Sr. Specialist, Procurement - Packaging

Foods you love. Brands you trust. And a career that empowers you to grow.

At Nestle USA, we're all working towards the same goal - to delight and deliver for our consumers. With a rich portfolio of beloved brands, including DiGiorno, Toll House, and Coffee mate, in 97% of U.S. households, we have a unique opportunity - and responsibility - to be there for every moment in our consumers' lives.

Joining Nestle means becoming part of an inclusive workplace that inspires innovation, encourages strategic thinking and creativity, and celebrates your achievements. No matter where you work within the organization, you are empowered to challenge the status quo, embrace risk-taking, and pioneer new ideas. Our supportive and collaborative environment encourages bold ambitions and continuous learning so that everyone can grow and thrive.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Procurement Category Management Buyer is responsible for creating and executing a Category Strategy for each assigned category, based on business objectives, and understanding of the supply market using the 7 steps to strategic sourcing process. This role involves ensuring Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) for materials, identifying cost savings initiatives, developing strategic relationships with suppliers, facilitating innovation opportunities, making contracting decisions, conducting negotiations, and reducing Nestle's total cost of ownership. The Procurement Category Buyer also plays a crucial role in maintaining a strong understanding of Purchase Price Variance, representing it in monthly meetings with Business Partners and Procurement Leaders, managing supply incidents, and driving improvements in on-time delivery and quality through Vendor Evaluation Scorecard conversations.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop comprehensive Category Strategies for each assigned category, in context of business objectives and utilizing the 7 steps to strategic sourcing process to understand and integrate category expertise, to set the direction of sourcing for the categories. Annually present strategies to Procurement and cross functional teams.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with suppliers, fostering collaboration and innovation.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction and cost avoidance projects including structured cost-saving and value optimization initiatives, and present analysis & category expertise driven insights to Business Partnering and Technical Packaging teams, drive execution of projects and maintain accurate records in Value Realization platform.
• Ensure Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) are in place for materials within the assigned categories.
• Identify and present innovation opportunities from suppliers to Procurement Business Partners.
• Support Request for Pricing (RFPs) and negotiations with suppliers to achieve the most favorable price, freight and payment terms to reduce Nestle Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), make contracting decisions accordingly.

• Proactively maintain accurate material and freight pricing to drive Purchase Price Variance accuracy. Credibly and effectively communicate aggravation and favorability of PPV for assigned categories to Business Partnering teams.
• Collaborate with factory supply chain teams and suppliers to minimize or eliminate disruptions to contracted supply. Communicate as part of Ensure Supply Ways of Working.
• Initiate Vendor Evaluation Scorecard conversations and drive for improvements in on-time delivery and quality with suppliers.
• Stay updated on market trends, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements related to the assigned categories to reduce and communicate risk and understand price changes.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Finance, Legal, and Quality Assurance, to ensure compliance and alignment with company policies and standards.
• Collaborate with suppliers to identify carbon reduction opportunities and work with the Procurement Sustainability team to capture projects that contribute to Nestle's GHG reduction goals.

REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM EDUCATION LEVEL

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Economics, Agriculture Economics or a related field.

EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in the Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, or Supply Chain fields
• Experience in SAP, Power BI and other advanced data analytics tools preferred
• Experience in Excel, Word, & PowerPoint required
• Experience with digital tools, such as CoPilot, preferred

SKILLS:

• Proven ability to think strategically and develop long term plans to optimize a category required.
• Understanding of procurement processes, category management, and supplier relationship management.
• Proven experience in negotiation and cross functional influencing skills.
• Ability to navigate complex problems independently and make decisions to change processes to drive improvements with cross functional teams and improve end to end execution.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.
• Proficiency in using SAP, Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint, Word, and PowerBI
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions.

#procurement2025

It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.

To our veterans and separated service members, you're at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestle. The skills you've gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role. In addition, with our commitment to an inclusive work environment, we recognize the exceptional engagement and innovation displayed by individuals with disabilities. Nestle seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you'll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestle home.

The Nestle Companies are equal employment opportunity employers. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us at accommodations@nestle.com or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: 1-800-321-6467.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

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Job Requisition:356579