The Packaging Team is responsible for over 400 million USD spend sourcing polyethylene, polypropylene, paper, steel and aluminum based materials for our US and Canada manufacturing sites.  Accountable for all aspects of sourcing strategy for assigned categories, from working across the business to creating strategies that meet business needs, to implementing the strategy through supplier negotiations and risk management and value improvement.  This role must work across the business segments to leverage scale across all Mars Petcare business units.  This role will sit on a Business Management Team (BMT) representing Commercial to influence the business strategy while ensuring Commercial plans are integrated to meet the business needs.    

The category is complex and volatile from a Supply Chain and Price Risk Management perspective. This individual should have a strong strategic sourcing and packaging background, solid understanding of sustainability levers in the category, and have demonstrated a capability to develop holistic risk management strategies. The individual should drive and challenge the team to reach the targets and provide solid advice on all related markets and supply issues to senior leadership.

The role operates in a pet friendly, open office environment supporting natural pet nutrition.

What are we looking for?

Required Experiences & Education

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, mathematics, economics, supply chain, procurement, engineering or a related field.
• Minimum 8-10 years of experience in in Procurement of packaging materials; preferably within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Industry
• Experience in managing dynamic business environments, where price stability, supply availability, and potential business outcomes are under continuous pressure and change.
• Experience in strategic sourcing including end to end strategy development.
• Experience in productivity or related cost reduction programs
• Experience in strategic negotiations including RFP’s (Analysis and recommendations)
• MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint functional skills
• Must be able to travel up to 20%+ of the time or as required by the business

Preferred Experiences & Education

• MBA
• Proficient in SAP and MRP systems
• Global category experience

Principal Accountabilities

• Creating and implementing robust, holistic sourcing strategies and manage sourcing categories by driving activities in the area of productivity, price risk management, long-term supply assurance, sustainable sourcing, supplier relationship management and quality management. Followed by Internal communication and documented approval of these strategies by the Technical Leadership Team (TLT).
• Collaborate with all Mars North American units and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver a target value improvement of 5-10% of the total annual spend. 
  • Identify and implement novel and creative means for reducing costs, improving quality, or otherwise improving total value for money.  This includes networking within the Mars Global Commercial community for best practices & ideas for reapplication.
  • Drive “Best in Class” category leadership and utilize tools such as sourcing strategies, cost model analysis, e-auctions, and RFP’s to deliver maximum value to the category
• Ensure long-term supply chain security and contingency plans to secure business needs and provide recommendations/execute as appropriate. Including Supplier capacity utilization analysis followed by Internal communication of these plans through Step 3 of S&OP, Supply Chain Management Review (SCMR).
• Ensure “Should-Cost” models/clean sheets are in place for all materials in your Team’s responsibility and that they are refreshed annually and used in the annual RFP process.
• Deliver finance excellence through cash initiatives such as payment terms and supplier owned inventory programs
• Negotiate commercial terms and conditions applying business law to create legal contracts that protect Mars from all risk.
• Supplier selection aligned with our Sustainability requirements
• Compliance, reporting and other duties
  • Ensure full compliance with Commercial Guide Policy and Conduct Policy
  • Ensure full compliance with any other internal guidelines and external regulations
  • Ensure full compliance and support to all on social, environmental and sustainability projects
• Price Risk Management: Lead and direct the risk management strategy mitigating market inflation and providing accurate cost forecasts.
• Innovate risk management tools to enhance and improve costs and margins.
• Analyze supplier and economic markets; identify and manage market risks and opportunities; identify and develop a supplier relationship management program with key supplier to improve the capability of our supply base. 
• Engage and energize the organization to create and implement breakthrough material sourcing strategies; effectively negotiate commercial terms and conditions; apply business law to create appropriate legal contracts; manage business, legal and intellectual property risk.
• Lead a team of Commercial associates.  Attract, retain, and motivate associates ensuring our human capital is a means to competitive advantage.  Develop associates in Commercial Competencies and Mars Effectiveness Competencies.  Create an energizing work environment along with an innovative, efficient and flexible organization.
• Ensure delivery of business plans at or ahead of targets & plans and appropriate Commercial representation in internal business processes.
• Obtain optimal terms by utilizing negotiation theory (BATNA) techniques when required to  understand the tradeoffs between cost, volume, and quality to meet our performance criteria and secure long-term supply continuity
• Visit supplier facilities to become the subject matter expert of your product which includes the manufacturing processes and all costs associated; Apply this knowledge to create should cost models and influence the future product roadmap and sourcing decisions

Decision Making Authority and Impact

• Deliver value for money for Petcare NA given the dynamic commodity markets. Decisions in this area can significantly affect Pet profit and/or cause the business to cut investment spending in order to cover cost pressures.
• Supplier selection and business commitments for the portfolio of the annual volume, within the limits of the Finance Manual and the Mars Quality Manual (MQM).
• Prediction of costs, to maximize accuracy and delivery of the Pet’s business plan and P&L projections. Sets annual cost standards for all ingredients. 
• Make contractual commitments on behalf of the Company within the framework of the Finance Manual and Unit Limits of Authority.
• Career planning and development plans for direct reports.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with over 130,000 like-minded and talented Associates, all guided by The Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

About Mars:
Mars is a family-owned business with more than $35 billion in global sales. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands: M&M’s®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5â„¢, SKITTLES®, BEN’S ORIGINAL® and COCOAVIA®. Alongside our consumer brands, we proudly take care of half of the world’s pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses such as Banfield Pet Hospitalsâ„¢, BluePearl®, Linnaeus, AniCura, VCAâ„¢ and Pet Partnersâ„¢. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire our 130,000 Associates into taking action every day towards creating the world we want tomorrow.

Disclaimer:
Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.​​​​​​​

Note to Search Firms/Agencies:
Mars, Incorporated and its subsidiaries and affiliates (Mars) do not compensate search firms for unsolicited assistance unless they have a written search agreement with Mars and the requisition is position-specific.  Any resumes, curriculum vitae, and other unsolicited assistance from search firms that do not have a written search agreement or position-specific requisition submitted to any Associate of Mars will be deemed the sole property of Mars and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Mars.