Director, Procurement

The Entrée

Ken’s Foods is looking for a Director of Procurement to join our team. This is a great opportunity to join a well-established successful company. The position reports to the VP of Procurement and will be located onsite at our corporate headquarters in Marlborough MA.

Who is Ken's Foods?

Ken's Food's is a family owned and operated company that produces high quality dressings, sauces and marinades in the Retail and Food Service markets.  You may know us better as Ken’s Steak House Salad Dressing or our Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue, Marinades and Dipping sauces. You may also recognize our dressings and sauces as those served at your favorite eat away from home spots.

Ken's Foods, Inc was incorporated in 1958, and currently has plant operations in Marlborough, Massachusetts, McDonough, Georgia, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Lebanon Indiana and employs over 1500 employees nationally.

Reporting to the VP Procurement, The Director, Procurement is responsible for setting and executing the strategy for procuring all ingredients, packaging, and indirect goods and services necessary to support the business. Will manage relationships with suppliers, evaluate market trends and pricing movements to ensure competitive supplier pricing while ensuring the highest quality and service standards are met.

The Director of Procurement contributes to Ken’s Foods success by designing and implementing core foundational processes that encompass the end-to-end Supply Chain. Areas of responsibilities include tradeable commodities that influence and shape product sourcing strategies, and/or system and process solutions to maximize Procurement’s value. The Director will collaborate with Suppliers, internal cross-functional departments, and the Development/ Operations Procurement team to implement and manage sourcing strategies, business processes, lean principles, and total cost savings initiatives.  Additionally, this individual will provide coaching/mentoring to members of the Procurement team and other individuals performing buying functions.  All Ken’s Employees are accountable for creating and maintaining a culture of Safety and assuring a safe work environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Supply Chain

• Analyzes supply chain flow, identifies bottlenecks, problem areas, and critical control points, driving/ influencing innovative solutions
• Leads new system and process initiatives cross-functionally to increase the value delivered by procurement (e.g. lean, value engineering)
• Identifies and executes total cost savings across the supply chain
• Engages cross-functional partners to address impacts related to procurement programs, suppliers, and processes
• Leads internal business partners and suppliers to create an efficient integrated supply chain on a national scale
• Researches, evaluates, develops, and implements leading edge supplier management tools and techniques
• Acts as a role model for Supplier Management

Commodity

• Creates vision for tradeable commodities (including total spend analysis)
• Completes supplier and commodity capacity reviews
• Develops models to evaluate how commodities will impact total cost in the extended supply chain
• Prepares, communicates, and educates internal business partners on changes in commodity trends, policies, and practices

Sourcing

• Manage/Drive the development of new products and programs
• Develop sourcing strategies to ensure business continuity and contingency planning (e.g secondary sourcing)
• Work with R&D and suppliers to develop specifications and drawings, as applicable
• Strategically source suppliers for development and roll-out
• Work with suppliers to develop samples/prototypes
• Develop and execute negotiation strategy
• Perform Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis
• Incorporate Value Engineering principles into development
• Support supplier business reviews to drive improvement and manage suppliers
• Ensure alignment with Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives (i.e. Supplier Diversity, Environmental Stewardship, etc.)

Business Partner Interface

• Develops and manages strategic relationships with suppliers and business partners to support requirements
• Assesses the financial and strategic impact of business initiatives
• Identifies supply base issues, analyzes information to assess root cause, improvement opportunities, and associated risk
• Develops solutions and gains consensus in resolving issues or mitigating supply base risks
• Educates business partners and team members on the intricacies of total cost management and the importance of each component
• Provides technical or product expertise to suppliers and business partners regarding commodities, products, or services

Leads/manages a small team of Sourcing Buyer(s) with varying degrees of experience and skill.  Expected to carry out management responsibilities in accordance with the Company’s policies and applicable laws; including but not limited to:  interviewing, training, planning, assigning/directing work, appraising performance, rewarding/disciplining employees, addressing complaints and resolving issues.

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Four-year degree in related field required
  • 10+ years of Purchasing, Supply Chain, and Inventory Management experience
  • 10+ years in Direct Buying, Supplier Management, and Project Management experience
  • 10+ years Cross-functional Team Management Experience
  • Proficient in the Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint)
  • MRP/ERP experience a plus

 SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
• Ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams and stakeholders
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Ability to establish cross-functional, collaborative relationships with business and technology partners
• Ability to lead, coach, and influence cross-functional teams and direct reports
• Expert in applying supply chain operations methodology to optimize impact of procurement on supply chain
• Expert in developing and implementing global strategies, plans, and sourcing activities to achieve the lowest total cost of ownership
• Expert in negotiating and influencing change
• Expert in managing supplier performance and highly capable of driving continuous improvement with existing suppliers and Ken’s Foods’ plants
• Expert in applying broad business disciplines/knowledge to support procurement activities
• Highly proficient in leading complex program and project efforts to completion
• Highly proficient in data analysis, problem solving, and decision making
• Highly proficient in enhancing productivity and effectiveness using Supply Chain/Procurement tools and techniques
• The ability to travel up to 25% is required