Senior Category Strategy Lead - Direct Materials (Food)

Procurement People; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Procurement People in San Antonio, TX is seeking a Senior Manager, Category Management to lead strategic sourcing and category management across direct materials.

You will partner with senior stakeholders across Procurement, Operations, Finance, Quality and R&D to develop category strategies, manage supplier relationships and mitigate supply risks.

This senior leadership role offers exposure to critical procurement initiatives and opportunities to shape supplier partnerships and cost optimisation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Business, Operations or related.
• Minimum 7 years' experience in procurement, strategic sourcing or category management with leadership.
• Experience in food manufacturing, food ingredients or related consumer goods environment desirable.
• Proven direct material category management and strategic sourcing experience.
• Strong understanding of commodity markets and supply risk.
• Proven supplier negotiations and cost reduction delivery.
• Experience leading category reviews and procurement governance.
• Proven ability to develop procurement professionals.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen with cost analysis.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing senior leaders.
• Analytical, problem-solving and decisive.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic sourcing and category management strategies across direct material categories.
• Manage categories including proteins, dairy, fats, grains, starches, ingredients and related materials.
• Lead supplier selection, negotiations, contract management and ongoing supplier relationship development.
• Monitor commodity markets, industry trends and supply conditions to identify opportunities and manage risk.
• Drive competitive sourcing, benchmarking and cost optimisation initiatives across assigned categories.
• Ensure continuity of supply while balancing cost, quality, service and innovation requirements.
• Develop and implement contingency strategies to mitigate supply disruption and commodity volatility.
• Lead regular category and supplier performance reviews, identifying opportunities for improvement and risk mitigation.
• Identify, deliver and validate sustainable procurement savings in partnership with Finance.
• Establish and maintain category management standards, sourcing processes and procurement governance.
• Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, Quality and R&D to align procurement strategies with wider business objectives.
• Support new product development through supplier, ingredient and sourcing initiatives.
• Lead, coach and develop Category Buyers and other procurement team members.
• Build strategic sourcing, analytical and category management capabilities across the procurement function.
• Provide senior leadership with market insights, category recommendations and procurement performance updates.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Category management

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Supplier negotiations

Cost optimization

Supply risk management

Financial acumen

Analytical thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain or related

Procurement certifications advantageous (CPSM/CPM/CSCP/CPIM)

Job description

Procurement People in San Antonio, TX is seeking a Senior Manager, Category Management to lead strategic sourcing and category management across direct materials.

You will partner with senior stakeholders across Procurement, Operations, Finance, Quality and R&D to develop category strategies, manage supplier relationships and mitigate supply risks.

This senior leadership role offers exposure to critical procurement initiatives and opportunities to shape supplier partnerships and cost optimisation.