Specialist, Procurement Category Mgt (Fruit and Vegetables)

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.
This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.
The Procurement Category 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.
Job Duties/Deliverables:

• End-to-end management of assigned Fruit and vegetable categories, including localization of global strategies, development of at-market strategies, and coordination with suppliers and above market (NesTrade) buyers as required.
• Take actions to ensure supply for agricultural categories
  • Keep up to date on ensure supply issues
  • Access, review, and complete system requests as required
  • Drive achievement of supplier performance metrics and agreed upon KPIs
  • To ensure supply, we purchase Fruit and Vegetables out of multiple regions. Travel is sometimes necessary to ensure quality of supply.
• Develop and execute a Category Strategy for each assigned category. Align business objectives utilizing the 7-Step Strategic Sourcing Process in the North American market enabling value generation through sustainability, innovation, and cost improvements for Nestlé business units:
  • Identify value creation opportunities by developing a deep understanding of each relevant business unit's requirements, challenges, and opportunities, and leveraging these insights to create and implement savings initiatives
  • Leverage opportunities to lower total cost of ownership or increase value to the business while ensuring supply
  • Assign initiative owners for category aligned spend initiatives; provide category expertise and help guide initiative savings execution and pull through
  • Use knowledge of global suppliers and processes to bring opportunities to the forefront
  • Benchmark against competitors and promote supplier-led innovation to unlock value
  • Use insights and trends to liaise strategically with the business, factories, and suppliers
• Define risk management strategies for the business and promote mitigation activities to reduce the chance of disruption
  • Proactively manage supplier relationships resulting in a reduction of contractual risks
  • Clearly communicate risks and issues to key stakeholders, knowing when and to whom to escalate significant issue
• Suggest improved ways of working, introducing new processes or re-engineering existing ones in support of key priorities
  • Recognize strategic drivers and activities that support key priorities, both within your category and across the organization
  • Leverage intelligence tools and participate in professional associations to learn best practices and industry trends; apply the learnings to the category strategies to drive continuous improvement
  • Comply with all Procurement and company policies, procedures, and practices, and promote adherence across the organization
  • Apply project management principles to drive cross-functional teams in effective and efficient delivery of business objectives for both day to day activities and key projects
• Engage with Agricultural affiliates and their yearly activities to represent Nestlé's best interests
  • Assist with planting and harvest plan, helping to lay out format and communication
  • Assist in managing and laying out a plan for Fruit and vegetable sourcing
  • Monitor and estimate crops throughout the growing season, checking through harvest time to match attributes to factory specific needs
  • Perform field and storage audits for compliance/food safety and estimations of yield and quality
  • Utilize logistics knowledge to monitor the specialized freight of the category
  • Work closely with farmers to continue and foster the multigenerational relationships

Critical Experiences/Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Economics, or a related / applicable field.
• Proven experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or supply chain management.
• 3+ years of knowledge of and experience with global procurement and sourcing processes, legal contract negotiations, and contract management systems
• Knowledge and understanding of regenerative agriculture and sustainability practices (how to implement and sustain)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including but not limited to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
• SAP, Ariba, and I-Nexus experience preferred

285461
#LI-Hybrid
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
Review our applicant privacy notice before applying at https://www.nestlejobs.com/privacy
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.
This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.
The Procurement Category 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.
Job Duties/Deliverables:

• End-to-end management of assigned Fruit and vegetable categories, including localization of global strategies, development of at-market strategies, and coordination with suppliers and above market (NesTrade) buyers as required.
• Take actions to ensure supply for agricultural categories
  • Keep up to date on ensure supply issues
  • Access, review, and complete system requests as required
  • Drive achievement of supplier performance metrics and agreed upon KPIs
  • To ensure supply, we purchase Fruit and Vegetables out of multiple regions. Travel is sometimes necessary to ensure quality of supply.
• Develop and execute a Category Strategy for each assigned category. Align business objectives utilizing the 7-Step Strategic Sourcing Process in the North American market enabling value generation through sustainability, innovation, and cost improvements for Nestlé business units:
  • Identify value creation opportunities by developing a deep understanding of each relevant business unit's requirements, challenges, and opportunities, and leveraging these insights to create and implement savings initiatives
  • Leverage opportunities to lower total cost of ownership or increase value to the business while ensuring supply
  • Assign initiative owners for category aligned spend initiatives; provide category expertise and help guide initiative savings execution and pull through
  • Use knowledge of global suppliers and processes to bring opportunities to the forefront
  • Benchmark against competitors and promote supplier-led innovation to unlock value
  • Use insights and trends to liaise strategically with the business, factories, and suppliers
• Define risk management strategies for the business and promote mitigation activities to reduce the chance of disruption
  • Proactively manage supplier relationships resulting in a reduction of contractual risks
  • Clearly communicate risks and issues to key stakeholders, knowing when and to whom to escalate significant issue
• Suggest improved ways of working, introducing new processes or re-engineering existing ones in support of key priorities
  • Recognize strategic drivers and activities that support key priorities, both within your category and across the organization
  • Leverage intelligence tools and participate in professional associations to learn best practices and industry trends; apply the learnings to the category strategies to drive continuous improvement
  • Comply with all Procurement and company policies, procedures, and practices, and promote adherence across the organization
  • Apply project management principles to drive cross-functional teams in effective and efficient delivery of business objectives for both day to day activities and key projects
• Engage with Agricultural affiliates and their yearly activities to represent Nestlé's best interests
  • Assist with planting and harvest plan, helping to lay out format and communication
  • Assist in managing and laying out a plan for Fruit and vegetable sourcing
  • Monitor and estimate crops throughout the growing season, checking through harvest time to match attributes to factory specific needs
  • Perform field and storage audits for compliance/food safety and estimations of yield and quality
  • Utilize logistics knowledge to monitor the specialized freight of the category
  • Work closely with farmers to continue and foster the multigenerational relationships

Critical Experiences/Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Economics, or a related / applicable field.
• Proven experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or supply chain management.
• 3+ years of knowledge of and experience with global procurement and sourcing processes, legal contract negotiations, and contract management systems
• Knowledge and understanding of regenerative agriculture and sustainability practices (how to implement and sustain)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including but not limited to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
• SAP, Ariba, and I-Nexus experience preferred

285461
#LI-Hybrid
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, ...