Strategic Procurement Lead

Suterra is the world’s leading provider of environmentally sustainable products for crop protection and commercial pest control. The company is dedicated to researching, developing, and commercializing safe and non-toxic products using naturally occurring compounds such as pheromones. Suterra is growing rapidly and investing heavily in new product development and active ingredient chemical synthesis. With a modern, state-of-the-art facility in Bend, Oregon, we are looking for dynamic, creative leaders to develop and strengthen our supply chain and logistics activities.

About the role

The Strategic Procurement Lead will provide insight, analysis, and leadership for the supply chain management team to ensure a robust supply of materials and components to launch and sustain new and existing products. This role requires a strong combination of strategic thinking and tactical day-to-day problem-solving, as well as proficiency with data, detail, and cross-functional communication. You will power the growth of our business as we enter new markets and launch new products.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Product Design and Engineering to understand material and component requirements in detail, then investigate alternatives for commercial supply, including make/buy proposals and risk mitigation strategies.
• Identify and assess candidate suppliers for materials, components, and services; prepare and evaluate requests for proposal (RFPs) and requests for quotation (RFQs).
• Generate recommendations for supplier selection that balance operational and commercial considerations.
• Ensure suppliers provide raw materials on-time and within specification to align with production and inventory management plans.
• Track vendor performance in quality, delivery, and cost, and drive vendor improvement plans.
• Negotiate commercial terms and resolve issues with suppliers, including material defects and supply disruptions.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for improvement in production purchasing and logistics.
• Collaborate with Demand Planning, Production, and Customer Service to coordinate material purchases and pursue emerging market opportunities.
• Provide analytical support for production scheduling, inventory management, and order fulfillment strategies.
• Explore transportation modes, order quantities, lead times, and replenishment triggers to optimize tradeoffs between time, carrying cost, inventory risk, and production efficiency.
• Leverage a deep understanding of which business processes can be implemented through Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and which should remain offline.
• Solicit and analyze feedback from internal and external stakeholders to drive improvements in supply chain performance.
• Partner with Quality, Production, and Engineering to identify root causes of raw material quality issues and implement solutions that uphold quality, delivery, and cost performance.
• Generate and assess proposals for supply chain improvements, including changes in suppliers, commercial terms, buying patterns, and inventory management to support business growth.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Three to five years of experience in one or more roles in engineering, quality control, procurement, process or product development, manufacturing, supply chain management, or related fields.
• Previous experience with ERP systems and an interest in becoming a subject matter expert in Microsoft Dynamics D365.
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems while mitigating risks to resources and deadlines.
• Ability to maintain composure under pressure and make effective decisions quickly.
• Ability to understand conflicting incentives and work with external parties to generate positive outcomes for the business.
• Enthusiasm for teamwork at multiple levels and across multiple functions of the organization.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Rigorous attention to detail.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite of applications.

Benefits

If you’re looking for a role where your work matters, your judgment is valued, and your effort directly contributes to growth, Suterra offers an opportunity to join a passionate, collaborative, and forward-thinking team. You’ll work in a modern, state-of-the-art facility in beautiful Bend, Oregon, and contribute to sustainable operations on a global scale. Suterra is part of The Wonderful Company, a privately held $6 billion global agribusiness.