Category Manager Directs

Lactalis New Zealand; Auckland; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay and benefits

Career development and progression

Collaborative workplace culture

Commitment to safety, quality, and ESG

Flexible working arrangements where?

Job summary

Lactalis New Zealand is seeking a commercially driven procurement professional to own direct categories for packaging and ingredients. You will work with the NZ business, suppliers and Oceania team to shape procurement strategy, drive value, and strengthen supply continuity across key spend areas.

You will lead category strategy development, supplier negotiations, and contract management, delivering measurable savings while partnering with cross-functional teams to optimise total cost of

Qualifications

• Experience in FMCG, food, dairy or manufacturing procurement.
• Proven ability to develop category strategies and deliver savings.
• Strong negotiation and supplier management capabilities.
• Analytical skills to interpret market spend and supplier data.
• Autonomous, proactive with strong stakeholder influence.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies for packaging and ingredients.
• Lead sourcing initiatives, supplier negotiations and contract management.
• Drive cost optimisation and total cost of ownership initiatives.
• Build partnerships with suppliers and internal stakeholders for continuity of supply.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Operations and regional teams to identify opportunities.

Skills

Category management

Procurement

Sourcing negotiations

Supply chain analytics

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain / business

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Lactalis New Zealand, formerly known as Fonterra Brands NZ, is now proudly part of the Lactalis Group.

Lactalis is a French family-owned business and the world’s largest dairy company. With a presence in 50 countries, employing around 90,000 people and a range of 2,000 dairy products. Lactalis is committed to contributing to the health and well-being of consumers around the world every day.

Here in New Zealand, Lactalis New Zealand employs more than 1,000 people across four manufacturing sites, two distribution centres and our corporate head office. We manufacture high-quality dairy products enjoyed by Kiwis and consumers around the world.

Our business also includes NZ New Milk, a specialised nutrition and infant formula manufacturer that produces premium products for global markets. Together, we produce some of the country’s most loved dairy brands, including Anchor, Fresh ’n’ Fruity and Mainland.

Our passionate and talented team is dedicated to nurturing the future of dairy, unlocking new opportunities, and fostering innovation in nutrition and food.

The Opportunity

Join Lactalis New Zealand at an exciting point in our journey and take ownership of the direct procurement categories that are critical to producing our much-loved dairy products. Working closely with the NZ business, key suppliers and the Oceania procurement team, you'll play a pivotal role in driving value, strengthening supply continuity and shaping the future of procurement across packaging and ingredients. Reporting to the Head of Procurement & Co-Manufacturing, you will:

• Develop and execute category strategies for packaging and ingredients, aligned with local business requirements and regional procurement direction
• Lead sourcing initiatives, supplier negotiations and contract management activities to deliver strong commercial outcomes across critical spend categories
• Drive value through cost optimisation, purchase price variance improvements, rebates, payment terms and total cost of ownership initiatives
• Build trusted partnerships with suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure quality, service performance and continuity of supply
• Partner closely with Supply Chain, Operations, Quality and regional procurement teams to identify opportunities, manage risk and support business performance

About You

You're a commercially savvy procurement professional who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing or FMCG environment. Equally comfortable discussing category strategy, supplier performance or market dynamics, you're someone who can balance long-term thinking with practical execution and deliver results through strong relationships and commercial acumen. In addition to this, you will have:

• Procurement or category management experience within FMCG, food, dairy or manufacturing environments, ideally across packaging, ingredients or other direct spend categories, supported by strong technical knowledge of dairy processing; experience in the New Zealand dairy industry would be highly regarded.
• A strong track record of developing category strategies and delivering measurable savings, commercial benefits and procurement performance improvements
• Excellent negotiation and supplier management capabilities, with experience managing complex commercial agreements and strategic supplier relationships
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret market, spend and supplier data to support better business decisions
• Outstanding stakeholder management and influencing skills, coupled with a proactive, results-focused mindset and the ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy.

What We Offer

• Competitive pay and benefits
• Career development and progression opportunities within a global organisation
• A collaborative and supportive workplace culture where your contribution makes a real impact
• A strong commitment to safety, quality, innovation and sustainability
• Flexible working arrangements where possible

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Lactalis NZ, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.