Procurement Category Manager, Marketing Procurement

ConAgra Foods, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America's leading packaged food companies, serving grocery retailers, as well as restaurants and foodservice establishments. The company employs more than 40,000 people and has annual revenues of $15 billion. ConAgra Foods offers dozens of famous brands such as: Healthy Choice, Van Camp's, Butterball, Armour, Parkay, Banquet, Hunt's, Peter Pan, Wesson, Marie Callender's, Slim Jim and Orville Redenbacher's.The ConAgra Foods culture supports strong, self-reliant leadership capable of working in an evolving and matrixed team environment. The down-to-earth, pragmatic environment is focused on results, and employees are passionate about making a difference.The Procurement Category Manager's role is to source, negotiate, contract, implement, and manage the marketing category within the Corporate Indirect area. The categories spend is $225 MM. Primary goals are to provide internal customers with superior sourcing strategies, a world class supply base, and drive cost savings and to maintain and/or improve the level of service provided to the corporation.Lead and manage Marketing category as assigned
Jointly plan and execute sourcing strategies in the assigned categories in collaboration with key functions across the Enterprise.
Establish strategic relationships with the supply base
Negotiate, contract, and implement preferred supplier agreements
Lead cross functional teams in sourcing initiatives
Conduct research on market dynamics, cost drivers, supplier business models, and historical spend to enhance future negotiations for assigned categories
Draft Requests for Information (RFI), Requests for Proposal (RFP), and conduct associated analysis.
Resolve supplier and internal customer issues to insure a successful implementation process
Drive cost savings through continuous improvement activities
Manage supplier relationships and track Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) to evaluate and report performance
Document ongoing savings and conduct spend forecasting at the enterprise level
Ensure continuity of services for assigned categories by working with high quality suppliers and managing supplier performance
Collaborate closely with cross functional groups in each of the operating groups.
Ability to understand advanced sourcing practices and their application.
Provide organizational leadership in terms of developing innovative approaches to new technology.
Development and maintenance of positive, productive, proactive relationships with a wide variety of suppliers and operating company personnel
Strong communication/collaboration skills and the ability to drive change in a complex organization
Implement supplier strategy utilizing industry modeling and appropriate metrics across ConAgra Foods.Direct experience and category expertise in marketing sourcing
Purchasing/Contracting/Implementation experience
Broad experience in office, plant, marketing, information technology, and human resource categories
Multi facility experience required
Firm understanding of purchasing end user expectations and requirements
Food Industry experience desirable
Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree desirable
5 yrs + experience in Purchasing or related field
APICS or CPM preferred
Technical or Plant Operations background
Capable of managing multiple priorities, projects, and tasks
Excellent interpersonal, customer service, and problem solving skills
Self starter with proven track record of implementing/executing complex projects
Computer skills including Microsoft Office, Internet, and ERP systems
Analytical skills
Creative thinker
ConAgra Foods offers a competitive benefits package, including comprehensive medical, dental and vision plans; life insurance for yourself and your dependents; short-term and long-term disability plans; flexible spending accounts; 401(k) retirement savings plan and company paid pension plan. Additional benefits we offer include, but are not limited to, a stock purchase program; tuition reimbursement and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).ConAgra Foods, Inc. is committed to the provision of equal employment for all qualified persons in all job classifications in recruitment, selection and promotion without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, gender, veteran status or disability or any other protected characteristics.
REQUIREMENTS
Please see Job Description