Strategic Packaging Sourcing Lead (12-Month)

Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates seeks a Strategic Sourcing Manager - Packaging for a 12-month assignment in Melbourne, Victoria. You will lead end-to-end packaging category strategies, drive total cost of ownership reductions, and ensure supply continuity across Mars Pet Nutrition ANZ.

You’ll collaborate with R&D, Marketing, Manufacturing, SQA, and Supply Planning to enable successful new product development and packaging transitions, while leading complex negotiations and identifying

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in strategic sourcing or category management.
• Background in packaging materials.
• Understanding of packaging conversion processes and market fundamentals.
• Knowledge of Quality & Food Safety methodologies.
• Strong communication, project and change management skills.
• Ability to build relationships with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute 3-5 year local, regional, and global packaging strategies, leveraging market trends to drive sustainable packaging innovations.
• Lead complex RFPs, RFIs, and contract negotiations while monitoring vendor performance across quality, delivery, compliance, and cost.
• Establish commercial contingency plans and identify alternative suppliers and materials to mitigate supply chain risks.
• Partner with R&D, Marketing, Manufacturing, SQA, and Supply Planning to ensure flawless new product development and packaging transitions.
• Identify and drive Value Leadership initiatives to optimize operational efficiency and deliver measurable cost savings.
• Conduct should-cost and TCO modelling, manage packaging budget planning, track spend variances, and report savings metrics (PPV, VL, cost avoidance).
• Build strategic alignment and influence key partners across local manufacturing sites (Bathurst, Wodonga, Melbourne) and global/regional sourcing teams.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Vendor management

RFP negotiations

Cross-functional

Project management

Change management

Packaging knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates seeks a Strategic Sourcing Manager - Packaging for a 12-month assignment in Melbourne, Victoria. You will lead end-to-end packaging category strategies, drive total cost of ownership reductions, and ensure supply continuity across Mars Pet Nutrition ANZ.

You’ll collaborate with R&D, Marketing, Manufacturing, SQA, and Supply Planning to enable successful new product development and packaging transitions, while leading complex negotiations and identifying