Sr. Director, Indirect Procurement

Job Location: Chicago

This role is based out of our corporate HQ located in downtown Chicago and will be a hybrid in-person/remote role.

Want to make an impact?

Reporting directly to the VP of Procurement, this role will be charged with leading the indirect team to support several functional areas. Primary responsibility includes leading a team of category managers that support procurement activities related to HR, IT, Marketing, Sales, Finance, T&E, other professional services and factory and warehouse maintenance, facilities and energy. These categories have an annual spend of approximately $400MM. In addition, this position is also responsible for indirect procurement operational activities like spend analytics, supplier diversity program and PO management activities. A key responsibility for this position also includes leading the implementation of SAP process automation and Ariba on behalf of indirect procurement.

The role is based in Chicago, Illinois and will require minimal travel outside the greater Chicago area (<10%). The position has 5 direct reports and one dotted line partial report. Currently, locations in the US are the primary focus with some collaboration with Mexico facilities; however, more global requirements may be added over time as Ferrara continues its global expansion.

Ways you will make a difference

Senior Leadership Support

• Supports senior leadership team members at Ferrara across several functional areas with their procurement needs. Becomes a key partner for the senior leadership team and other senior stakeholders.
• Maintains a high level of professionalism while supporting the organization.
• Demonstrates an understanding of business needs and requirements.
• Directs the indirect team towards efforts that are aligned with Ferrara leadership’s goals.
• Works in partnership with key stakeholders to ensure their requirements are being met by their indirect category managers.
  
  

Team Leadership

• Develops a culture of service and support for Ferrara stakeholders
• Is a mentor and coach
• Provides the guidance and support needed to make the team successful
  
  

Category Leadership

• Responsible for all aspects of the indirect team’s focus on category management including developing category strategies and executing sourcing events.
• Leads category spend analysis and supplier segmentation.
• Responsible for the indirect procurement policies and processes
• Responsible for reporting value realization by the team
• Supports and leads RFx processes and category management, if needed
• Develops a deep level of understanding of the global supply base.
• Responsible to ensure all risk, compliance and legal requirements related to procurement are followed
• Encourages the use of diverse suppliers in the sourcing process
• Supports environmental and sustainability requirements as needed
• Involves sister-company Ferrero stakeholders as needed for sourcing requirements
  
  

Driving Value to the Organization

• Works with leadership to set value targets for the team
• Value can include savings, cost avoidance, payment term extension and continuous improvement and productivity efforts among others.
• Manages the Diesel hedge program to set the diesel budget price for the upcoming year
  
  

Supplier Relationship Management

• Manages and develops strategic supplier alliances with a select group of suppliers to assure a preferred status for Ferrara in negotiations
• Supports supplier relationship management activities as needed
• Manages the supplier diversity program and relationship with supplier diversity organizations
  
  

Operational and Automation Support

• For indirect procurement related requirements, leads the on-going initiative to automate the req-to-pay processes including implementation of Ariba and a new contract management solution
• Leads the indirect procurement spend analytics process to maintain access to accurate category level spend data
• Provides support for on-going PO management activities
• Supports on-going special projects related to reporting requirements
  
  

Skills that will make you successful

• Knowledge of indirect category procurement strategies and processes within a manufacturing environment
• Procurement knowledge: Deep understanding of procurement category management, stakeholder management and negotiations; have a desire to continually learn about evolving procurement opportunities
• Strong interpersonal skills: empathy, integrity, enthusiasm, collaborative, driving consensus
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong listening skills and ability to work with senior leaders – inside and outside of the organization - to understand their goals and objectives; share project objectives and progress in a clear concise manner.
• Strong analytical and presentation skills: have a strong ability to analyze significant amount of data and summarize findings or options for senior leadership
• Strategic thinking: able to “see around corners,” synthesize insights from disparate data sources, and present recommendations and alternatives.
• Desire to be a supportive and proactive business partner across the organization.
• Ability to show resilience over time and collaborate across multiple functions and organizational levels
• Strong team leadership and management skills
  
  

Experiences that will support your success

• Bachelor’s degree
• At least 12 years of experience in procurement in a manufacturing environment
• At least 5 years of team leadership
• Experience within an SAP-based ERP environment
• Experience in Procurement within an international multi-site manufacturing and brand-based corporate environment
• Experience managing a team