POSITION SUMMARY:Leads the development and execution of Nestlé USA's integrated agriculture strategy, ensuring a sustainable, resilient, and cost-effective supply of dairy while advancing regenerative agriculture, quality, and sourcing priorities.
This role is accountable for aligning agronomy, fresh dairy sourcing, and regenerative agriculture & certifications into a centralized operating model, enabling scale, consistency, and impact across fragmented activities. The Director translates global strategy into U.S. execution, strengthens supplier ecosystems, and partners cross-functionally with Procurement, ESG, and Operations to deliver business and sustainability outcomes.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:Strategy & Transformation Leadership- Define and execute a holistic agriculture strategy aligned to Nestlé's Agriculture Framework, ESG goals, and sourcing priorities
- Lead transformation of fragmented agronomy and sourcing activities into a centralized, high-performing model
- Translate long-term sustainability and supply strategies into actionable roadmaps with measurable outcomes
- Drive regenerative agriculture adoption and integrate it into sourcing and supplier development
Sourcing & Sustainability Delivery- Lead supplier development to improve quality, productivity, resilience, and sustainability outcomes
- Drive carbon reduction, regenerative agriculture adoption, and responsible sourcing across value chains
- Manage agricultural risks including supply volatility, cost, regulation, and climate impacts
- Ensure secure, competitive supply of key agricultural inputs for fresh milk through effective sourcing strategies
- Partner with the Procurement function to ensure effective collaboration and comprehensive sourcing strategies for agricultural products
Agronomy & Technical Excellence- Provide enterprise leadership acrossagronomy strategy, protocols, and capability building
- Partner Procurement, Quality, Corporate Sustainability and global agriculture teams to embed science-based practices
- Drive continuous improvement in crop performance, soil health, and productivity
- Lead team of subject matter experts across agronomy and sustainable sourcing to ensure that all business commitments are understood and met.
Stakeholder & Ecosystem Leadership- Build and manage relationships with farmers, cooperatives, suppliers, NGOs, and industry bodies
- Represent Nestlé externally in agriculture, sustainability, and regulatory forums
- Partner with internal stakeholders (Procurement, ESG, R&D, Quality, Public Affairs) to align priorities
Performance, Governance & Operations- Set KPIs and monitor performance across:
- Supply security & cost
- Sustainability (carbon, regenerative ag adoption)
- Quality and supplier performance
- Ensure compliance with regulatory, certification, and sustainability standards
- Manage budget, investment prioritization, and operational execution
QUALIFICATIONS:- Bachelor's degree in Agronomy, Animal Science, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Operations, or related field
- Advanced degree (MBA, MS) preferred
- 12+ years in agriculture, quality, sourcing, sustainability, or supply chain
- Proven leadership experience managing cross-functional and matrixed teams
- Experience in Agricultural supply chains (dairy, crops, or similar commodities)
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:- Strategic leadership with ability to translate vision into execution
- Deep understanding of agronomy, agricultural supply chains, and sustainability
- Strong commercial and procurement acumen
- Ability to influence across global, matrixed organizations
- Data-driven decision making and KPI management
- Stakeholder engagement and partnership development
- Change leadership and transformation capability
- Exceptional communication and storytelling skills
Preferred Experiences:- Experience in global or multi-market agricultural environments
- Exposure to carbon, Scope 3, ESG, and certification frameworks
- Experience leading transformation or organizational design initiatives
- Experience in regenerative agriculture initiatives and practices
- Experience in supplier and sourcing strategy development
This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.
Job Requisition: 412013
