Fruit Sourcing Lead - Global Procurement

Who are we?

Since Day 1, KIND has had a vision for a kinder and healthier world. A world in which people never have to choose between what tastes good, feels good, and does good when it comes to their snacking.

Our iconic KIND® bars – made with real, recognizable ingredients – sparked the growth of an entirely new healthy snacking category back in 2004. Now, KIND has a family of more than 80 snacks that offer solutions for a variety of occasions. All of KIND's products lead with a nutrient-dense first ingredient – like nuts or whole grains – and do not contain genetically engineered ingredients, sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners.

We’re looking for passionate collaborators to help us become the foremost leader in health & wellness and positively impact society along the way. If you’re looking to be a part of an inspiring, energetic and entrepreneurial environment, you’ve found the right place.

What you'll do

As the Fruit Sourcing Lead– Global Procurement you will play a critical role in Mars Health and Wellness’s Procurement organization. You will work collaboratively with global cross functional teams (BU Procurement, SQA, R&D, Ops, Finance) to support the creation of strategies and support Trü Frü, KIND, and Nature’s Bakery globally. You will drive business continuity and risk mitigation, collaborate on value leadership/innovation initiatives, be an owner in the SRM process, and deliver in the continuous improvement in the Value Chain.

And this is how you will do it….

• Strategic development and execution of integrated business buying strategy for a diverse range of fruit products; (IQF, Dried/Freeze Dried, Fruit Pastes, etc) achieving cost, cash, quality and service targets. Focused on strategic goals linked to critical business needs.
• Collaborate with suppliers, external manufacturing partners to manage inbound supply for production (forecasts, order tracking, pricing, etc).
• Rigorously apply the Strategic Sourcing Methodology to develop the appropriate procurement strategy and selection of key suppliers.
• Lead cost reduction initiatives and continually optimize inbound supply chain and fit for purpose specifications for materials.
• Analyze commodity and economic markets; accurately assess supply and demand; identify and manage market risks and opportunities; build a buying plan and adjust price risk management strategy based on insights.
• Provide cyclical estimates on buying performances versus pervious cycle, budget and market updates in Commodity Buying Forum.
• Accountable for cash delivery from supplier payment terms and deployment of supplier financing where appropriate.
• Drive continuous improvement of material quality, specification management and logistics performance of the suppliers.
• Represent Procurement at various activity team meetings with timely and accurate information related to innovation.
• Influence the external environment for competitive advantage or for the good of the industry.
• Be a catalyst for innovation by being the eyes and ears of the company in seeking out new materials, new origins, new opportunities for competitive advantage.
• Contract recommendations for Commodities are made by this position.

What you’ll bring to Mars

• Strong collaboration skills and can work cross-functionally to create opportunities, improve process and execute projects.
• Understanding of Integrated Business Processes and support of innovation tied to output.
• Experience managing suppliers in a Supplier Performance or Relationship Management program (SPM/SRM) which has improved suppliers’ performance and impact.
• Ability to work in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Ability to support development of, and execute, a 2-5 year strategy.
• Track record of identifying and delivering value leadership opportunities, driving growth for the organization.

You are…

• Able to generate high-quality work in a collaborative, creative, ever-changing, and sometimes ambiguous environment. Well organized and can work on multiple initiatives, while moving actions to completion to hit timelines. You get things done.
• An effective communicator, highly collaborative and build great relationships, with the ability to hold the tension when…