Strategic Sourcing Specialist

Description

 Ready for more than just a job? Build a career with purpose.

 At Lactalis in the USA, we’re committed to providing meaningful opportunities for our people to learn, grow, and thrive—whether you’re just starting your journey with us or looking to take the next step in your career. From day one, we offer the tools and support to help you succeed.

 As the world leader in dairy, Lactalis is a family-owned company with over 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals across the globe. Each day, we’re proud to produce award-winning dairy products that bring people together.

 In the US, we proudly offer an unrivaled house of beloved brands, including Galbani® Italian cheeses and ricotta, Président® specialty cheeses and butters, Kraft® natural and grated cheeses, Breakstone’s® cottage cheese, Cracker Barrel®, Black Diamond® cheddar, and Parmalat® milk. Our yogurt portfolio includes siggi’s®, Stonyfield Organic®, Brown Cow™, Oui®, Yoplait®, Go-Gurt®, :ratio®, Green Mountain Creamery®, and Mountain High®, along with a growing family of ethnic favorites like Karoun®, Gopi®, and Arz®.

 At Lactalis, we live by our core values—Ambition, Engagement, and Simplicity. We foster a workplace where innovation thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and everyone’s unique background and ideas are valued.

 Even if you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We want to hear about your PASSION, your STORY, and how your EXPERTISE can help us shape the future of dairy. 

 From your PASSION to ours

Lactalis USA, part of the Lactalis family of companies, is currently hiring a Strategic Sourcing Specialist based in Chicago, IL.   

The strategic sourcing specialist is a key member of the North American Strategic Procurement team. You are responsible for developing, leading, and implementing short- and medium-term purchasing strategies that deliver best-in-class results in the areas of people, processes and costs for industrial categories. You work in strong collaboration with internal stakeholders, and you ensure that overall focus in accordance with established budget objectives, policies and guidelines under the direction of the Senior Procurement Manager, Indirect, North America.

We are looking for an adaptive, dynamic leader with a proven track record of service excellence, continuous improvement, and cost efficiency in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate is known for his/her strong experience of the supply chain market in the North American market with key successes. This role will be managing complex procurement projects in a multisite, multi division and multi countries (USA and Canada) environment, rapidly growing network across cost, service, efficiency, agility, and quality pillars to achieve long-term cross-functional business plan objectives.

Requirements

From your EXPERTISE to ours 

Key responsibilities for this position include:

Achieve budget objectives by identifying, developing, and supporting North American sourcing strategy initiatives for MRO category in North America.

Strategic Sourcing:

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for marketing spend categories, including but not limited to advertising, media, creative agencies, market research, and promotional materials.
• Identify and evaluate potential suppliers, negotiate contracts, and establish long-term partnerships to ensure cost efficiency and high-quality services.

Budget Optimization:

• Collaborate with marketing teams to understand their budgetary needs and objectives.
• Implement cost-saving initiatives without compromising the quality and effectiveness of marketing activities.
• Analyze and monitor market trends to identify opportunities for cost reductions and improved value for marketing spend.

Contract Negotiation:

• Negotiate favorable terms and conditions with suppliers, ensuring compliance with company policies and legal requirements.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure supplier performance and drive continuous improvement.

Risk Management:

• Proactively assess and mitigate risks related to marketing spend, including market fluctuations, supplier stability, and geopolitical factors.
• Develop contingency plans to address potential disruptions in the supply chain.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with marketing, finance, and other relevant departments to align procurement strategies with overall business goals.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration between different teams to optimize the marketing procurement process.

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

• University degree or equivalent work experience
• Minimum 3+ experience in a procurement function in related field category, preferably at a food company
• Prior CPG industry experience preferred
• Experience in Marketing or General Services highly preferred 
• Experience working in a corporate or larger organizational setting preferred, with a sizeable marketing team

Skills / Abilities / Knowledge

• High level of initiative and strong interpersonal skills
• Strong planning, project management, and execution skills
• In depth knowledge and analysis of key cost drivers
• Skilled negotiator with a strong understanding of contract lifecycle management and sourcing procedures.
• Ability to travel within the United States and Canada and internationally, approximately 20% of the time
• Bilingual English/French is an asset

At Lactalis, we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards Program with a variety of affordable benefits and coverage options. We support insurance costs significantly, contribute generously to retirement plans, and offer Paid Time Off from day one. We are committed to your professional growth, providing training and development opportunities, including Education Reimbursement. Join us and grow your career.

Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities. Further, any division of the Company that is an Affirmative Action Employer will comply with all related legal obligations.