Summary

The Senior Procurement Category Manager - Global Potato Ingredients is responsible for defining and executing the global sourcing strategy for critical potato ingredients category, specifically edible oil (soybean, sunflower, canola, palm, tallow as such), associated hedging strategies, batter, and dry ingredients.

This role manages category complexity, leverages global scale to drive value creation through strategic supplier management, specification harmonization, risk mitigation, and complexity reduction across markets. The position develops and implements optimized sourcing strategies that deliver cost competitiveness, supply continuity, quality consistency, and innovation. This role requires close collaboration with the Regional Procurement Category Teams to align regional requirements with global objectives.

As global potato ingredients plays a critical role in Global Food business with brand value, operational efficiency, and sustainability, this role ensures cost-effective sourcing, supply continuity, and sustainability by aligning business objectives with cross-functional and regional stakeholders. The role supports manufacturing facilities across Americas (US, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina), while leveraging scale across Asia Pacific (Australia, China, and India), and Europe (Belgium and France), while proactively managing risk and building high-performing supplier partnerships that deliver long-term value.

By leveraging global scale and fostering cross-functional collaboration, this role directly contributes to enhanced profitability, operational efficiency, and sustainable growth.

Key Responsibilities

Global Strategy Development, Contract Negotiations, and Regional Execution:

• Design and implement a comprehensive global procurement strategy for Potato Ingredients specifically, edible oil, batter, and dry ingredients, that aligns with business objectives and supports regional needs.
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard suppliers across regions to ensure compliance with quality, regulatory, and food safety standards, while maintaining reliability and cost-effectiveness.
• Ensure long-term value delivery and consistent execution across facilities in Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe.
• Lead global contract negotiations and may contribute to regional negotiations led by the region. Manage supplier agreements to secure competitive pricing, quality, and supply continuity.
• Drive specification and supplier harmonization to unlock volume leverage and achieve savings target.
• Navigate ambiguity and make informed decisions amid uncertainty, incomplete data, or shifting priorities.
• Set financial budget by using market insights and cost benchmarks, monitor Purchase Price Variance (PPV) and hedging.

Cross-Functional and Regional Collaboration, Synergies, and Cost Optimization:

• Partner with and influence stakeholders across R&D, Regulatory, Food Safety Quality, Planning, Operations, Finance, and Marketing to integrate potato ingredients strategies, harmonize specifications and supplier bases to reduce complexity and achieve savings targets.
• Identify and implement cost-saving opportunities through strategic sourcing, supplier consolidation, and value engineering initiatives.
• Proactively adapt strategies to meet evolving business needs.
• Support internal stakeholders in driving innovation and project execution.
• Represent Procurement in global and regional forum, providing insights, and bridging supplier capabilities with the business objectives.

Supplier Relationships Management and Performance Driving:

• Cultivate, maintain, and optimize strong partnerships with key suppliers to ensure consistent quality, reliability, sustainability, while supporting innovation, and deliver long-term value across global operations.

Supply Chain Resilience and Support Global Manufacturing Operations:

• Support manufacturing facilities across Americas (US, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina), Asia Pacific (Australia, China, and India), and Europe by ensuring supply continuity, presence, and responsiveness to operational needs.
• Build and maintain robust, diversified supply networks to mitigate risk and ensure continuity of supply.
• Collaborate with Site Procurement and/or Planning teams to align operational priorities, anticipate demand shifts and adapt strategies to support business needs.

Risk Management and Market Intelligence:

• Continuously monitor global market trends, supply dynamics, and geopolitical developments to proactively identify emerging risks and opportunities.
• Collaborate with Treasury to align financial hedging strategies with procurement objectives.

Implement forward-looking mitigation strategies to ensure supply continuity, cost optimization, and business resilience

Typical Education

Bachelor's degree (BA or BS) from 4-year college or university

Relevant Experience

5+ years related experience and/or training

Job Requisition ID: 26902

Travel Required: Up to 25%

Location(s): Simplot Headquarters - Boise

Country: United States