Associate Director Procurement, Comanufacturing Cheese Category

Company: Lactalis USA
Location: Chicago
Posted on: February 1, 2025

Job Description:

DescriptionJOB TITLE: Associate Director Procurement, Comanufacturing Cheese CategoryREPORTING TO: Director Procurement, Comanufacturing North AmericaLOCATION: Chicago, IL Lactalis Heritage Dairy is currently seeking candidates to join our team in Chicago! Lactalis Group, the world leader in dairy, is a family-owned business with more than 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals worldwide, committed to providing healthy and delicious dairy products that bring people together every day. At Lactalis, our core values of AMBITION, ENGAGEMENT, and SIMPLICITY are at the heart of everything we do.If you're looking for a unique experience with a company that offers strong brands, professional expertise, and a dynamic work environment that champions entrepreneurial spirit, hands-on responsibility, and real opportunity for career development, we want to hear from you!Lactalis Heritage Dairy: inviting you to share with us your STORY, your PASSION, and your EXPERTISE. From your PASSION to oursThe Associate Director Procurement, Comanufacturing Cheese category as a key member of the North American Strategic Procurement team is responsible for developing and implementing short, medium and long term purchasing strategies that deliver best-in-class results in the areas of people, processes, costs and supply, as well as the implementation and ongoing integrity of purchasing policies, practices, and systems. He/she works in strong collaboration and has to develop relationships/network within the business stakeholders and the global procurement team. This position advises direct reports on short, medium-term and long-term sourcing strategies, and assures progress against project timelines and deliverables. This person used to work in a global and matrixial organization. Ensure that overall focus of his/her team is consistent with overall goals of the organization and that services provided by the team are responsive to the areas of the company within the USA and Canada.The Associate Director will operate under the leadership of the Director Procurement, Comanufacturing North America, and they will manage a team, which could include manager, who can be located at different sites between USA and Canada.From your EXPERTISE to oursKey responsibilities for this position include:

• Full ownership of Budget with input on the Budget Assumptions from the Director Procurement and the Global Strategic procurement team.
• Manage & support all strategic procurement activities for all zone and across divisions.
• Develop, lead and animate zone strategy for all category responsibility. Present and support strategies to Executive team.
• Develop strategical partnership with key suppliers at Sr management level.
• Identify and execute negotiation cost savings initiatives at Sr suppliers' management level.
• Cross functional support on global strategy & good practices across the category.
• Cross functional with Quality, Supply chain, Cost Controlling, Legal, Marketing and Project management team in order to ensure that purchased materials, suppliers and services are in compliance and in performance with the company's requirements.
• Support and manage company acquisition and work cross functional with the global procurement team and others company functions.
• Manage price matrix and supply risks for key material supplies by maintaining up to date knowledge of comanufacturers' capabilities and capacities, market changes, recommend qualifying alternate vendors or alternate materials.
• Through in-depth knowledge and analysis of key cost drivers, develop local sourcing strategies, qualify vendors, tender, negotiate, implement and manage all contracts for the category at the zone level and for all the various divisions.
• Partner with and provide purchasing leadership and insight to the other functions within all Lactalis North American divisions as required.
• Develop and lead a high performing team of purchasing professionals by hiring appropriate talent and providing appropriate training, development, performance feedback and establishing stretch objectives.
• Could be assigned to special projects by the Director Procurement Comanufacturing North America.
• Develop, maintain and implement a sustainable category purchasing strategy at zone level and coordinate with Global team.
• Identify and execute value analysis and vendor transfer savings opportunities as a cross-functional effort to deliver cost reduction targets and optimize other performance measures such as on-time delivery & lead time on purchased goods and services, without jeopardizing quality, flexibility and supply continuity.
• Participate as an active cross-functional team member by providing insight to the Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Quality, R&D, Sales and Marketing and other key functional areas of the business for effective project execution such as new launches, line extensions, process optimization. The scope includes pricing, as well as process improvements ideas provided by the vendors.
• Lead and manage direct report by establishing goals and priorities, and providing work direction, reviewing performance, providing work support with suppliers and providing feedback, and in conjunction with the Director, determining training and development needs. Manage the team located on all the zone countries. Do remote management
• Develop supplier relationships to optimize supplier quality and performance, including continuous improvement, innovation, reduction in total cost of ownership, and to add value. Manage supplier quality and supplier non-conformance.
• Perform administrative duties such as tracking cost savings initiatives and providing monthly status reports, and reviewing and approving of pricelist for upload to SAP, validate PPV and LPS data
• Responsible for the category standards input by reviewing weighted average cost and/or the new contract pricing and the application of the approved assumptions, as well as providing insight on the market for latest estimate & monthly budget forecast reports.
• Participate as an active member of the Strategic Sourcing team by sharing purchasing strategies, supporting teamwork, and participating in joint learning and development initiative. Presenting to executive members of the various division at the zone levelRequirementsFrom your STORY to oursQualified applicants will contribute the following:Education & Experience
  • University degree
  • Minimum 5 to 7 years' experience in a procurement function in related field category, preferably at a food company
  • Minimum 2 to 3 years of management experience
  • Proficient with standard office computer technology such as Microsoft Office products, SAP or similar business systems experience.
  • Experience in negotiating complex multi-year agreements through RFP/ RFQ bidding processesKnowledge, Skills, and Abilities
    • In depth knowledge and analysis of key cost drivers
    • High level of initiative and strong interpersonal skills.
    • Good leadership and ability to interact with wide variety of management level and business situation
    • Good level organizational skills (handling workload and complexity)
    • Foundational knowledge of contract law and legal terms & conditions
    • Foundational knowledge of financial statements i.e. the impact of the role on the business
    • Strong negotiation skills
    • Strong analytical skills
    • Strong planning, project management, and execution skills
    • Proficient with standard office computer technology such as Lotus Notes, Microsoft Office products and the Internet. Intermediate and above skill level with spreadsheets.Lactalis Heritage Dairy is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities.

Keywords: Lactalis USA, Milwaukee , Associate Director Procurement, Comanufacturing Cheese Category, Executive , Chicago, Wisconsin