Director of Procurement

We are seeking a senior procurement leader to define and drive end-to-end purchasing strategy across a multi-site manufacturing network. This role is responsible for ensuring reliable access to critical raw materials and packaging components, while balancing cost efficiency, service continuity, inventory health, and supplier performance.

The position provides both strategic leadership and hands-on ownership of procurement execution in a fast-paced production environment, with direct responsibility for team leadership, supplier management, and cross-functional alignment across operations, planning, quality, and supply chain functions.

Role Overview

This role leads all procurement activities across multiple production facilities, ensuring material availability for uninterrupted manufacturing operations. A key focus is placed on raw material sourcing, packaging procurement, supplier risk management, and continuous improvement of purchasing processes.

The successful candidate will manage a small procurement team and act as the senior escalation point for supply issues, while also driving long-term sourcing strategies and supplier partnerships that support business resilience and performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and lead procurement strategy and execution across multiple manufacturing operations, ensuring alignment with business goals for cost, service, and quality.
• Oversee sourcing and purchasing of raw materials, ingredients, and packaging materials, ensuring continuity of supply and production stability.
• Lead, coach, and develop a small procurement team, building capability and accountability across buyers and technical purchasing support roles.
• Establish and maintain strong supplier partnerships, driving performance expectations across quality, cost, service, and reliability.
• Act as the primary escalation point for supply disruptions, coordinating rapid resolution through cross-functional collaboration.
• Drive proactive risk mitigation strategies to reduce exposure to material shortages and supplier instability.
• Partner closely with quality and technical teams to ensure all suppliers meet required safety, regulatory, and quality standards.
• Lead supplier issue resolution processes, including investigation of non-conformance events and implementation of corrective actions.
• Collaborate with operations, planning, warehousing, and finance teams to align procurement activity with production and inventory requirements.
• Manage inventory performance and working capital objectives through effective purchasing and materials flow management.
• Monitor procurement performance using key metrics such as cost savings, supplier reliability, service levels, and inventory efficiency.
• Support broader sourcing and cost optimization initiatives in partnership with central procurement or leadership teams.
• Contribute to continuous improvement efforts within procurement processes, systems, and supplier management practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, or a related discipline.
• 8+ years of procurement, sourcing, or materials management experience, including leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience leading procurement in a manufacturing or production-driven environment.
• Strong background in sourcing raw materials and packaging categories.
• Proven ability to lead small teams and develop talent in a hands-on leadership role.
• Experience managing supplier relationships and resolving complex supply or quality issues.
• Strong negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment with competing priorities.
• Experience with ERP systems (enterprise planning systems experience preferred).