Raw Material Procurement Manager

Founded over 35 years ago, First Quality is a family-owned company that has grown from a small business in McElhattan, Pennsylvania into a group of companies, employing over 5,000 team members, while maintaining our family values and entrepreneurial spirit. With corporate offices in New York and Pennsylvania and 8 manufacturing campuses across the U.S. and Canada, the companies within the First Quality group produce high-quality personal care and household products for large retailers and healthcare organizations. Our personal care and household product portfolio includes baby diapers, wipes, feminine pads, paper towels, bath tissue, adult incontinence products, laundry detergents, fabric finishers, and dishwash solutions. In addition, we manufacture certain raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of these products, including flexible print and packaging solutions.

Guided by our values of humility, unity, and integrity, we leverage advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities. At First Quality, you’ll find a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning, professional development, and our mission to Make Things Better®.

We are seeking a Raw Material Procurement Manager for our First Quality Home Care Products facility located in Trumbull, Connecticut, working a hybrid schedule.  The Raw Material Procurement Leader is responsible for developing and executing category strategies that optimize total delivered cost, ensure supply continuity, and drive innovation across critical raw material categories. This role leads strategic supplier partnerships, complex negotiations, and risk mitigation initiatives while partnering cross-functionally with Operations, Finance, and Product Development to drive operational excellence and profitability across multi-site manufacturing operations.

Primary responsibilities include:

Strategic Sourcing & Category Leadership

• Develop and execute comprehensive raw material category strategies aligned with business objectives and long-term growth plans.

• Drive total delivered cost optimization across material, logistics, duties, and related cost elements.

• Monitor commodity markets and translate insights into pricing strategy and proactive risk mitigation plans.

• Lead structured risk assessments and implement mitigation strategies to ensure supply continuity.

• Identify and execute value-creation initiatives including supplier consolidation, dual sourcing strategies, and supplier-driven innovation

Supplier Management & Negotiation

• Build and maintain strategic supplier partnerships that support cost competitiveness, quality, service, and innovation.

• Lead complex commercial negotiations including pricing, contracts, and long-term supply agreements.

• Structure and implement supply agreements that protect business interests and proactively mitigate commercial and supply risk.

• Establish and manage supplier performance scorecards, driving continuous improvement initiatives.

• Partner with Quality and Operations teams to support supplier audits and compliance evaluations.

Supply Assurance & Operational Alignment

• Partner closely with Planning, Operations, and Plant teams to ensure uninterrupted raw material supply.

• Align sourcing strategies with production forecasts and evolving business requirements.

• Lead cross-functional response to supply disruptions to protect service levels and operational continuity.

• Ensure supplier compliance with GMP, FDA, ISO, and internal quality and regulatory standards.

Financial & Performance Management

• Deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, and supplier-led innovation initiatives.

• Leverage spend analytics and market intelligence to inform leadership decisions and category strategy.

• Manage raw material spend and contribute directly to profitability, productivity, and working capital objectives.

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance procurement processes and efficiencies.

• Owns supplier selection and sourcing decisions within delegated authority limits.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop procurement team members through performance management and succession planning.

• Facilitate cross-functional category teams to drive alignment and execution of sourcing initiatives.

• Serve as the Procurement representative on Business Unit leadership teams, influencing strategic decisions impacting cost, supply, and innovation.

Performance Expectations

• Deliver annual cost savings and productivity targets

• Maintain high raw material service levels

• Reduce supply risk exposure across strategic categories

• Improve supplier performance metrics

• Support innovation and new product initiatives

The ideal candidate should possess the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, or related field

• 7+ years of progressive procurement or sourcing experience

• Experience in manufacturing or consumer goods preferred

• Strong analytical capability and experience managing commodity-based categories

• Demonstrated success negotiating strategic supplier contracts

• ERP experience (SAP, Oracle, etc.) preferred

• Strategic thinking and category management

• Advanced negotiation and influencing skills

• Data-driven decision making

• Cross-functional leadership

• Risk management and supply continuity planning

• Strong communication and stakeholder alignment

• High ethical standards and integrity

• Hybrid office environment with periodic interaction at manufacturing sites

• Travel required as needed

What We Offer You

We believe that by continuously improving the quality of our benefits, we can help to raise the quality of life for our team members and their families. At First Quality you will receive:

• Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities

• Paid time off (three-week minimum)

• Medical, dental and vision starting day one

• 401(k) with employer match

• Paid parental leave

• Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)

• Bundle of joy benefit (years’ worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)

• Tuition assistance

• Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums

• ...and more!