Strategic Sourcing Manager

Portfolio Business :   CP Kelco  

CP Kelco is a leading producer of specialty ingredients which are added to improve texture, consistency, and stability in food, pharmaceutical and industrial products. Our products are derived from renewable raw materials found in nature for use in jam, fruit and milk drinks, confectionery products as well as industrial applications. We work across the whole value chain from natural raw materials to customers’ end products. CP Kelco is part of the JM Huber Corporation, one of the largest privately held, family owned companies in the United States. With approximately $3 billion in sales and 4,000 employees worldwide, we have a combined material presence in more than 20 countries.

Position Summary

This role is responsible CP Kelco’s overall competitive position in the marketplace by developing and implementing strategies to effectively and efficiently source, direct, and control applicable spend for operating locations primarily in North America. Direct responsibility to manage procurement (coordinate strategies and execution activities relation to effective, cost-efficient procurement) for North American locations for the following spend categories: Raw Materials, Chemicals, Packaging, Ingredients, Gases, Utilities, and RM freight/logistics. Primary focus is to optimize cost savings.

This role will be based in the Atlanta area and you must be able to work onsite 3 days a week and 2 days work from home. Must be able to travel to plant sites quarterly during the first year with occasional travel after depending on projects.

We offer great benefits, an opportunity to work for a family owned company focused on safety and sustainability, ethical behavior, excellence and respect for people. 

Responsibilities

• Support the procurement team in other spend categories and provide back-up buyer support for Okmulgee, San Diego, tolling, and third party services.
• Liaison with Atlanta purchase order local contact and provide support on contracts, sourcing, and procurement.
• Coordinate and execute sourcing and contracting for non-capex special projects and initiatives.
• Decision making authority for the following: Sourcing strategy, Selection of vendors. Contracting within established budgets and grants of authority, commitment on terms of contract and taking action with vendors when they are not in compliance.
• Coordinate material procurement activities and requirements for CP Kelco being conducted in North America. 
• Support the sourcing needs of HEM and other North American businesses of JM Huber Cooperation on occasion.
• Complete contractual requirements for purchases in collaboration with Legal and process owners.
• Leads supplier selection, negotiations, and supplier management strategies.
• Develop and capitalize on leveraged positions to negotiate pricing for both high and low volume purchases.
• Obtaining favorable pricing, supply and quality in competitive markets through effective negotiating and competitive bidding.
• Ensures complete, accurate and timely reporting to management of supplier programs, statistics, indexing, and marketplace changes effecting pricing or performance of materials. 

Manages supplier performance 

• Support the establishment of quality and audit protocols and process control for procurement in the region.
• Assess competitiveness of pricing vs indexes or competitive quotes.
• Perform supplier risk assessments as an ongoing process.
• Manage complaints, non-conformance or non-performance of vendors in conjunction with Quality, Legal and procurement functions.
• Support and follow up on documentation requirements for suppliers or materials.
• Developing best practices, new technologies and methods, while driving continuous improvement. 

Developing best practices and driving continuous improvement

• Implements best practices for strategic purchasing including policies, procedures, systems and reports.
• Incorporates vendor gained market knowledge into internal projects/process to drive improvement.
• Is an active contributor on purchasing enhancements programs such as ESG and digital transformation.
• Collaborates and develops relationships with internal and external teams
• Maintains excellent relationships with suppliers to provide market insights across the space to benefit other projects and business developments and drives powerful understanding of these market spaces.
• Ability to identify and engage suppliers who can immediately support resolution of emergency situations. 
• Drives effective cross functional relationships across businesses especially in operations, engineering, finance, sales/marketing, and legal teams to ensure effective planning, budgeting and execution.

Requirements

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain or Engineering and at least 5 – 10 years of relevant purchasing, or business administration experience in a manufacturing company.
• Experience in Chemical manufacturing or food & beverage manufacturing is a preference but not required.
• Strong financial analysis and proven history of creating cost savings for the company.
• Expert knowledge of negotiations, contract drafting, and execution including awareness of legal aspects of both domestic and international purchases.
• Proven experience driving value creation through effective implementation of sourcing strategies and supplier relationships.
• Skills in procurement processes including commodity management, supplier management, negotiations, contract management and e-procurement systems.
• Basic understanding of commercial legal language and capable of leading complex contract negotiations.
• Strong data analytics capability and familiarity with ERP purchase-to-pay processes.
• Broad macro-economic awareness and general business acumen.
• Ability to engage, communicate, collaborate and influence at various levels of an organization.
• Comfortable making clear business driven recommendations in complex and dynamic situations while managing trade-offs and multiple stakeholders.
• Open-minded with a positive attitude toward new challenges/initiatives, looking at opportunities rather than limitations.
• Energized by continuous improvement, driving ongoing value creation, solving problems and potential conflicts both internally and externally.
• Self-starter and results oriented. 
• Ability to travel 30% initially with reduced travel after you get to know your stakeholders.

No Agencies Please!

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J.M. Huber Corporation is an EEO/AAP employer. Pre-employment drug screening is required.

Atlanta