Global Sourcing Category Manager - Corn Derivatives

Lactalis Group; Laval; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Lactalis Group in Laval, France, seeks a Senior Category Manager for Corn Derivatives to lead global sourcing strategies and multi-year roadmaps, aligning with R&D, Industrial, Quality and Marketing.

You will manage supplier relationships, negotiate contracts, and drive savings while ensuring supply resilience, risk management and sustainable goals. Travel 10-30% is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in Purchasing/Strategic sourcing.
• Experience in manufacturing packaged consumer products and food is highly valued.
• Fluent in French and English; able to work in a multicultural environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement multi-year category strategies with stakeholders.
• Design and lead the global strategic roadmap for corn derivatives sourcing.
• Drive global alignment and governance in sourcing practices and supplier engagement.
• Lead supplier relationships and contract negotiations for competitive pricing and long-term value.
• Manage supplier segmentation and risk management across regions.
• Collaborate with local teams to apply global sourcing strategies and drive savings.

Skills

Negotiation

Analytical thinking

Communication

Teamwork

Project management

Multicultural collaboration

French/English bilingual

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or related field

Job description

Lactalis Group is the worldwide leader of the Dairy Industry with a turnover of 30+ Billion euros at the end of 2025.

We are growing very fast our iconic brands such as President, Galbani, Siggi’s, Leerdammer, Stonyfield, Kraft... and we operate more than 275 factories on 5 continents.

Joining Lactalis Group, you will be part of a family-owned group with core values such as Ambition, Commitment & Simplicity.

This role is responsible for leading Corn Derivatives (starches, glucose syrup, maltodextrins, polydextrose etc.) category work (Spend ~100M€ growing) to support the growth of Lactalis at global level.

This role is critical to supporting the global growth of Lactalis and will be part of the Global Procurement team, reporting directly to the Global Sourcing Manager – Agri-Commodities.

This is a challenging, highly dynamic and visible role that will allow you to lead key strategies and projects to optimize the quality, service, costs, innovation and cash performance of your categories.

What you will do :

• Develop and implement multi-year category strategies with all relevant stakeholders (Country Procurement team, R&D, Industrial, Quality, Marketing...)


• Design and lead the global strategic roadmap for corn-derived ingredients, aligning sourcing decisions with Lactalis’ business priorities, innovation pipeline, and sustainability goals.


• Drive global alignment and governance, ensuring consistency in sourcing practices, contract frameworks, and supplier engagement across all regions.


• Lead and manage strategic relationships with global suppliers, ensuring strong alignment with business goals and consistent performance


• Lead contract negotiations to secure the most competitive pricing while ensuring long-term value and supplier reliability


• Manage supplier segmentation and rationalization, ensuring the global supply base is strategically aligned, competitive, and risk-resilient


• Implement robust supplier risk management frameworks, proactively identifying and mitigating geopolitical, financial, operational risks


• Continuously analyze global corn markets and macroeconomic factors to anticipate supply risks, guide sourcing strategy, and support long-term planning.


• Negotiate and implement key Master Supply Agreements and assist local teams in implementing them


• Work closely with local teams to apply global sourcing strategies, ensuring smooth collaboration and clear communication.


• Drive savings plans and contributes to the annual budget process through robust commodity assumptions.


• Lead cross-functional projects to optimize cost, quality, and innovation in corn derivative sourcing.


• Lead the Corn Derivatives action plan on new acquisitions to quickly find synergies to support Lactalis Group growth

This position, based in Laval (53), requires frequent travels (10-30% of the time) to meet with local teams and visit suppliers.

What we are looking for :

• Bachelor’s Degree from four-year college or university in business or a business-related field, or more


• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in Purchasing/Strategic sourcing


• Experience in manufacturing packaged consumer products and food is highly valued


• Teamwork and transparency


• Strong negotiation, analytical, and communication skills


• Able to build and manage a future team


• Experience in project management


• Fluent in French and English and ability to work in a multicultural environment.

What is next ?