Senior Procurement Manager - Raw Materials

Mead Johnson Nijmegen; Nijmegen; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Mead Johnson Nutrition in Nijmegen is seeking a Senior Procurement Manager Raw Materials to lead a global portfolio with €70 million spend, ensuring reliable supply and optimizing total cost of ownership across Europe and China. You will coach an international procurement team and collaborate with Quality, Manufacturing and R&D to drive innovation.

You will negotiate major contracts, monitor markets, manage risk, and build strategic supplier partnerships to support one of the world’s largest

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain or related field.
• At least 7 years of procurement experience in food, FMCG or manufacturing.
• Strong global sourcing, supplier relationship management and category strategy skills.
• Proven track record in complex contract negotiations and value creation.
• Experience with dairy ingredients or commodity-driven portfolios is preferred.
• Excellent English communication; Dutch/Chinese an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute global sourcing and category strategies for raw materials, including dairy ingredients.
• Lead a procurement team across the Netherlands and China and collaborate with Quality, Manufacturing and R&D.
• Negotiate major contracts and manage high-value supplier agreements across markets.
• Monitor markets, supplier capabilities and regulatory developments to anticipate risks and opportunities.
• Drive productivity, cost optimization and continuous improvement while maintaining quality and compliance.
• Identify, evaluate and qualify new suppliers to strengthen continuity and growth.
• Partner with R&D and Quality to support innovation and ingredient technology developments.
• Lead supplier performance reviews and mitigation strategies for supply assurance.
• Coach and develop procurement professionals across Europe and China.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Relationship management

Project management

Team leadership

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Procurement / Supply Chain / related

Job description

Are you ready for a new step in your career? Mead Johnson Nutrition is a long-standing multinational brand specializing in infant and child nutrition. Our company vision is to become the world's leading provider of scientifically backed child nutrition and specialized food products and services. At Mead Johnson Nutrition, we are deeply committed to creating nutritional brands and products that give babies and children the best start in life. With over 450 employees, our Nijmegen factory produces super-premium child nutrition for the largest market in the world, Greater China. Quality, reliability, innovation, and ethics are core values at Mead Johnson. At Mead Johnson Nutrition, our factories in Nijmegen (The Netherlands), Guangzhou and Tianjin (China) produce super-premium child nutrition for the largest market in the world: Greater China. To support this international network, we are looking for an experienced Senior Procurement Manager Raw Materials who can build strategic supplier partnerships, manage supply risk, drive innovation and lead a global procurement team.

What will you do?

As Senior Procurement Manager, you will be responsible for a global raw materials portfolio with an annual spend of approximately €70 million. Your mission is to ensure reliable supply, optimize total cost of ownership, manage risk and support the long-term growth ambitions of the business.

You will lead a procurement team with direct reports in both the Netherlands and China, while working closely with Quality, Manufacturing, R&D, Finance and Supply Chain stakeholders across the organization.

• Developing and executing global sourcing and category strategies for key raw material categories, including dairy ingredients.
• Building strategic supplier partnerships that secure supply, improve performance and unlock innovation opportunities.
• Leading major contract negotiations and managing high-value supplier agreements across multiple markets.
• Monitoring commodity markets, supplier capabilities and regulatory developments to anticipate risks and identify opportunities.
• Driving productivity and cost optimization initiatives while maintaining the highest quality and compliance standards.
• Identifying, evaluating and qualifying new suppliers to strengthen business continuity and future growth.
• Partnering with R&D and Quality to support innovation, new product introductions and ingredient technology developments.
• Leading supplier performance reviews and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Managing supply chain risks and developing mitigation strategies to ensure supply assurance.
• Coaching and developing procurement professionals in both Europe and China.

Why this role is exciting

This is not a traditional procurement position. You will operate at the intersection of supply chain, manufacturing, innovation and business strategy. Your decisions will influence multiple production sites across Europe and China while supporting one of the world's largest and fastest-growing infant nutrition markets. Few procurement roles offer this level of international exposure and business impact. You will have the opportunity to:

• Lead a strategically important global raw materials portfolio.
• Influence sourcing decisions across manufacturing sites in Europe and China.
• Partner with global suppliers and industry-leading ingredient manufacturers.
• Play a key role in innovation and new product development initiatives.
• Lead and develop an international procurement team.
• Directly impact business performance through cost optimization, risk management and supply continuity.

Who are you?

You are a commercially driven procurement leader who combines strategic thinking with strong relationship management skills. You enjoy navigating complex stakeholder environments and are energized by solving business challenges through smart sourcing strategies.

• A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Food Science, Engineering or a related discipline.
• At least 7 years of procurement, sourcing or category management experience within food, nutrition, FMCG, dairy, pharmaceutical or other manufacturing industries.
• Strong experience in global sourcing, supplier relationship management and category strategy development.
• A proven track record in complex contract negotiations and commercial value creation.
• Experience managing direct material categories, preferably dairy ingredients or comparable commodity-driven portfolios.
• Strong analytical capabilities, including market analysis, cost modelling and supply risk assessment.
• Experience working in international or matrix organizations with cross-cultural stakeholder management.
• Demonstrated project management capabilities and the ability to drive change through influence.
• Excellent communication skills in English. Dutch and/or Chinese language skills are considered a strong advantage.

What do we offer?

We offer a challenging international role within a purpose-driven organization where your work contributes to the health and nutrition of children worldwide. You will join an ambitious team with significant responsibility, international exposure and the opportunity to influence strategic business decisions. In addition, we offer a competitive compensation package ranging from 90K - 160k gross base pay (incl. holiday allowance) and attractive benefits with excellent opportunities for professional growth and development.