Sourcing Specialist - Flavors & Colors

Job description

A mutually rewarding experience.

Work. Realize your ambitions. And realize there's more to being in business than just making a profit. That's the Mars philosophy. And the opportunity we offer every one of our Associates. An opportunity to take what you do and make it mean more for you, for those around you and for the planet. What you get here is challenging, interesting work. You get the tools you need to do a great job and you get to have the best possible people on your side to help you do it. And at the same time as getting to find ways to do business better today than we did it yesterday and driving a great career, you also get to build a more enlightened business and drive sustainability.

Because it's never just about a single person, a single project or a single brand. It's about how you can grab everything that's within your reach here and use it to pursue mutual, long-term gain. It's about having ideas. And ideals. Being prepared to risk failure because the promise of success means we'll all be a little better off. It's that mix of integrity and ambition that makes Mars such a special place to work. And why working here is always about more than just a job.

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world's best-loved brands: M&M's®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN'S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles – Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom – inspire its more than 100,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

Purpose of Role

·  Responsible for sourcing a portfolio of Colors and Flavors for Mars Petcare US and Canada with a total annual spend of $15-20mln
·  Identify areas of opportunity in terms of innovation, efficiencies, savings & cash delivery
·  Drive MSSM (Strategy) creation and implementation for the Colors and Flavors category
·  Lead support position for the Essentials and Premix Sourcing team, driving key projects/programs and data analysis, as identified, across raw ingredients
·  Support other category strategies and supply base within the Essentials and Premix Sourcing team in aid of MSSM (Strategy) creation, Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) program metrics and creative supply solutions based on business need

Principal Accountabilities

·  Create, deliver and execute the sourcing strategy for assigned ingredients for Mars Petcare US. Collaborate with all Mars North American units and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver a target value improvement of 5%+ of the total spend
·  Complete 1-3 key projects per year in support of the Essentials and Premix Sourcing team
·  Drive an effective and collaborative relationship with key stakeholders to deliver competitive and market advantages through superior analysis, strategy, judgment and execution. Ensure appropriate Commercial representation in internal business processes.
·  Deliver market development information and analysis to drive business understanding of sourcing categories. This can include leading creation and implementation of strategic supplier initiatives to deliver sustained competitive advantage.
·  Key role in driving strong Essentials & Premix team and overall Commercial engagement

Key Functional Skills/Knowledge

·  Self-motivated with excellent organization skills
·  Strong attention to detail and excellent problem solving skills
·  Ability to handle multiple tasks as well as prioritize work
·  Strong verbal and written skills
·  Ability to work independently and efficiently, with minimal supervision in a fast-paced environment
·  Strong customer focus and service orientation
·  Knowledge of MS Office products used for analysis and presentation of data, specifically MS Excel and MS PowerPoint
·  Demonstrated ability to be consistent, dependable and accurate in carrying out responsibilities to a successful conclusion
·  Previous experience in SAP, Ariba, Smartsheets is a plus
·  Negotiation, sourcing category and/or project management, experience on cross-functional teams

Minimum Qualifications

·  3 years of business experience
·  Bachelor's degree in business or related field
·  Ability to convey communications clearly and concisely
·  MS Excel, Word and Powerpoint functional skills.
·  Successful completion of a drug and background test

Preferred Qualifications

·  5+ years of business experience
·  1+ year of procurement experience

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.

Nearest Major Market: Nashville
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