Senior Manager of Categories
Department: Procurement
Reports To: Procurement Director
Job Description
The Senior Manager of Categories leads category management strategy and execution across key direct material and supply categories, while developing the Category Buyer team and strengthening procurement governance. This role is responsible for category leadership across Proteins, Other Ingredients & Supplies, and Flour, with accountability for supplier strategy, contract oversight, market risk management, and disciplined sourcing processes. The position drives recurring category reviews, savings validation, benchmarking, and performance management to ensure sourcing decisions support cost, service, continuity of supply, and long-term business objectives. As a key partner to Procurement, Fulfillment, and cross-functional stakeholders, this leader also supports demand, supply-risk, and shortage escalations across owned and buyer-managed categories.
Key Responsibilities
Category Leadership and Program Development
- Directly manage assigned categories: Protein, Dairy & Fats, Grain & Starch (or additional categories, as needed) including:
- Supplier Strategy and Sourcing Execution.
- RFQ/RFP leadership, bid analysis, and supplier selection.
- Contract management and pricing negotiations.
- Market intelligence and risk management.
- Reinforce and scale the category management operating model by driving adoption of defined roles, workflows, and sourcing discipline across all categories.
- Support the ongoing development of the Category Buyer function by:
- Coaching and developing team members.
- Clarifying expectations and executions standards.
- Ensuring alignment to procurement governance and performance requirements.
- Execute sourcing activities directly while the organization continues to scale Category Buyer coverage, ensuring no gaps in category ownership or execution.
- Develop and maintain contingency plans for supply continuity, commodity volatility, and supplier performance risks.
Category Governance, Performance Management, & Benchmarking
- Own and enforce procurement governance standards, including RFQ/RFP discipline, savings documentation and validation, supplier strategy templates, market reporting cadence.
- Review, challenge, and approve category-level sourcing activities, including category strategies, RFQ outputs and bid analysis, and supplier award recommendations.
- Ensure sourcing recommendations are supported by competitive process, market intelligence, and financial validation.
- Lead recurring category reviews to evaluate strategy execution, supplier performance, savings pipeline and realization, and market trends and exposure.
- Drive benchmarking across categories to challenge supplier pricing, pricing structures, and sourcing approaches.
- Oversee Supplier performance management processes, including approved vendor lists, supplier scorecards, supplier relationship management (SRM), and Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs)
Cross-Functional Leadership, Supply Risk Management, & Operating Cadence
- Lead supply constraint, shortage, and escalation management across all categories in partnership with Fulfillment, Operations, & Quality.
- Coordinate cross-functional response plans to mitigate service disruptions and ensure continuity of supply.
- Align category strategies with demand planning, inventory management, and plant execution requirements.
- Partner with:
- R&D on new product development and ingredient sourcing.
- Quality/Food Safety on supplier qualification.
- Finance/Accounting on savings validation and cost management.
- Lead or participate in the procurement operating cadence, including biweekly sourcing and savings reviews, monthly KPI and business reviews, and Category performance tracking aligned to governance metrics.
- Drive continuous improvement in sourcing processes, governance standards, and category team effectiveness.
- Ensure adherence to procurement RACI, decision rights, and operating model.
Key Qualifications
- Bachelor?s degree in Purchasing, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, or equivalent business experience.
- 7+ years of progressive experience in procurement, sourcing, or category management, including recent leadership experience across direct material or food-related categories.
- Strong experience managing supplier strategy, contracts, competitive sourcing processes, and market-risk analysis.
- Demonstrated success leading category reviews, validating savings opportunities, and driving procurement discipline across a team.
- Proven ability to coach and develop buyers while strengthening accountability and performance standards.
- Strong cross-functional partnership skills, particularly with Procurement, Fulfillment, Operations, and Finance.
- Professional certifications such as NAPM (A.P.P., C.P.M.) or APICS (CPIM, CSCP) strongly preferred.
Core Competencies
- Strategic and analytical thinker with a results-driven mindset.
- Strong executive presence and communication skills.
- Hands-on leadership style with the ability to operate at both strategic and tactical levels.
- Highly organized, self-directed, and adaptable in a fast-paced environment.
- Proven ability to build consensus and influence across functions.
This role requires a leader who can balance category strategy, supplier management, and team development while reinforcing strong governance and sourcing discipline across the procurement function.