Procurement Manager (Protein)

Protein Procurement Manager

Location: Brantford, ON

Salary: CAD $66,848 – $83,560

Work Type: Full-Time, On-Site

Our client, is looking for a Protein Procurement Manager to join a fast-paced, customer-focused food business. This role will be responsible for coordinating procurement activities, managing supplier relationships and working closely with Walmart buyers, commercial teams and demand planning to ensure the right products are available at the right time and at the right cost.

While meat protein experience is preferred, our client is open to looking at Procurement Managers from other fresh food, FMCG or high-volume purchasing environments who have strong procurement fundamentals and the ability to quickly learn a new product category.

If you're a procurement or purchasing professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys working across multiple teams, and are commercially minded, highly organized and confident communicating with suppliers, customers and internal stakeholders, apply!!!

Responsibilities

Procurement & Supplier Management

• Act as a key point of contact between customers, suppliers and commercial teams.
• Organize and manage purchasing events with Walmart buyers.
• Work alongside the Procurement Insight team to guide and influence purchasing decisions.
• Load purchasing events and purchasing agreements into the Foods Connected platform.
• Maintain supplier price files, load agreed pricing and obtain supplier sign-off.
• Manage long-term contract purchasing and supplier purchasing models.
• Ensure all active product codes are accurately maintained within procurement documentation for both retail and primal products.
• Review retail order amendments and identify solutions to improve service levels.
• Manage purchasing timelines and ensure key deadlines are met.
• Attend S&OP meetings and contribute procurement insights and recommendations.
• Manage imported meat schedules, where applicable.
• Coordinate frozen and fresh stock held at external cold storage facilities, where applicable.
• Identify and escalate service-level challenges to the appropriate customer and commercial teams.

Demand Planning & Supply Coordination

• Work closely with the Demand Planner to understand long-term product and raw material requirements.
• Oversee short- and medium-term supplier forecasts and determine appropriate actions when forecasts increase, decrease or fall short.
• Review daily order shortages with the Raw Material Scheduler and assess the potential impact on the business.
• Develop and coordinate mitigation strategies for supply shortages and escalate issues to the Protein Procurement Manager and Commercial teams when required.
• Review supplier usage and ensure purchasing requirements remain aligned with demand.

New Product Development & Continuous Improvement

• Participate in NPD and feasibility meetings, providing procurement insight on pricing, availability and supplier capabilities.
• Review and sign off on product costings and submit approved information to Accounts.
• Identify supplier performance opportunities and raise supplier improvement plans with Walmart buyers and the Commercial team.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance procurement efficiency, supply reliability and service levels.

Qualifications & Experience

• Experience in buying, purchasing, procurement or supply chain.
• Experience within a fast-moving fresh food or FMCG environment is preferred.
• Knowledge of meat/protein products is an asset but not required.
• Strong supplier relationship management and negotiation skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organizational and time-management abilities, with the ability to manage multiple purchasing timelines and priorities.
• Comfortable working with cross-functional teams, including Procurement, Commercial, Demand Planning, Scheduling, Accounts and customers.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to make informed purchasing decisions based on supply, demand, pricing and service-level considerations.
• Experience with Foods Connected or similar procurement/supply chain platforms is an asset.

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