Procurement Sr Specialist

ABOUT FESTIVAL FOODS:

At Festival, people are at the top of our list. You’ll see it in everything from our daily interactions to how we treat our guests – even in our extensive associate benefits and programs.

Job Title: Procurement Sr Specialist

FLSA Status: Salary

Reports To: Procurement Director

The Procurement Sr Specialist is responsible for overseeing the comprehensive sourcing and procurement processes for indirect goods and services as assigned. Examples of categories include, but is not limited to, IT, supplies, packaging, freight, services, and goods. This role includes leading cross-functional sourcing initiatives, managing complex projects, and identifying cost savings opportunities through strategic spend and supplier consolidation. The  Procurement Sr Specialist will effectively manage supplier relationships, negotiate and execute various contracts, and conduct supplier performance evaluations. This position requires close collaboration with internal stakeholders to align procurement strategies with business objectives, tracking key performance metrics, and contributing to long-term strategic planning. The ideal candidate must possess strong skills in high-level complex strategic thought and analysis and be comfortable and experienced in reporting out to executive leadership.

Tasks and responsibilities include:

• Sourcing Initiatives: Lead cross-functional sourcing initiatives to maximize the value of purchased indirect goods and services as required or directed.
• Sourcing and Procurement: Manage all aspects of the sourcing and procurement process for projects of moderate to high complexity. This includes the identification and pre-qualification of potential suppliers, RFP creation/management/analysis, complex pricing analyses, and negotiation/resolution of resultant agreements.
• Cost Savings: Identify and realize cost savings opportunities by leveraging spend, service/supplier consolidation, analytics, and market knowledge.
• Supplier Relations: Effectively lead supplier business meetings with strategic partners and preferred suppliers.
• Contract Management: Craft, evaluate, negotiate, and execute a wide variety of contracts covering a range of transactions; in collaboration with legal as required.
• Supplier Performance: Develop, implement, and manage programs to maximize the value of supplier relationships through ongoing monitoring, measurement, and management of supplier performance.
• Collaboration: Develop and build effective working relationships to foster collaboration and trust across departments.
• System Implementation: Assist in the implementation, policy, and process of systems to improve procurement efficiency and effectiveness.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with internal stakeholders to understand their needs and align procurement strategies with business objectives.
• Performance Metrics: Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of procurement activities.
• Continuous Improvement: Implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance procurement processes and efficiencies.
• Risk Mitigation: Develop and implement strategies to identify and mitigate potential risks in the supply chain, ensuring continuity and stability.
• Real-Time Risk Identification: Proactively identify potential risks and develop action plans to address them before they impact operations.
• Performance Reporting: Develop and maintain performance reports for procurement activities, providing insights and recommendations to executive leadership.
• Strategic Planning: Contribute to long-term strategic planning for procurement, aligning initiatives with the company’s overall vision and goals.
• Direct Spend Procurement: Assist and/or lead direct spend procurement activities or partner with direct buyers on RFPs and contracts as needed and assigned. Ensure alignment with company goals and effective execution of procurement strategies.
• Other Duties: Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Your success will be driven by your demonstration of our CORE values: Servant Leadership, Execution, Community Involvement, Associate Development and Service. More specifically related to this position, Festival Foods seeks a candidate who possesses the following:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in procurement, with a focus on indirect spend and contract management. A combination of work experience and education will be considered.
• Proven experience with complex RFPs and contracts, strategic negotiations, and excellent vendor relationship management.
• Experience with indirect goods and services is required. Experience with direct buying in the food and/or retail industry is desirable.
• Proven experience in leading complex sourcing and procurement projects.
• Strong negotiation skills and experience with contract drafting, editing, and redlining processes.
• Demonstrated expertise in high-stakes negotiation.
• Strong strategic thinking and planning abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly to senior management.
• Experience in change management and driving organizational change.
• Proficiency with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and procurement software. Experience in the implementation of ERP and procurement software is highly desirable.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to perform detailed data analysis and present findings to executive leadership.
• Familiarity with RFP management and strategic sourcing methodologies.
• Ability to develop market intelligence and use it to mitigate supply and cost risks.
• Experience in developing and managing supplier relationships and performance programs.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to lead supplier meetings and foster collaboration across departments.

Work Environment:

This position typically works in an office environment but may require occasional travel to meet with suppliers or attend industry events (up to 10% of the time).

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