Position SummaryThe Global Strategic Sourcing Manager is a critical leadership role responsible for transforming our procurement function from a reactive, distributor-reliant purchasing model into an active, direct-to-manufacturer global sourcing engine. Reporting directly to the VP of Supply Chain and Logistics, this individual will take ownership of the internal procurement team, oversee vendor relationships, optimize supply chain analytics, and eliminate chronic material shortages.
This role requires a unique blend of commercial negotiation expertise and technical/scientific acumen. The ideal candidate will bridge the gap between Procurement, Quality, and R&D-deeply analyzing the scientific rigor of dietary ingredients, excipient profiles, and manufacturing specifications long before a purchase order is placed. By tackling high Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs), building robust ordering cadences, and establishing a collaborative, performance-driven supplier ecosystem, you will foster 'mutually prosperous relationships' that protect our operational margins, ensure quality compliance, and guarantee material readiness.
Key Responsibilities1. Technical Sourcing Gatekeeping & Scientific Rigor- Lead detailed, front-end technical discussions with chemical and raw material manufacturers to deeply understand the scientific rigor, processing aids, and exact excipients used in ingredient formulations.
- Establish strict guardrails to identify and filter out unapproved excipients or carriers before materials enter the product pipeline.
- Collaborate closely with internal Quality and R&D units to align on precise material specifications, testing protocols, and methodologies, closing expectation gaps to eliminate inbound material rejections and quality failures.
- Ensure vendor offering parameters flawlessly match our internal testing capabilities, preventing materials from failing upon arrival at our facility.
2. Strategic Negotiation, Commercial Architecture & MOQ Management- Lead the transition from domestic distributors to direct global manufacturing partnerships to optimize Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and extend supplier payment terms.
- Aggressively negotiate down high vendor Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs), structuring blanket agreements and rolling quarterly releases to minimize inventory cash locks.
- Mitigate supply chain risk by securing secondary and tertiary backup manufacturing options for all dietary ingredients.
3. Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) & Performance Infrastructure- Transform transactional vendor communications into highly collaborative partnerships via a structured Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) framework built on frequent, proactive touchpoints.
- Design, implement, and lead formal Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and bi-weekly operational syncs with core partners to review forecast accuracy, capacity layout, and cultivate 'mutually prosperous relationships.'
- Develop and launch a comprehensive Supplier Scorecard program to continuously measure, report on, and actively improve supplier performance metric categories.
4. Ordering Cadence Systems & S&OP Optimization- Architect and enforce reliable warehouse ordering cadences and parameters within our ERP system (NetSuite) to guarantee that materials arrive precisely when required by the master production schedule.
- Build, launch, and maintain our single source of truth Sourcing & Supplier Database, housing all critical data points including lead times, tiered pricing, and supplier qualification statuses.
- Partner with Sales and Demand Planning to integrate real-time supplier capacity limitations and lead times into the developing Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) loop.
Required Qualifications- Experience: 7+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, global procurement, or supply chain leadership. Direct experience within an FDA-regulated dietary supplement, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, or food/beverage manufacturing environment is strictly required.
- Technical & Scientific Literacy: Strong understanding of dietary ingredient specifications, chemical processing, certificate of analysis (COA) interpretation, testing methodologies (e.g., HPLC, FTIR), and raw material excipient regulations.
- Supplier Launch & System Building: Proven track record of building supplier databases from scratch, creating vendor qualification metrics, and launching structural supplier scorecard loops.
- Advanced Negotiation Capabilities: Demonstrated success dismantling high vendor MOQs, implementing blanket purchase orders, and structuring master service agreements (MSAs) that maximize working capital efficiency.
- ERP & Forecasting Systems: Advanced capabilities navigating supply chain workflows within major ERP software (NetSuite highly preferred) and translating data into structured ordering cadences.
- Relationship Management: Outstanding interpersonal and leadership skills to drive collaborative, multi-layered supplier partnerships ('mutually prosperous relationships').
Education: Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Food Science, or a highly analytical business field. Active APICS/ASCM (CSCP or CPIM) or ISM certifications are strongly preferred.
