Category Manager, Strategic Sourcing - Juices and Agricultural Ingredients

Make a Difference in YOUR Career!

Our vision is both simple and ambitious: to put our drinks on every table.  

We are the leading global independent beverage solutions provider. We serve a broad range of national and international retailers as well as Global, National and Emerging (GNE) brands. Our products are distributed worldwide from our production sites in Europe, North America, and Australia. Although our own branding may not appear on the labels of the beverages we produce, there is a good chance you are reading this while sipping one of our drinks.

Our ambition is to continually improve and it’s what keeps us at the top of our game. We are solutions-based. We are innovative.  We seek out new challenges and conquer them.  This is our company ethos, but it’s our people’s too: Refresco is at the cutting edge of a fast-moving industry because we have passionate people pushing the boundaries of what’s best.

Stop and think: how would YOU put our drinks on every table?  

Position Description

The Category Manager for Juices will strategically source, purchase and manage the supply of raw materials through a carefully evaluated, competent supply base, ensuring that quality, service, cost, terms and conditions are optimized to provide Refresco with a commercial advantage.  This role will coordinate the activities required to meet the company quality standards and focus on continuous improvement while contributing to the company’s strategy and demonstrating the company values and behaviors. 

Essential Functions

• Identify and select strategic suppliers to procure juice concentrates from while maintaining strong relationships with key global suppliers.
• Continuous monitoring of fruit and vegetable markets and crop seasonality to react quickly and appropriately when faced with unexpected market conditions.
• Drive value through innovation and collaboration with strategic suppliers and internal customers (Sales, R&D, Quality, Supply Chain and Procurement Finance)
• Provide regular commodity updates for the sales team.
• Develop sourcing plans for assigned juice sub-categories to reduce total costs, optimize value from suppliers and meet internal customer requirements.
• Review, negotiate, and execute the implementation of contractual arrangements per Refresco policy and business objectives.
• Manage new project launches and source new juice concentrates as required.
• Track and monitor consumption & demand to ensure adequate volumes are contracted to meet production demands.
• Prepare annual budget for appropriate commodities.
• Generate cost savings opportunities throughout the raw material supply chain.
• This position will report to the Director, Procurement – North America

Requirements

Education & Preferred Experience:

• Identify and select strategic suppliers to procure juice concentrates from while maintaining strong relationships with key global suppliers.
• Continuous monitoring of fruit and vegetable markets and crop seasonality to react quickly and appropriately when faced with unexpected market conditions.
• Drive value through innovation and collaboration with strategic suppliers and internal customers (Sales, R&D, Quality, Supply Chain and Procurement Finance)
• Provide regular commodity updates for the sales team.
• Develop sourcing plans for assigned juice sub-categories to reduce total costs, optimize value from suppliers and meet internal customer requirements.
• Review, negotiate, and execute the implementation of contractual arrangements per Refresco policy and business objectives.
• Manage new project launches and source new juice concentrates as required.
• Track and monitor consumption & demand to ensure adequate volumes are contracted to meet production demands.
• Prepare annual budget for appropriate commodities.
• Generate cost savings opportunities throughout the raw material supply chain.
• This position will report to the Director, Procurement – North America

Position-specific skills:

• Creative Thinking: able to think creatively, generating new ideas and approaches to situations.
• Strategic Thinking: able to grasp the big picture and think long-term.
• Attention to Detail: highly attentive to details, change and what factors influence change.
• Assertiveness: able to defend a point of view and to confront others appropriately when necessary;
• Self-Motivation/Time Management: able to determine and prioritize tasks with minimal direction.
• Negotiation Skill: skilled in negotiating, effective in utilizing analysis and cre