Flexible Location

The Strategic Sourcing Manager is responsible for the development and deployment of sourcing strategies that ensure supply, maximize value for money and improve quality for a portfolio of direct raw materials for North America. The position will collaborate closely with global Royal Canin teams and other Mars category teams on the development of strategy to deliver on Royal Canin quality specifications, assure continuous supply, leverage scale, and lowest total cost of ownership.

What are we looking for?

• Minimum 3 years of experience in Sourcing role; Direct raw material experience preferred
• Experience working in diverse teams and matrix organizations
• Knowledge and experience with Strategic Sourcing process with the ability to implement the framework in a new product category
• Proven leader who has demonstrated the openness to act as a team player, and situational leadership within peer group to influence business strategy. 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; both verbal and written including the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Excellent analytical skills for financial assessments and issue identification, along with flexible thinking to adapt to changing markets.

What will be your key responsibilities?

Sourcing Strategy

• Create, deliver, and execute the sourcing strategy for assigned ingredients for Royal Canin North America in collaboration with global category team.
• Analyze market trends, identify market developments and conduct category reviews to drive business understanding of these markets and how best to utilize the capabilities of suppliers and industry developments to deliver a competitive advantage to Royal Canin North America. 
• Identify and implement novel and creative means for reducing costs, improving quality, or otherwise improving total value for money. 
• Challenge specifications to ensure that we are creating a fit for purpose specification
• Create Business Allocation Recommendations and contracts, once approved, to be signed based on the Limits of Authority.

Price & Budget Management

• Create the annual operating plan for the portfolio & submit periodic forecast updates
• Achieve competitive price advantage through knowledge of material cost structure and external markets, including the relevant domestic and international economic factors.
• Identify and propose opportunities to hedge various commodities in order to provide a competitive advantage and price stability to the business when available.
• Champion the total cost of assigned raw materials by identifying and maintain a list of potential cost reduction opportunities through the DIB process and monitoring of COGS
• Maintain material pricing to sites and blanket order volume coverage in alignment with MRP within Octopus platform to ensure accurate pricing and supply availability.

Supply Management

• Ensure the demand of required material volumes for all regional sites are secured and accounted for, including future growth considerations
• Ensure supply of materials and contingency plans to meet business needs by identifying potential areas of risk, recommending proposed solutions and executing once aligned with necessary stakeholders.
• Forecast and report on market movements to manage business risk and material availability 
• Support SQA and Operations on Corrective/Preventive Actions to reduce frequency of late, rejected, and derogated loads, maximizing factory service targets

SPRM: Supplier Performance Relationship Management

• Identify and develop suppliers capable of delivering products that meet or exceed our requirements, including upcoming innovation and sustainability commitments
• Act as the key point of contact for Supplier Relationship Management within region to drive enhanced communication and performance.
• Segment and focus efforts on critical suppliers to leverage their capabilities to achieve continuous improvement and bring innovation to the business
• Measure and communicate standardized KPI’s (EVA) to strategic suppliers in order to facilitate data driven, objective evaluations

Support Innovation & Sustainability

• Support efforts to leverage supplier resources to bring new ideas and products/ commodities/services, including new ingredients to enable our growth and sustainability aspirations.
• Work in conjunction with Sustainable and Responsible Sourcing Leads at Mars/Royal Canin to protect the reputation of Mars and its brands as it relates to our supplier base

Support Innovation & Sustainability

Support efforts to leverage supplier resources to bring new ideas and products/ commodities/services, including new ingredients to enable our growth and sustainability aspirations. Work in conjunction with Sustainable and Responsible Sourcing Leads at Mars/Royal Canin to protect the reputation of Mars and its brands as it relates to our supplier base

SPRM: Supplier Performance Relationship Management

Identify and develop suppliers capable of delivering products that meet or exceed our requirements, including upcoming innovation and sustainability commitments Act as the key point of contact for Supplier Relationship Management within region to drive enhanced communication and performance. Segment and focus efforts on critical suppliers to leverage their capabilities to achieve continuous improvement and bring innovation to the business Measure and communicate standardized KPI’s (EVA) to strategic suppliers in order to facilitate data driven, objective evaluations

Supply Management

Ensure the demand of required material volumes for all regional sites are secured and accounted for, including future growth considerations Ensure supply of materials and contingency plans to meet business needs by identifying potential areas of risk, recommending proposed solutions and executing once aligned with necessary stakeholders. Forecast and report on market movements to manage business risk and material availability  Support SQA and Operations on Corrective/Preventive Actions to reduce frequency of late, rejected, and derogated loads, maximizing factory service targets

Price & Budget Management

Create the annual operating plan for the portfolio & submit periodic forecast updates Achieve competitive price advantage through knowledge of material cost structure and external markets, including the relevant domestic and international economic factors. Identify and propose opportunities to hedge various commodities in order to provide a competitive advantage and price stability to the business when available. Champion the total cost of assigned raw materials by identifying and maintain a list of potential cost reduction opportunities through the DIB process and monitoring of COGS Maintain material pricing to sites and blanket order volume coverage in alignment with MRP within Octopus platform to ensure accurate pricing and supply availability.

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.