Fruit Sourcing Lead - Global Procurement

What you'll do

As the Fruit Sourcing Lead– Global Procurement you will play a critical role in Mars Health and Wellness’s Procurement organization. You will work collaboratively with global cross functional teams (BU Procurement, SQA, R&D, Ops, Finance) to support the creation of strategies and support Trü Frü, KIND, and Nature’s Bakery globally. You will drive business continuity and risk mitigation, collaborate on value leadership/innovation initiatives, be an owner in the SRM process, and deliver in the continuous improvement in the Value Chain. And this is how you will do it….

• Strategic development and execution of integrated business buying strategy for a diverse range of fruit products; (IQF, Dried/Freeze Dried, Fruit Pastes, etc) achieving cost, cash, quality and service targets. Focused on strategic goals linked to critical business needs.
• Collaborate with suppliers, external manufacturing partners to manage inbound supply for production (forecasts, order tracking, pricing, etc).
• Rigorously apply the Strategic Sourcing Methodology to develop the appropriate procurement strategy and selection of key suppliers.
• Lead cost reduction initiatives and continually optimize inbound supply chain and fit for purpose specifications for materials.
• Analyze commodity and economic markets; accurately assess supply and demand; identify and manage market risks and opportunities; build a buying plan and adjust price risk management strategy based on insights.
• Provide cyclical estimates on buying performances versus pervious cycle, budget and market updates in Commodity Buying Forum.
• Accountable for cash delivery from supplier payment terms and deployment of supplier financing where appropriate.
• Drive continuous improvement of material quality, specification management and logistics performance of the suppliers.
• Represent Procurement at various activity team meetings with timely and accurate information related to innovation.
• Influence the external environment for competitive advantage or for the good of the industry.
• Be a catalyst for innovation by being the eyes and ears of the company in seeking out new materials, new origins, new opportunities for competitive advantage.
• Contract recommendations for Commodities are made by this position.

What you'll bring to Mars

• Strong collaboration skills and can work cross-functionally to create opportunities, improve process and execute projects.
• Understanding of Integrated Business Processes and support of innovation tied to output.
• Experience managing suppliers in a Supplier Performance or Relationship Management program (SPM/SRM) which has improved suppliers’ performance and impact.
• Ability to work in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Ability to support development of, and execute, a 2-5 year strategy.
• Previous experience in agricultural ingredients, commodities
• Track record of identifying and delivering value leadership opportunities, driving growth for the organization.

You are...

• Able to generate high-quality work in a collaborative, creative, ever-changing, and sometimes ambiguous environment. Well organized and can work on multiple initiatives, while moving actions to completion to hit timelines. You get things done.
• An effective communicator, highly collaborative and build great relationships, with the ability to hold the tension when appropriate.
• Highly analytical and inquisitive, moving data into insights that you clearly communicate, and which can be easily understood.
• Passionate about sustainability and wellness. You look for opportunities to reduce our environmental impact and support wellness initiatives.
• Highly ethical and trustworthy, inspiring trust in others.
• Proactive and energetic, always looking for ways to improve or take things to the next level.
• Extremely curious and are an innate problem solver. You love to learn and continuously grow your skills.

You have...

• Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Food Science, or Engineering preferred; MBA or MS a plus.
• 5-7 years relevant working experience, with at least 3 years in a Fortune 500 Procurement organization or equivalent.
• Prior experience in vendor qualification program.
• Prior experience in supplier led innovation.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across multi-functional teams, especially with R&D, Operations, and manufacturing sites.
• Successful execution of strategic sourcing initiatives in multiple Procurement categories.
• Demonstrated track record of implemented year over year cost savings initiatives and ability to develop a cost savings project pipeline.
• Highly analytical and proficient in Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel. Proficiency in PowerPoint.

Certain states and localities require employers to post a reasonable estimate of salary range. A reasonable estimate of the current base salary range for this position is $125,000 to $155,000. Actual salary will be based on a variety of factors, including location, experience, skill set, performance, licensure and certification, and business needs. The range for this position in other geographic locations may differ.