Procurement Specialist – Raw Materials

Procurement Specialist – Raw Materials

Location: On-site, Amsterdam NY - HQ Office (hybrid)

About Beech-Nut Nutrition Company…

We are one of America’s leading companies providing nutritious, wholesome foods for babies using real ingredients, gently cooked, with non-GMO verified, Natural or organic ingredients in almost all our products. 

Our work is organized around our mission To delight Consumers through honest goodness in every bite. We care deeply about others, the planet, and are empowered to make a difference. We expect, reward and celebrate strong performance.

Our Values…

Our ambition to grow is underpinned by our four core values Create wow, Everyone Hero, Nourish others, & Take Responsibility. Our values help us navigate the ever-changing environment in which we operate and ensure we innovate to meet customer needs.

Create wow ~ Everyone Hero ~ Nourish others ~ Take responsibility

If this sounds like a place you want to invest your time, keep reading!

About the Role…

The Procurement Specialist – Raw Materials is responsible for the development and management of all aspects of the sourcing of raw materials in different forms for both internal and external manufacturing sites. The buyer will also be responsible for the development and implementation of long-term sourcing strategies and plans to meet the company’s business growth, through both market and need analysis, cost analysis, risk mitigation/management and supplier relationship management. The incumbent will have a total spending accountability of ~$15m.

Location: This role is an in-person / hybrid role based out of the Amsterdam, NY HQ Office.

Meet the Team…

The Strategic Sourcing Team is responsible for ensuring that BNN is working with the best farmers and suppliers throughout the Unites States and abroad in order to produce and package all of our nutritious products. The team works diligently to create longstanding partnerships with various suppliers that provide us with everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to the packaging materials we use to get our products to our consumers. The team works closely with our Quality, R&D and Supply Chain Teams to ensure products are arriving on schedule and they meet our strict quality standards so we can continue doing what we do best – making high quality, safe, and nutritious foods for babies and toddlers!

Our Commitment to Safety…

At Beech-Nut we are committed to a strong safety program that protects its staff, its property, and the public from accidents. Associates at every level, including management, are responsible and accountable for the company’s overall safety initiatives. Complete and active participation by everyone, every day, in every job is necessary for the safety among all workers on the job site. Management supports participation in the program by all Associates and provides proper equipment, training and procedures. Associates are responsible for following all procedures, working safely, and, wherever possible, improving safety measures. An injury and accident-free workplace is our goal. Through continuous safety and loss control, we can accomplish this.

About the Work Environment…

This position is a hybrid/on-site role based out of the Amsterdam, New York LEED® certified production and HQ facility. Most job functions are performed in a well-lit, environmentally controlled office environment. The candidate will also be required to work in an environment that requires hairnet, beard cover, safety glasses, hearing protection and lab coat. Restrictions include wearing of jewelry, nail polish and acrylic nails. Other personal protection equipment may be required for certain tasks.

What You’ll Do…

Strategy & Long-Term Planning

• Develop and implement the 3-year Strategy for specific commodities delivering measurable positive impact on the bottom line and top line. 
• Develop commodity expertise and maintain understanding of market dynamics to identify both risk and opportunity.
• Work on Sustainability and Crop Quality Improvement strategies directly with the processors and farmers.
• Accountability for financial KPIs (PPV, standard price, Cash, Carbon, market analysis, budgeting and estimates).

Risk Management & Supply Assurance

• Lead the Risk mitigation plan for sensitive items to insure the competitive and sustainable supply
• Ensure all purchased produce meets regulatory, customer, and internal quality specifications. 
• Monitor crop conditions, regional growing trends, and market availability to anticipate supply fluctuations.
• Coordinate with Production, Planning, and R&D to align purchasing with formulation changes or new product launches.
• Optimize inventory levels to avoid shortages, overstock, or spoilage. 
• Develop contingency plans (alternative suppliers, adjusted purchasing timelines, substitute varieties etc.)

Cost Management, Analysis & Negotiation

• Evaluate market trends and key cost drivers to identify and implement cost savings opportunities.
• Analyze complex supplier proposals and use decision-making tools and models, including financial and non-financial criteria, to facilitate award recommendations. 
• Negotiate commercial agreements and contracts to align with corporate strategies. 
• Maintain accurate purchasing data in ERP (SAP) or Group procurement systems.
• Contribute to budgeting, PPV, standard cost setting, and forecasting.

