Director, Procurement

Russell Stover Chocolates; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Russell Stover Chocolates seeks a Director of Procurement to lead sourcing, supplier management, and material planning across ingredients, packaging, and services. You will partner with Operations, Finance, R&D, and Commercial teams to optimize costs and ensure reliable material supply.

You will develop strategies, monitor markets, negotiate contracts, build a high-performing team, and drive continuous improvement while supporting growth and delicious experiences for consumers.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive procurement, sourcing, supply chain, or purchasing experience.
• 3+ years leading teams, functions, or multi-category sourcing.
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic sourcing programs with measurable improvements.
• Strong knowledge of procurement practices, supplier management, contract negotiations, and risk mitigation.
• Excellent financial acumen, including budgets, cost savings, and supplier investments.
• Fluent spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement strategies across ingredients, packaging, indirect spend, logistics, supplies, and services.
• Oversee sourcing, supplier management, contract negotiations, and procurement operations.
• Ensure reliable material availability for manufacturing, distribution, ecommerce, and retail operations.
• Use market insights, forecasting, and supplier partnerships to manage commodity risk, cost, quality, service, and continuity.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, Finance, Quality, Marketing, and others.
• Monitor procurement performance, supplier scorecards, savings initiatives, budgets and process improvements.
• Support ethical sourcing, compliance, sustainability, supplier qualification, and continuous improvement.
• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing procurement team and present strategies to senior leadership.

Skills

Analytical

Negotiation

Communication

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management or related field

MBA or CPSM/CSCP certification (preferred)

Job description

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar‑free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company‑owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy!

As the Director of Procurement, you will lead Russell Stover's sourcing, procurement, supplier management, commodity risk management, and material planning functions. You will partner closely with Operations, Manufacturing, R&D, Finance, and Commercial teams to develop strategies that ensure a reliable supply of materials, optimize costs, support innovation, and strengthen supplier relationships. You will monitor commodity markets, mitigate supply chain risks, negotiate contracts, and lead strategic sourcing initiatives across ingredients, packaging, indirect goods, and services. In this role, you will play a critical part in driving business performance while leading and developing a high‑performing team. You will also enhance supply chain resilience and champion continuous improvement initiatives that deliver long‑term value. This is an opportunity for you to make a visible impact by balancing strategic leadership with operational execution, ensuring Russell Stover has the materials, partnerships, and capabilities needed to support growth and delight consumers.

What You Will Be Doing…

• Lead procurement strategies across key categories, including ingredients, packaging, indirect spend, logistics, supplies, and services.
• Oversee sourcing, supplier management, contract negotiations, and procurement operations to support business goals.
• Ensure reliable material availability for manufacturing, distribution, ecommerce, and retail operations.
• Use market insights, forecasting, and supplier partnerships to manage commodity risk, cost, quality, service, and supply continuity.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, Finance, Quality, Marketing, and other teams to support innovation, commercialization, and business priorities.
• Monitor procurement performance, supplier scorecards, savings initiatives, budgets, and process improvements.
• Support ethical sourcing, compliance, sustainability, supplier qualification, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Build, develop, and lead a high‑performing procurement team while presenting key strategies, risks, results, and opportunities to senior leadership.

If visiting our manufacturing plants, you will be expected to:

• Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product quality and maintain compliance with food safety standards.
• Complete and follow FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the plant’s food safety and quality objectives.
• Promptly report and take appropriate action on any observed or potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non‑conformities by notifying the designated plant supervisor, in accordance with your role and responsibilities.
• Actively contribute to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role.

This job posting is not all inclusive and other duties may be assigned.

Do you have what it takes?

(Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Business Administration, Finance, Operations Management, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive procurement, sourcing, supply chain, or purchasing experience, including 3+ years leading teams, functions, or multi‑category sourcing strategies.
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic sourcing programs that deliver measurable financial, operational, and business process improvements.
• Strong knowledge of procurement best practices, supplier relationship management, contract negotiations, category management, commodity purchasing, risk mitigation, and supply continuity.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience managing budgets, cost savings initiatives, and supplier investments.
• Excellent analytical, negotiation, communication, and leadership skills, including the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation.

Do you stand above the rest?

(Preferred Qualifications)

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or a related field, or professional certification such as CPSM, CPSD, CSCP, CPIM, or equivalent.
• Experience in food manufacturing, confectionery, consumer packaged goods, or related industry.
• Experience with agricultural commodities, ingredient sourcing, packaging procurement, supplier networks, sustainability, responsible sourcing, and supplier compliance.
• Experience implementing or using procurement technologies, ERP platforms, spend analytics tools, or digital procurement solutions.
• Demonstrated success leading complex sourcing initiatives, supplier negotiations, high‑performing teams, and change in a fast‑paced business environment.

At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal‑opportunity workplace.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.

Make Happy. Work Happy.