ANZ Lead Category Manager - Raw Materials & Packaging

Danone; Willoughby; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Health and life insurance benefits

Total Reward package

Learning opportunities

Employee share plan after 12 months

Job summary

Danone ANZ is seeking an experienced Lead Category Manager for Raw Materials & Packaging to drive sourcing strategy across ANZ plants. Based in Sydney or Melbourne, you will lead a team of buyers, secure supply, and steer innovation and productivity projects within the Cycles and Procurement function.

You will negotiate contracts, manage supplier performance, and provide market insights for forecasting and planning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain or Business preferred.
• At least 3 years’ direct procurement experience.
• Strong negotiation, relationship management and communication skills.
• Solid project management, planning and organisational capability.
• Intermediate Excel; working knowledge of SAP, Asana and AI tools is preferred.
• Experience with Power BI is an advantage.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to New Zealand and other parts of Australia.

Responsibilities

• Lead local sourcing strategies for ingredients and packaging aligned with global and regional direction.
• Safeguard continuity of supply through secure sourcing, dual sourcing and risk mitigation.
• Negotiate contracts and pricing for dairy ingredients and packaging.
• Manage supplier performance, relationships, quality actions and contractual obligations.
• Lead sourcing workstreams for innovation, renovation, productivity and third-party manufacturing projects.
• Provide market intelligence and price forecasts to support rolling forecasts and annual planning.
• Lead and develop three direct reports, setting clear priorities.

Skills

Negotiation

Relationship management

Communication

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Team leadership

Project management

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain or Business

Tools

SAP

Asana

Power BI

Excel

AI assistants / AI agents

Job description

Short Intro and About the Job

Build resilience. Shape strategy. Lead with impact. Join our ANZ Procurement team as ANZ Lead Category Manager - Raw Materials & Packaging and help keep our manufacturing network moving through resilient sourcing, strong supplier partnerships and smart commercial decisions.

Based in Sydney or Melbourne, within our Cycles and Procurement function, you will lead the sourcing and procurement of raw materials and packaging across our ANZ plants, translating global strategies into strong local execution.

This is a high-impact leadership role with real ownership. You will lead and develop a team of buyers, strengthen security of supply, guide innovation and productivity projects, and build trusted partnerships across our business and supplier network.

Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Lead local sourcing strategies for ingredients and packaging, aligned with global and regional direction.
• Safeguard continuity of supply through secure sourcing, dual sourcing and effective risk mitigation.
• Negotiate contracts and pricing for dairy ingredients and liquid milk, driving value and policy compliance.
• Manage supplier performance, relationships, quality actions and contractual obligations.
• Lead the sourcing workstream for innovation, renovation, productivity and third-party manufacturing projects.
• Provide market intelligence and price forecasts to support rolling forecasts and annual planning.
• Lead and develop three direct reports, setting clear priorities and enabling strong category and supplier management.

About You

You are a commercially astute procurement professional who combines strategic thinking with practical execution. A confident negotiator and trusted relationship builder, you stay calm under pressure, make fact-based decisions and turn complexity into clear action.

Collaborative, accountable and people-focused, you enjoy leading others, navigating competing priorities and creating sourcing solutions that strengthen supply, value and performance.

Ideally, you will have:

• A bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain or Business (preferred).
• At least 3 years’ experience in direct procurement.
• Strong negotiation, relationship management and communication skills.
• Solid project management, planning and organisational capability.
• Intermediate Excel skills and working knowledge of SAP, Asana and AI assistants, including AI agents, is preferred.
• Experience with Power BI (an advantage).
• Willingness to travel occasionally to New Zealand and other part of Australia.

About Us, We offer and What's next

We truly value our Danoners and strive to make their experience exceptional by creating a positive and fulfilling environment for everyone. Our unique benefits are designed to enhance lives and provide genuine value.

• A high-performing, collaborative team culture
• Flexible hybrid working
• A diverse and inclusive work environment
• Personalised learning opportunities to set you up for success
• A competitive Total Reward package, including:
  • Health and life insurance benefits
  • 26 weeks of gender-neutral paid parental leave
  • Employee Share Subscription Plan after 12 months of service
  • Performance-related incentives and annual reviews

More about Us

At Danone, we aim to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices, in line with our vision, Danone, One Planet. One Health.

We operate across Essential Dairy and Plant-Based Products, Waters and Specialised Nutrition. Our headquarters are in France, we have offices in 55 countries, and our products are sold in more than 120 markets. We have been around for more than a century and are the proud owners of some of the best-known brands worldwide, including YoPRO, Activia, Aptamil and Karicare.

Danone ANZ focuses on dairy and specialised nutrition products for infants and adults and is proud to have achieved Great Place to Work accreditation in ANZ for the last five years.

Visit WE ARE DANONE to learn more about us.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

We proudly affirm that we are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Our ambition is to foster an inclusive and diverse workplace where all Danoners can bring their uniqueness and contribute to business results.

Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion ensures that all qualified individuals receive fair consideration for employment.