Protein Procurement Manager

About the Role

The Farmer’s Dog was born from a mission to change the landscape of pet health, providing dogs and their humans with honest, smart, and simple care. We’re radically improving the $90 billion pet food industry by replacing highly-processed pellets with a personalized subscription service that delivers complete and balanced, freshly-made dog food directly to customers’ doors. Our goal is to create innovative, delightful, and personalized experiences across all aspects of pet care.

As the Senior Manager, Protein Procurement, you will lead the execution of protein sourcing and supplier management across The Farmer's Dog's supply chain—from intent to purchase through delivery. You’ll drive how we build, manage, and grow supplier and first-mile freight partnerships, and lead the identification, negotiation, and onboarding of new partners that deliver quality, reliability, and competitive value at scale. This role reports to the Director, Protein Procurement, and partners closely with Manufacturing, FSQR, Finance, and Supply Chain leadership.

What We Stand For

• One Team: We align ourselves around shared goals and ensure the right people, with the right context, collaborate to solve problems holistically.
• Skeptical about everything, precious about nothing: Ideas can come from anywhere, and we proactively seek input, changing course when a better solution emerges.
• Customer-centric decisions: We consider the entire customer journey, ensuring every interaction sets customers up for long-term success.
• Execute for Impact: We focus on being the best we can be, not on benchmarks or rigid role expectations.
• Focused and hypothesis-driven: We work in sequence, validating hypotheses quickly and adjusting priorities based on new information.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution of the protein raw material procurement strategy across all plants, driving best practices in sourcing, inventory management, and supplier relationship management.
• Resolve complex or high-stakes supply issues, driving root cause analyses (RCAs) and continuous improvement programs across Manufacturing, FSQR, and external partners.
• Manage supplier and co-manufacturer relationships day-to-day, including contract negotiation and partnership execution within the pricing and sourcing strategy set by the Director.
• Track and mitigate fees related to material obsolescence.
• Manage the supplier KPI framework; hold suppliers accountable to performance standards and lead corrective action initiatives.
• Own the material forecasting process end-to-end, translating market trends and cost drivers into forecasts for Finance, Manufacturing, and executive stakeholders.
• Lead new supplier sourcing and onboarding, including vetting, risk assessment, and negotiating commercial terms.
• Track and report on the procurement budget for protein raw materials, flagging cost risks and performance against targets.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in Purchasing, Supply Chain, or Manufacturing, including leading cross-functional workstreams.
• Proven track record negotiating supplier contracts and managing supplier performance at scale.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to guide cross-functional partners without formal authority.
• Excellent verbal, written, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Experience managing KPI frameworks, forecasting models, and cost/budget reporting.
• Strong project management skills and demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives.
• Results-oriented, self-motivated, and comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy.
• Superior problem-solving skills and ability to think outside the box in ambiguous situations.
• Deep understanding of Material Requirements Planning (MRP).
• USDA, FDA, and Frozen Food experience required.
• Strong computer skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Google Docs).
• Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time.
• Must love dogs!

Office Guidelines

We are an in-office culture, seeking individuals who thrive on collaboration and engagement in a shared space. Team members are expected to be in the office 4–5 days a week to foster our unique in-person culture. This policy is subject to change at the company’s discretion.

Our Belonging Philosophy

At The Farmer’s Dog, we believe belonging is a shared commitment to creating a workplace where every person feels respected, valued, and empowered to be themselves. We anchor this in the phrase, “Everyone’s welcome at the dog park.” No matter your background, identity, or role, there’s space for you here. We continuously evaluate our practices—from hiring to performance reviews—to ensure a consistent experience that cultivates belonging for all employees.

Benefits

• Dog-friendly office in SoHo.
• Market-competitive compensation and equity packages.
• Comprehensive healthcare, dental, and vision coverage.
• Company-supported mental health benefits.
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Competitive 401k plan with company match.
• Flexible PTO.
• Discounted fresh food for your pup.

Pay

For this role, the anticipated hiring base compensation range is $95,000–$115,000 USD (NYC market data). If applying outside NYC, the range may vary based on location-specific market data. The compensation package includes a robust market-competitive base salary and equity ownership in the company. More details about equity value will be shared at the time of offer.