Senior Manager - Milk Procurement

Your Story.

You will be responsible for executing the short-term strategic sourcing plan, contracting, and the commercial management of milk supply to support business demand, cost targets, and long-term supply security. This role owns complex supplier and patron relationships, negotiates pricing and contracts across multiple milk streams (including organic and spot buys), and determines long-term milk sales and purchase strategies in alignment with company objectives. You will also be responsible for driving the development and implementation of robust milk sourcing strategies which will deliver improvements in quality, savings, and continuity of supply.

Your Passion. Our Culture.

At Sargento, you work for a company you believe in, with a family of people who believe in you.  Our culture stems from a simple premise: Hire good people and treat them like family.  At Sargento, you can make decisions based on how they affect people as well as the long-term health of our company.  You will be encouraged to make a meaningful difference in the community, in the company and in your career.  With diverse experiences and tools to learn and develop, you can transform your aspirations into reality.  If you’re ready for the right place to belong and grow your career, you can find it here.

Benefits that set us apart.

• Comprehensive medical including Fertility, Adoption benefits, Dental, and Vision Insurance


• Remote ½ day Fridays


• Onsite Health & Wellness Center


• Employer 401K contribution in the top 1% of the nation


• Relocation Assistance


• Tuition Assistance


• Access to Employee Store

What You Do.

Strategic Sourcing & Supply Planning

• Develop and execute short, mid, and long-term milk procurement strategies that balance supply security, cost, demand, and risk.


• Lead weekly planning and execution of milk buys and sales, including volume alignment, confirmations, and pricing structures.


• Determine long-term milk sales and purchase strategies in alignment with business growth and production plans.


• Analyze market conditions and supply trends to inform sourcing decisions and mitigate risk.


• Support and lead sales of processing by-products as needed.

Commercial & Contract Management

• Lead the development, negotiation, and execution of milk supply agreements, by-product contracts, and related commercial agreements.


• Manage annual milk pricing processes, including monthly reconciliations and patron payments.


• Lead spot buy and sales pricing negotiations, exercising sound commercial judgment in volatile market conditions.


• Own organic milk negotiations, ensuring regulatory compliance and competitive market positioning.


• Lead RFP processes for by-products, including supplier evaluation, pricing analysis, and award recommendations.

Supplier & Patron Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for supplier and patron relationships, driving performance, collaboration, and long-term partnerships.


• Engage senior leadership at patron and supplier organizations to strengthen strategic alignment.


• Resolve escalated commercial, supply, and relationship issues while balancing enterprise and partner priorities.


• Evaluate supplier capabilities and identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional & Organizational Leadership

• Partner closely with operations, finance, sales, quality, logistics, and planning teams to align procurement decisions with enterprise needs.


• Oversee cream scheduling and coordination to support production and commercial requirements.


• Provide market insights, pricing rationale, and risk assessments to senior leadership to support informed decision-making.


• Contribute to continuous improvement of sourcing processes, tools, and the procurement operating model.

Leadership Scope

• Operates independently within a defined strategic framework set by the Director.


• Leads high-impact negotiations and represents the organization in complex commercial discussions.

Must be able to travel up to 25% of time. 

Your Education and Experience.

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master's Degree preferred.


• 7-10 years of Supply Chain experience; Sourcing and Procurement experience preferred.


• CPM, APP, CPSM or equivalent certificates preferred. Driver’s License required.


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  Strong computer skills are necessary, this includes word processing, spreadsheets, presentation programs, ERP systems and utilization of the Internet.

  
  


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  Due to extensive communication with suppliers and internal customers; good interpersonal, problem solving, and reasoning skills are required.  Strong verbal and written communication skills, and negotiating skills required.

  
  

Our Story.

With over 2,400+ employees and net sales of nearly $1.8 billion, Sargento is a family-owned company that has been a leader in cheese for more than 70 years.  We created the world’s first, successful pre-packaged sliced and shredded natural cheeses.  Sargento is based in Plymouth, Wisconsin, where we manufacture and market shredded, sliced and snack natural cheese products, as well as ingredients and sauces.  Sargento is known for the exceptional quality of our products and for product design, packaging and merchandising innovations that have transformed our industry.

To learn more about our culture and values, please visit our website at https://careers.sargento.com/us/en.