Supplier Management & Performance

• Drive supplier performance to meet or exceed annual goals, utilizing Scorecards for Key Suppliers. 
• Manage overall supplier relationships including supplier performance, capability development, cost and quality improvements. 

Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration

• Influence cross-functional teams consisting of R&D/Corporate Quality, Engineering, Plant Operations and Marketing to define product requirements to meet overall business objectives.
• Support continuous improvement projects focused on yield improvement, waste reduction, or sourcing optimization.

Who You Are…

• Deciding and Initiating Action: You are able to make timely decisions while weighing risks. You act without being prompted and take responsibility for projects, people and mistakes.
• Analyzing: You are able to analyze all types of information using a wide range of sources. You draw well-reasoned conclusions and pinpoint key information from large data sets. You are able to identify themes and produce effective solutions.
• Learning and Researching: You rapidly learn new tasks and quickly commit information to memory. You ask key questions and use all relevant information to make decisions. You use mistakes as a learning opportunity and encourage others to learn from one another.
• Planning and Organizing: You are able to set clearly defined objectives, establish priorities, plan activities and project and manage time effectively. You monitor progress against deadlines and milestones.

What You’ll Need…

Education/Experience: 

• 5+ years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or supply chain—preferably with agricultural commodities, ingredients, produce, or food manufacturing.
• 2+ years of experience in Fruit and Vegetables Sourcing

• Proven track record of negotiating contracts, supplier agreements, and commercial terms.

• BS in Finance, Business, Engineering, Supply Chain (Purchasing or Operations related field), Agronomist with Sourcing experience
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP highly valued)

Preferred Skills/Qualifications: 

• High degree of competence in quickly developing commodity expertise.
• Must be organized and able to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Detail-oriented with the ability to successfully manage time-sensitive projects.
• Ability to adapt to changing circumstances and the flexibility to adjust to demands of the job.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Result and Action orientated – comfortable setting and delivering against bold, stretch targets 
• Tenacious work ethic, doing “whatever it takes” with resolve, urgency and integrity to get the job done.
• Strong communication skills at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to organize information and make presentations to all levels of the organization.
• Ability to clearly communicate to others both verbally and in writing.
• Influence decisions using qualitative and quantitative data.
• Skilled in market / supplier analysis.
• Strong sense of responsibility and ownership of projects.
• Proven Project Management skills.

What’s in it for you? Compensation, Benefits & More… 

At Beech-Nut, we are devoted to creating an inclusive culture where our team members are professionally challenged and cared for personally. 

We are committed to fair and equitable compensation practices and take into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skills, relevant work experience, certifications and qualifications, education, and other business needs. Compensation for a role will be in line with the location in which the position is filled. 

Our associates also have access to opportunities for professional development and training, access to our on-site amenities as well as many other benefits and perks! We are proud to offer our associates the following:

Pay:The annual base salary range for this hybrid role is $70,000 – 105,000. This is a salaried-exempt position. 

Benefits: This position gives you access to a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision and prescription coverage for you and your dependents; life & long-term disability, flexible spending and health savings account, paid vacation and holidays, New York State paid sick time, and 401(k) retirement benefits with 4% company match. 

Professional Development:

• Tuition assistance
• Access to an online learning system (LMS)

More Perks! 

• Opportunities to volunteer and support the local community
• Generous maternity/paternity benefits & take your child’s 1^st birthday off
• Take your birthday off each year!
• Baby food coupon program until your child’s 2nd birthday
• Service Awards

Amenities:

• On-site fitness center
• On-site cafeteria 
• On-site Company Store
• A private on-site Mother’s Room to support nursing mothers and pumping needs at work

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.

To all agencies: All resumes submitted by search firms/employment agencies to any employee at Beech-Nut via-email, the internet or in any form and/or method will be deemed the sole property of Beech-Nut, unless such search firms/employment agencies were engaged by Beech-Nut for this position and a valid agreement is in place. In the event a candidate who was submitted outside of the Beech-Nut Nutrition agency engagement process is hired, no fee or payment of any kind will be paid.