppliers that promote transparency and partnership

• Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead cost risk and opportunity meetings with Merchants
• Regularly provide comprehensive cost change analysis and recommendations to Merchants
• Provide market insights to cross-functional teams (PGMO, RevMan, Merchandising, Sales) to facilitate proactive decision-making
• Aid in benefit forecasting for sourcing events and supplier direct negotiations
• Advises Merchandising on market relevance of supplier net cost

• Market Intelligence

• Utilize third-party platforms for market insights and cost model framework
• Leverage cost models to recommend optimal timing windows for sourcing events
• Monitor and analyze commodity markets, industry trends, and supplier cost drivers
• Develop and present ad-hoc market analysis to internal stakeholders
• Serve as subject matter expert on category-specific commodities and cost models
• Translate raw component market movements into actionable net cost insights

• Possess knowledge of macro-economic factors that influence market volatility

Qualifications

• Education

• Bachelor's degree preferred or applicable experience in merchandising, market intelligence, and supplier negotiations

• Experience

• 4 years of experience in merchandising preferred or equivalent combination of education and industry (food service or retail) experience
• 3 years of experience in market intelligence and developing leadership reporting
• 3 years of experience in fact-based negotiations

• Skills

• Excellent Microsoft Excel skills including lookups, pivot tables, and summarizing large data sets
• Knowledge of Power Query and VBA a plus
• Prior experience working with relational database management systems
• Understanding of supply chain principles and dynamics
• Understanding of the dynamics of supply and demand
• Ability to effectively collect and use market data to provide actionable insights
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

BENEFITS INFORMATION

For information on Sysco’s Benefits, please visit https://SyscoBenefits.com