Senior Manager, Food Procurement

Senior Manager, Food Procurement  Category Procurement Job Location Louisville, Kentucky, United States Tracking Code 214110-886 Position Type Full-Time/Regular Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions, LLC, a Yum! Brands Co-op, is currently seeking a Senior Manager to join the Food Procurement team. Position Overview: This position is accountable for category leadership to drive breakthrough results in innovation, quality, service, risk reduction, and cost across a variety of food products supporting Yum! Brands (Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, Habit Burger) and A&W. This will require developing a vision for each category and influencing suppliers around investment, capacity allocation, cost management, and innovation. Hybrid Schedule: 3 days in the office, 2 days remote Excellent Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, Vacation, Holidays, Floating Holidays, and Free Lunch on Wednesday, plus much more. Essential Functions Lead, Develop, Align, and Implement Supply Chain Strategies • Category Management & Leadership o Leadership and support of key category strategies for core food items including agriculturally based products and side categories. o Deliver breakthrough results through the development of effective sourcing strategies and execution of the sourcing process. o Ensure sourcing plans align Brands with suppliers that meet and/or exceed quality, supply, innovation, and cost requirements. o Protect the business through timely, well-structured Agreements. o Accountable for capacity analysis and proactively managing supply for short and long-term business continuity. o Responsible for development, execution, and reporting of cost savings projects to support targets and improve member margins. o Accountable for the development of item level cost forecasts, delivery of cost commitments, and reporting. o Subject Matter Expert for category and all associated aspects (manufacturing processes, commodity markets, adjacent industry segments, sustainability) • Collaboration o Develop deep knowledge of each brand and how the category fits the respective business. Develop strategic relationships with key Brand contacts establishing accountability for the category. Influence Brand strategies to improve results (cost/efficiency, supply assurance, innovation, and consumer satisfaction). o Collaborate with the Commodity Risk Management team to develop, implement, and improve the strategies for the category and reduce commodity price volatility. o Collaborate with suppliers and Brand to drive breakthrough innovation, food & packaging supply optimization, and advance sustainability. o Work closely with Operations and distribution partners to promptly address supply concerns by expediting product, modifying supplier allocations, and/or introducing solutions to mitigate system supply impact. o Develop, negotiate, and implement procurement strategies and contingency plans with Brand Food Innovation Teams, Quality Assurance, Operations, Marketing, Finance, RSCS Operations, Commodity Risk Management, Supplier Diversity, International Program Management, Suppliers, Distributors and Franchisees. • Initiative Execution o Drive successful innovation and supply chain initiatives to support the Brand Marketing Calendar and other key business objectives. o Work across Procurement and broader RSCS resources to drive continuous improvement in processes and tools. • Supplier Relationship Management o Develop the appropriate level of supplier relationships (dependent on category and business needs) and transform the supplier support models to drive meaningful improvement and results. o Build alignment to supplier strategies and deliverables across stakeholders to maximize impact and results. o Influence suppliers’ decision making and investments to support RSCS/YUM! Brand business needs and objectives. Education, Experience and Skills • Bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain, or related field required, Master’s or MBA preferred. • Minimum of 5 years of procurement and at least 7 years of broader supply chain experience • Prefer experience in food/packaging manufacturing or restaurant/QSR industry. • Must have strong analytical, planning, and problem-solving skills and be able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. Attention to detail is critical. • Superior organizational skills. • Solutions oriented, proactive and result driven. • Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with the ability to shift gears quickly when needed. • Ability to collaborate with, influence and build strong cross-functional stakeholder relationships. • Ability to anticipate potential issues and proactively build strategies to mitigate. • Experience in establishing, building, and maintaining relationships ranging across all levels of the organization. • Must be an effective facilitator, influencer, and team builder. • Ability to effectively present work across various levels within the organization. • Excellent written and verbal communication skills. • Advanced Excel skills required. • Proficient with Microsoft Office Programs (i.e., Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook).