Procurement Specialist

Lyka; Council of the City of Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pet wellness company in New South Wales seeks a Procurement Specialist to enhance procurement functions and manage supplier relationships. You will focus on optimizing costs and maintaining sustainable supply chains, directly supporting high-quality pet nutrition deliveries. Ideal candidates should have over 3 years in procurement, preferably in food, and strong analytical skills. Join a passionate team with growth opportunities and support for personal development.

Benefits

Work in a fast-growing start-up

Growth and Development opportunities

Sustainability-focused benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Parental leave top-up

Wellbeing assistance and tools

Support for pet care

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a procurement or supply chain role, preferably in the food industry.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Support the management of supplier relationships.
• Contribute to strategies that help optimise costs across procurement activities.
• Operate and maintain procurement processes and tools.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Cost Optimisation

Project Management

Technical Proficiency

Education

Tertiary qualification in Engineering/Science, Supply Chain, Business or related field

Tools

Advanced Excel

ERPs (Netsuite preferred)

Job description

Who are we?

Lyka is an Australian-founded pet wellness company that's shaking up an outdated industry and paving the way for happier, healthier pets. Despite medical advancements, animal lifespans are on the decline. Today, the average pet only reaches 37% of their full potential lifespan, and statistics have shown us that many suffer from dental disease, cancer, and obesity. Simply put, the status quo is not enough.

As humans, we've experienced firsthand the positive impact fresh wholefoods can have on our health and wellbeing, and we believe our furry friends deserve the same. We're on a mission to do just that, starting with nutritionally balanced, whole-food meals delivered directly to doors around Australia. As the world's most sustainable pet wellness company, we're putting pets and our planet first - one bowl at a time.

Today, we are proud to share that we've served over 50 million meals to puppers and their parents across Australia, and this is just the beginning. Our vision is to create multiple nutritional products, adding disease prevention meals and supplements, and expand into new markets.

Currently, we have a team of 250+ pet-obsessed people, and we're continuing to grow. These carefully selected people are dedicated to building the next generation of technology and products to help empower pet parents to take control over their pet's well-being.

Our Mission

The time we share with our pets is being cut short. Despite medical advancements, they're getting sicker earlier. They're dying prematurely. The industry has it backwards - prioritising treating symptoms instead of addressing the root cause. That's where we come in.

At Lyka, we take a preventative, holistic and personalised approach to pet care. We look at the full picture, factoring in the diet, lifestyle and environment of each individual animal.

We don't stop at symptoms, instead, we dig for the root cause. We create nutrition plans unique to each pet, because it's not just about living longer, but living well too.

Our mission is to increase the lifespan of dogs and cats.

Role responsibilities

As the Procurement Specialist at Lyka, you will play a key role in supporting and enhancing the procurement function of our rapidly growing business, which sources over 90% of ingredients from Australian producers. In this role, you will assist with supplier relationship management, contribute to cost optimisation initiatives, and support the development of procurement processes that align with Lyka's commitment to sustainability and scalability.

You will be directly involved in sourcing activities, monitoring supply chain risks, and operating procurement systems and processes. This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact by contributing to a reliable, efficient, and innovative supply chain that supports Lyka's mission of delivering high-quality, sustainable pet nutrition.

• Supplier Management: Support the management of supplier relationships by coordinating communications, assisting with contract activities, monitoring performance, and ensuring alignment with company goals.
• Cost Optimisation: Contribute to strategies that help optimise costs across procurement activities, including sourcing directly from producers and leveraging Lyka's growing purchasing power.
• Procurement Processes & Systems: Operate and maintain procurement processes and tools, supporting the ongoing development and optimisation of systems for efficiency and scalability.
• Supply Chain Risk: Assist in identifying and monitoring risks, helping to maintain a robust and reliable supply chain for materials and ingredients as Lyka continues to scale.
• Data Analysis and Reporting: Gather and analyse procurement data and commodities reports, preparing insights and recommendations for the procurement team.
• Collaboration: Work cross-functionally with teams (R&D, Manufacturing, CAPEX, etc.) to support procurement initiatives and ensure alignment with business objectives.

Requirements

• Experience: 3+ years in a procurement or supply chain role, preferably in the food industry
• Education: Tertiary qualification in Engineering/Science, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field
• Analytical Skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, including experience in using Total Cost of Ownership models and data-driven decision-making
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate ideas and collaborate across teams
• Cost Optimisation: Demonstrated experience implementing cost reduction strategies: reducing waste/improving efficiency
• Project Management: Experience working in cross-functional teams and leading initiatives/projects independently
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERPs (Netsuite preferred).

Benefits

• Work in a fast-growing start-up, experiencing what goes behind the scenes to sustain hyper-growth for a start-up with a physical product!
• Growth and Development - Lyka is growing extremely quickly, which means you will have the opportunity to experience different challenges every day and progressively acquire more responsibilities as our facility and team expand. We provide an annual L&D budget for you to continue your personal development.
• Work for a sustainability-focused company - we care about the health of our dogs and our planet. We're proud to be Australia's only carbon-negative and plastic-negative pet wellness company and we're always looking at ways for us to improve sustainability practices.
• Be part of a diverse top-talent team, coming from widely different backgrounds and geographies.
• Up to 18 weeks of paid parental leave top-up
• Wellbeing assistance and tools to take care of your mental and physical wellbeing so you can do your best work.
• Flexible working: work from where you get your best work done. We have pet-friendly offices and industrial kitchens in Sydney and Melbourne.
• Pupper parent support to care for your furry friends - flexible arrangements for new pets, pet-friendly offices, discounts, and financial allowance for dog training and care to help them live their best life!

We are committed to building inclusive and diverse teams

Lyka is an equal-opportunity employer devoted to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. We celebrate diversity, are devoted to creating an inclusive environment for all staff and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application.