Sourcing Manager (NJ, IL, TN) - Full-time / Part-time

A mutually rewarding experience.

Work. Realize your ambitions. And realize there's more to being in business than just making a profit. That's the Mars philosophy. And the opportunity we offer every one of our Associates. An opportunity to take what you do and make it mean more for you, for those around you and for the planet. What you get here is challenging, interesting work. You get the tools you need to do a great job and you get to have the best possible people on your side to help you do it. And at the same time as getting to find ways to do business better today than we did it yesterday and driving a great career, you also get to build a more enlightened business and drive sustainability.

Because it's never just about a single person, a single project or a single brand. It's about how you can grab everything that's within your reach here and use it to pursue mutual, long-term gain. It's about having ideas. And ideals. Being prepared to risk failure because the promise of success means we'll all be a little better off. It's that mix of integrity and ambition that makes Mars such a special place to work. And why working here is always about more than just a job.

Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, operates six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare - PEDIGREE® , ROYAL CANIN® , WHISKAS® , BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, CESAR® , SHEBA® , DREAMIES® and NUTRO® ; Chocolate - M&M'S® , SNICKERS® , DOVE® , GALAXY® , MARS® , MILKY WAY® and TWIX® ; Wrigley - DOUBLEMINT® , EXTRA® , ORBIT® and 5® chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints. Food - UNCLE BEN'S® , DOLMIO® , EBLY® , MASTERFOODS® , SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO® ; Drinks - ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS® , THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY® , KLIX® and FLAVIA® ; Symbioscience - COCOAVIA® and WISDOM PANEL® .

Job Title

Strategic Operations Manager

Segment/Business Unit

Mars Inc / Mars Inc

Family

Commercial

Function

Strategic Operations

Job Level

T2

Location/Site

?NJ, IL or TN

Line Manager

Commercial Director

Date

17-Nov-17

Job Purpose/Overview

Optimize & execute Indirect Buying activities in terms of cost, quality, risk & availability for several sites across Mars segments (Chocolate, Petcare, Food, Drinks, Wrigley) per the commercial manual, its processes and C@MTT governance.

This role is responsible for delivering a continuous supply to our stakeholders. Our aim is to provide cost-effective and service orientated solutions with timely execution and responsive collaboration with the business stakeholders in the indirect categories (e.g. factory & general services, marketing & sales, logistics). He/she will work closely with the regional sourcing managers to drive efficient and effective implementation of category/sourcing strategies. In addition this individual will be responsible for managing supplier performance on a day-to-day basis, and act as the first point of contact for suppliers and internal clients.

This role manages buying operations activities as well as local sourcing activities in a region in order to create lean end-to-end support for a specific group of goods and services in the indirect sourcing area for several sites and/or countries across multiple Mars segments (i.e. Chocolate, Petcare, Food, Drinks, Wrigley).

He/she works closely with the category/sourcing managers and is responsible for the efficient and effective execution of sourcing strategy activities in that region. This role is responsible for identifying and delivering value chain optimization opportunities and ensures that the team acts as the first line of escalation on issues between suppliers and the business, operating the supplier relationship management process with suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

1. Purchase indirect goods & services by securing price, capacity & service levels in line with commitments to the business and as per the sourcing strategies by applying a wide range of sourcing tools (e.g. negotiation, e-procurement, strategic collaboration, tenders/RFP's etc.)
2. Implement supplier strategy/shape supplier base. Assess and develop suppliers in order to meet business needs and opportunities
3. Ensure effective risk management of the supply base through robust contracts and monitoring of financial and other KPIs. Implement corrective actions as appropriate. Manage all related commercial, financial & ethical aspects of projects
4. Establish & maintain relationships with Finance directors,? department directors (plant manager, marketing director, sales director, supply chain director, etc.), and their teams to ensure understanding of their needs and to facilitate the appropriate level of challenge
5. Ensure compliance with policies, systems & controls
6. Provide market and financial insights and inputs to the internal sourcing planning process
7. Recommend and implement best practice for areas of responsibility.
8. Participate in team knowledge transfer
9. Provide input to and execute the Global &? Regional MSSM (sourcing strategy) at a local level ?and other major work streams
10. Participate in external forums and associations
11. Lead and contribute to global/regional projects as required
12. Participate & lead, when required, engagement programs.
13. Actively participate in ?cross segment? team meetings, as well any global and/or specific subcategory team meetings
14. Regularly maintain & update relevant KPIs (related to in scope investments e.g. savings, payment terms etc.)
15. Responsible for providing support, training and guidance to junior and/or new team members. ??As well as coaching and motivating local operations buyers in the achievement of their objectives. Provide support, as needed to individual buyers in complex negotiations and critical issues (e.g.: disputes that threaten continuity of supply, termination of major suppliers, suppliers causing late delivery of projects).
16. Acts as the liaison between the sites and/or Business units, and the sourcing managers to communicate changing business needs (e.g. specification, volume changes, etc.) and its impact to MSSM's.
17. Works with other functions to support new product launches, line extensions, and execution of continuous improvement programs for indirect goods and services in scope for the role."
18. Execute supplier performance reviews on a regular basis.
19. Develop & implement a continuous improvement action plan. Monitor changes and adjust the plan as needed to sustain performance results
20. Identifies and manages supplier collaboration initiatives (e.g. supplier owned inventory, forecast management, electronic invoicing, operational process streamlining, etc.)
21. Manage all related commercial, financial & ethical situations. Supports Commercial initiatives
22. Identifies opportunities, road blocks with respect to regional strategies and determines next best ?local approach as needed.
23. Collaborate with other buying operation managers and drive continuous improvement to become more effective and efficient
24. Influences internal stakeholders to align with global & regional buying strategy

Relevant Quantitative and Budget Information

Financial

• $50M - $80M, 80+ suppliers, 30+ internal clients

Staff

No line management

Others

• X- Segment :? Petcare , Chocolate, Food, Wrigley, Drinks, MVA

• Number of supported sites: 160+ across NA

• Key stakeholders: Marketing directors, Sales directors, Chief Engineers, Industrial Engineers ,Technical managers & Maintenance Managers, plant managers and their direct reports

• External contacts are Key Account Managers of medium to large companies and the owners of smaller companies.

• Planning horizon: up to 3 years

• Categories covered can include marketing & sales, logistics,? factory services , sites services, capital

Job Specifications/Qualifications

Note: May differ from the current job holder's own skills and experience.

1. Education & Professional Qualification

Minimum Required- Bachelor degree (preferably in business, supply chain, finance, engineering)

Preferred- MBA, CPM/CPSM Certification, PMP, Lean

Fluent in English

2. Knowledge/Experience

Minimum Required- >5 years of professional experience, ideally with supplier/customer management experience & financial acumen

Preferred- Strong background in Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance

Key Supporting Competencies (4-6)

1. Dealing with Ambiguity

2. Decision Quality

3. Process Management

4. Drive for Results

5. Comfort with Higher Management

6. Project Management

Key Functional Competencies & Technical Skills (3-5)

1. Price Risk Management - Essential

2. Effective Sourcing - Advanced

3. Sourcing Category Expertise - Advanced

4. Stakeholder Engagement - Advanced

5. Commercial Negotiation ? Advanced

6.Supplier Relationship Management ? Advanced

7. Legal Contracting - Advanced

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.