Purchasing Category Manager, Packaging

Responsibilities

• Manage and design overall Supplier relationship, strategy, and business needs within packaging categories and develop department staff
• Regularly meet, review, & discuss with Supply base all available technologies, operations, opportunities, and supply chain challenges
• Contract management and compliance, ensuring specific terms and requirements are present and met that support strategic and financial goals
• Acquire and maintain an in-depth market knowledge of foreign and domestic forces, trends in cost and technology, and R&D platforms within assigned portfolio of categories
• Qualify suppliers, create risk assessments and make recommendations regarding suppliers, their reliability, competitive pressures, capabilities, financial health, and market strengths
• Act as the liaison between suppliers, divisional manufacturing facilities, sales, R&D, and the Procurement department
• Project manager for cross-functional teams ensuring cohesiveness and maximum utilization of resources to meet project objectives and time lines
• Identify and implement a successful strategy to meet inventory and working capital metrics
• Develop and train department personnel
• Special Projects and other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Finance, Purchasing/Supply Chain is preferred and 5-yrs experience in Procurement or related field
• Experience with Commodity/Category management; understanding of manufacturing and design, materials composition, testing methods, and industry costing methods
• Background in packaging categories preferred but not required
• Proven history of executing cost savings initiatives
• Ability to negotiate with high-level of success
• Demonstrated leadership skills
• Understanding of key Procurement KPIs/metrics
• High-level problem-solving skills; analytical, organizational, and communication skills
• Ability to lead teams, document results, and implement actions
• Ability to analyze data, make sound decisions and recommendations based on findings
• Ability to communicate, present to multiple levels throughout organization