Sr. Purchasing Manager - Packaging Materials

Barilla America, Inc; Northbrook (IL); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Paid Time Off

401(k) with company match

Life and Disability Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Barilla America, Inc. is seeking a packaging materials sourcing leader based in Northbrook, IL, to manage supply, quality, costs, service, and supplier relationships.

This hybrid role requires 5+ years in paper-based packaging procurement, with strong cost optimization and cross-functional project skills. You will develop category strategies, analyze markets for cartons and corrugated, and lead negotiations while aligning with Barilla's purchasing policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Packaging Engineering, Technologies, or Finance; MBA a plus.
• 5+ years experience in purchasing of paper-based packaging including corrugated and folding carton procurement, supplier strategy and total cost optimization.
• CPG (food focus) experience in financial analysis with cross-functional project management in a global environment.
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced environment and communicate at a high level across multiple functions.
• Must be able to travel 20–30% domestically and internationally.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with experience across global boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Define, implement, and maintain the sourcing strategy for defined categories.
• Keep market analyses for cartons and corrugated up to date.
• Develop budgets, rolling forecasts, and target savings.
• Identify and pursue cost savings while balancing risk and benefit.
• Design contract negotiation strategy and RFQ/RFI processes.
• Ensure compliance with purchasing policy and procedures.
• Establish and manage relationships with suppliers and key market stakeholders.
• Coordinate with project leaders for new product packaging changes.

Skills

Sourcing Management

Cost optimization

Contract negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

SAP/ERP knowledge

MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Procurement/Supply Chain/Packaging/Finance

MBA (preferred)

Tools

SAP/ERP

Enovia

Visio

Microsoft Office

Job description

About Barilla

At Barilla, we believe that every great journey begins with passion and a bold vision. From our humble beginnings in 1877 in a small shop in Parma, Italy, we've blossomed into a global leader in the food industry, guided by our commitment to progress and excellence.

Today, Barilla is an international group present in more than 100 countries and we are proud to be recognized as the world's top food company by reputation. With 22 beloved brands in our portfolio, we are world leader for pasta, the number one choice for ready‑made sauces in Europe, leader for bakery products in Italy, and for crispbread across Scandinavia with Wasa.

Our success story is written by a passionate team of almost 9,000 dedicated employees across 30 plants and offices worldwide, all united by a shared mission to nourish the future with purpose and passion.

Are you ready to add your unique flavor to our journey?

Job Purpose

Responsible for the sourcing management and the performance (assurance of supply, quality, costs, service, and innovation) of packaging materials for US and Canada, according to the purchase policy defined by the Company. Actively identify cost‑saving opportunities and reduce the total cost of ownership for the company.

This is a hybrid role based out of Northbrook, IL.

Key Accountabilities

Sourcing Management Process

• Define, implement, and maintain the sourcing strategy for the defined categories.
• Keep updated market analyses for cartons and corrugated.
• Develops budget, rolling forecasts, and target savings.
• Identify and pursue cost saving in a consistent way balancing risk and benefit.
• Designs contract negotiation strategy and development (RFQ, RFI, etc).
• Guarantee the respect of the company purchasing policy and procedure.

Supplier Management

• Demonstrates knowledge of packaging material productions, packaging material characteristics and regulations, and impact on the Barilla production of these parameters.
• Establishes and manages relations with actual and incumbent suppliers and key market stakeholders.

New Product

• Maintains depth understanding of the market for products and related categories to proactively identify new supply solutions and/or potential packaging suppliers.
• Coordinates with project leaders and internal stakeholders to develop appropriate project plans for new product or product changes commercialization.

Development and Teamwork

• Strong cooperation with Technical packaging for cost saving generation and new development support.
• Builds trusting relationships with internal stakeholders.
• Learning agility mindset.

Desired Skills and Background

• Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Packaging Engineering, Technologies, or Finance; MBA a plus.
• 5+ years experience in purchasing of paper‑based packaging including corrugated and folding carton procurement, supplier strategy and total cost optimization.
• CPG (food focus) experience in financial analysis with significant cross‑functional project management in a global environment.
• Ability to thrive in a fast paced environment and communicate at a high level across multiple functions.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality when dealing with sensitive information.
• Job requires a minimum travel time of 20% - 30% - domestic and international.
• Must be a quick study, with proven ability to manage change, ability to work across global boundaries and borders, and possess strong decision‑making skills.
• Excellent communicator, politically persuasive, with demonstrated skills in collaboration.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills (Excell, Power Point, Word, Visio), SAP/ERP, Enovia knowledge preferred.

As of the date of this posting, the estimated pay range for this role is $125,000-$135,000 plus eligibility to participate in the annual discretionary bonus plan. The actual pay for the position will be determined by various factors, including but not limited to job‑related experience, skills, education, location, and internal equity. This range may be subject to change over time.

Barilla strives to provide you and your family with a wide range of benefit options to support your overall health and financial well‑being needs. This position qualifies for benefits that include medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, a 401(K) plan with company match, life and disability plans, and an employee assistance program.

Barilla is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

Barilla America strives to make https://jobs.barillagroup.com/ accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance complete the application process, please contact [e-mail]. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.