Category Manager – Ingredients

Westrock Coffee Company; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 77,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

Westrock Coffee Company in Little Rock, Arkansas, is seeking a Dynamic, self-motivated leader to serve as Procurement Category Manager overseeing packaging sourcing and supplier relationships. This role focuses on developing multi-year procurement plans, cost analysis, and strategic vendor management.

The ideal candidate has 8+ years in category management or procurement within food/beverage manufacturing, with a Bachelor’s degree and relevant certifications.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in Category Management/Procurement or Supply Chain Management
• Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Engineering, or Business
• Licensing or Certifications for Procurement Category Manager: CPSM, CPM, PMP, MCIPS, CPIM, APICS, C.P.M, DOT, ISM, CIRM
• Experience in packaging, preferably in a food and/or beverage manufacturing environment
• Experience managing external vendors, contracts, risk management, forecasting, developing category strategies, and manufacturing relationships
• Strong computer skills (Word, Excel, Outlook, NetSuite or ERP)
• Ability to work in a fast paced high pressure environment with internal and external customers
• Financial understanding of P&L and ability to drive bottom line profit

Responsibilities

• Develop sourcing Category Management plans (Aluminum Cans and/or Glass Bottles packaging) to drive multi-year procurement plans
• Source and assess potential trustworthy partners
• Develop a system to evaluate partners for quality, price, delivery, and service
• Create multi-step sourcing processes that drive Best Value relationships with vendors
• Work with packaging vendors to minimize waste and introduce lower cost options
• Collaborate with product development on future packaging and innovations
• Execute contracts, RFI/RFPs, proposals and vendor agreements
• Interface with Global Sourcing QA to meet specifications and standards
• Support commercialization of NPD projects with sales team
• Liaise between Procurement and Manufacturing for effective communication

Skills

Category Management

Procurement

Supply Chain Management

Vendor Management

Excel

Education

Bachelor's degree (Procurement / Supply Chain / Engineering / Business)

Higher degree a plus

Tools

NetSuite

ERP systems

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Job Description

Dynamic, self-motivated and results oriented leader with a proven record of generating and building relationships, managing projects from concept to completion, and demonstrating exceptional communication skills. Adaptable and transformational manager with an ability to develop opportunities that further establish organizational goals.

Principal Job Functions

• Develop sourcing Category Management plans (Aluminum Cans and/or Glass Bottles packaging for food + beverage manufacturing) that analyze and calculate costs of procurement and use those category management plans to drive multi-year procurement plans and events to maintain flat to down raw material costs in inflationary environments.
• Source and assess potential trustworthy partners.
• Develop a system to evaluate partners to ensure quality, price, delivery, and service. Review periodically to ensure compliance to agreed-upon terms and conditions.
• Create and utilize multi-step sourcing processes that drive Best Value relationships with vendors, teaching those sourcing processes to direct reports and the Global Sourcing team to ensure Continuous Improvement in the supply chain.
• Works with packaging vendors to minimize waste and introduce higher quality/lower cost packaging options.
• Works with product development on the future of Ridged packaging and is partner on innovation and the introduction of new technologies.
• Executes contracts, RFI/RFP, proposals and vendor agreements for legal correctness, price, and acceptability of items to specifications.
• Interfaces and aligns with Global Sourcing Quality Assurance team to ensure specifications and standards are consistently met.
• Support commercialization of NPD (New Product Development) projects with sales team
• Liaise between Procurement and Manufacturing to ensure effective communication.

Requisition Number

6986

Shift

First

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of years of experience in Category Management/Procurement, or Supply Chain Management, strong preference in the food and beverage manufacturing space or other consumer packaged goods.
• Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Engineering, Business. Higher degree a plus.
• Preferred Licensing or Certifications for Procurement Category Manager: CPSM, CPM, PMP, MCIPS, CPIM, APICS, C.P.M, DOT, ISM, CIRM.
• Experience in packaging, preferably in a food and/or beverage manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing a diverse set of external vendors, including sourcing, managing contracts, risk management, forecasting, developing category strategies, and manufacturing relationships.
• Strong computer skills (Word, Excel, Outlook, NetSuite or other similar ERP systems).
• Ability to work in fast paced high pressure environment where change is constant and needs to be managed with internal and external customers.
• Financial understanding of P&L and ability to drive results for bottom line profit.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Vets / Disabled

Starting Pay Rate

Pay Rate $90000