Foods people love. Brands people trust. And a career that nourishes your future like no other.

If you're driven by the passion to do something meaningful that changes lives, Nestlé is the place for you. Nestlé USA is one of seven operating companies that make up Nestlé’s presence in the United States. We're in 97% of American homes, and as the leading food and beverage company, our goals are to continue to deliver quality food and beverage products, strengthen our local communities, and reduce our environmental and climate impact.

We’re determined to challenge the status quo and be better tomorrow than we are today. As individuals and teams, we embrace our entrepreneurial culture and have created a workplace where collaboration is essential, courage is rewarded, speed is expected, and agility is the norm to delight our consumers every single day. Here, you will find limitless opportunities to learn and advance your career and feel empowered to succeed in the workplace and beyond. Because our focus is not only on nourishing our customers, but also about enriching you.

Position Summary: This leader will leverage their deep understanding of external marketplace dynamics, consumer obsession, and business ambitions to establish a visionary and successful procurement strategy. Responsible for Direct Procurement, Co-Manufacturing & Sustainable Sourcing for Nestlé in North America, which is approximately $4B in spend annually. Lead, develop and inspire a team of Category Procurement professionals and/or their teams to meet/exceed savings and innovation targets, drive responsible sourcing and ensure supply initiatives as we build a robust and valued supply network. Ensure adherence to both best practices and procurement policies/regulations when implementing purchasing strategies for the applicable spend categories.

This role will be hybrid based in either our Solon, OH or Arlington, VA location. The candidate must reside in or relocate to either area.

Responsibilities:

Leadership: Lead a Team of Category Directors, Sr. Managers and Managers

• Drive team motivation through Talent and Performance Development initiatives, including the utilization of tools such as Personal Development Guides, Performance Evaluations, Engagement Check-ins, and 360 Assessments. Establish comprehensive succession plan(s), encompassing the development plans of key successors, to ensure a strong and sustainable leadership pipeline.
• Inspire team to take calculate risks, challenge the status quo and identify advanced methods of managing the categories.
• Mentor the professional, industry and purchasing skills of category team members.
• Everyday coaching: provide on-going mentoring to associates at all levels across Procurement.
• Create team vision in support of Nestlé cascading measures.
• Establish and nurture collaborative relationships with Procurement Teams across global markets, including various Operating Companies and sub-functions within Procurement, as well as other Functional and Divisional Leadership Teams. 

Strategic Leadership for Procurement Function 

• Enable results through others by ensuring clarity of goals, priorities and direction for the team. 
• Be a change agent for systems/process improvements/digitalization.
• Optimize team performance and provide guidance in prioritization of activities to best meet business goals and allow for flexibility to changing needs.
• Adjust team focus/responsibilities to maximize strengths of each team member.
• Ensure category strategies are fully developed with a future focus of the businesses, digitalization goals, efficiency improvements and world class metrics/indicators.
• Consult on key supply agreements to protect and advance the Company’s interests.
• Ensure category team(s) shares best practices and lessons learned, use consistent methodologies, and pursue deliverables.

Financial Oversight: Responsible for the budget, price forecasting, target setting and other category financial activities.

• Ensure the smooth execution of the annual budget process, including the adherence to the established financial cycle, Master Business Schedule, and First Look requests. Participate in regularly scheduled financial meetings with the Procurement organization and business units to discuss the category evolving price drivers and forecast.
• Oversee group’s activities with the initiatives aimed at generating added value for Working Capital and optimizing cash flow. 

Compliance: Lead the team to ensure engagement and compliance with training requirements. Identify trends to shape future training and development opportunities to achieve our vision of being a competitive advantage to the businesses. (Examples may include but are not limited to: Nestlé’s 7 Step Strategic Sourcing Process, Ensure Supply, Responsible Sourcing, Supplier Relationship Management, Savings Tracking initiatives and processes, etc.).

Experience and Education:

• Executive with 15+ years of experience in end-to-end Supply Chain environments. Preference to those with purchasing leadership experience or demonstrated leadership experience in a related operational field such as Manufacturing, Logistics or Technical.
• 10+ years of experience leading a team of leaders.
• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree or higher preferred.
• CPM Certification or other credentials a plus.
• Transformative, inspirational, and agile leader with a strong inclination for taking action.
• Develops high performing teams built upon trust, transparency, change management, inclusion, diversity, communication, and accountability.
• Experience with direct buying/hedging preferred.
• Comfortable working in a complex matrix organization; global experience a plus.
• End-to-end thinking mindset with an ability to work through ambiguity to identify and drives enterprise solutions.
• Results Orientation: A results driven and team-oriented leader. 
• Highly skilled relationship builder and stakeholder manager with the ability to grow and form networks. 
• Strong executive presence, and ability to communicate and collaborate effectively in Global audiences. Proven success in presenting and influencing C-Suite. 
• Change Leadership: Known for continuous improvements and optimization to drive bold and ambitious strategies.
• Organizational and Team Leadership: Hires, motivates and retains a talented and results driven team. 

Req ID: 295589 

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 Nestlé. 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.  Nestlé seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you’ll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestlé home.

The Nestlé Companies are an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer* seeking diversity in qualified applicants for employment.  All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, gender, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, perceived disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other protected status, as defined 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

*Note: Nespresso is not a federal contractor and does not maintain affirmative action programs

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