Procurement Category Manager

Company Overview

Balchem Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets specialty ingredients that improve and enhance the health and well-being of life on the planet, providing state-of-the-art solutions and the finest quality products for a range of industries worldwide. Our corporate headquarters is located in Montvale, New Jersey and we have a broad network of sales offices, manufacturing sites, and R&D centers, primarily located in the US and Europe. Founded in 1967, Balchem is a publicly traded company (NASDAQ – “BCPC”) with annual revenues over $1.0 billion and a market cap exceeding $4.0 billion. The company consists of three business segments: Human Nutrition & Health; Animal Nutrition & Health; and Specialty Products. Balchem employs over 1,400 people worldwide who are engaged in diverse activities, committed to developing the company into global market leadership positions. To learn more about our dynamic, stable and growing company, visit www.balchem.com.

About the role

This role develops and executes procurement strategies that drive innovation, ensures supply continuity, optimizes cost, and strengthens supplier stewardship across Balchem’s direct spend categories in the U.S. and Europe.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of procurement strategies with cross-functional teams, including market analysis, supplier capability assessment, and supplier relationship management.
• Build stakeholder alignment around sourcing, implementation, and compliance initiatives.
• Provide market intelligence and category expertise to inform sourcing and business strategy.
• Develop and prioritize a pipeline of sourcing and value-creation projects.
• Lead sourcing events, negotiation strategies, and end-to-end supplier selection processes.
• Manage RFIs/RFPs, contracts, SLAs, and related strategic sourcing activities.
• Challenge specifications and identify innovative supply solutions that create a competitive advantage for Balchem.
• Drive project execution, governance, and progress reporting against strategy and performance goals.
• Build cost models, should-cost analyses, and make-versus-buy scenarios to improve total cost of ownership.
• Support process improvements and drive change management across the organization to elevate the impact of Procurement on Balchem business objectives.
• Regular KPI reporting to senior leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Finance, Operations, Business Management, Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of procurement experience and at least 3 years of project management experience.
• PREFERRED: MBA and/or CPM certification.
• Strong understanding of direct category management; food ingredients or chemicals industry experience preferred.
• Excellent communication, leadership, negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to influence in a highly matrixed environment and clearly communicate Procurement strategy.
• Proven track record in partnering with senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data, model business scenarios, and identify measurable value opportunities.
• Working knowledge of contracts, sourcing processes, and continuous improvement principles.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; advanced Excel skills preferred.
• Ability to travel 10–30% as needed.