Job Description
Primary Responsibilities:
Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Management
• Own and execute end-to-end sourcing strategies for the Canadian Cheese and Dairy portfolio, including market analysis, supplier segmentation, sourcing events, negotiations, contracting, implementation and ongoing commercial governance.
• Develop and maintain a multi-year Canada sourcing strategy aligned with North American category strategies while reflecting Canadian market dynamics, business priorities, regulatory requirements and supply-chain constraints.
• Partner closely with North American category experts to leverage market intelligence, supplier relationships, sourcing scale and best practices, while maintaining clear accountability for Canadian Business Unit outcomes.
• Lead complex and high-value negotiations, supplier award recommendations and contracting, ensuring appropriate cost, service, quality, capacity, flexibility and risk protections.
• Develop and communicate a strong point of view on Canadian and North American cheese and dairy markets, including commodity drivers, manufacturing economics, capacity, trade flows, tariffs and regional supply-demand dynamics.
• Ensure pricing, contracts, specifications, supplier records and sourcing decisions are accurate, current and compliant within relevant source-to-pay and business systems.
Canada Cheese & Dairy Portfolio Responsibilities
• Lead procurement for Cheese, Dairy Powders, Cheese Powders and Cream Mix across the Canadian Business Unit, balancing cost, functionality, specification, service and supply requirements.
• Provide portfolio-level governance across maintenance, productivity, innovation, reformulation, promotions, plant transitions, capacity changes and new business opportunities.
• Partner with R&D, Quality, Manufacturing, Commercial, Finance, Materials Management and the Canadian Business Unit to define requirements, technical specifications, project economics and implementation timing.
• Lead supplier and procurement readiness for innovations, renovations, reformulations, promotions, plant transitions, product maintenance and business continuity initiatives.
• Assess and manage category complexity, including product specifications, lead times, minimum order quantities, yields, conversion economics, supplier capacity and cross-border supply lanes.
• Build and maintain contingency strategies for critical materials, suppliers, manufacturing locations and logistics routes serving Canada.
Cross-Border, Quota, Tariff & CDC Managemen t
• Own procurement coordination for cross-border cheese and dairy flows into and out of Canada, ensuring commercial plans reflect applicable quotas, tariffs, customs requirements and regulatory obligations.
• Lead procurement management of Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) requirements and related processes, working with internal and external experts to support compliant and cost-effective execution.
• Monitor quota availability, tariff exposure and cross-border cost implications, incorporating these factors into sourcing decisions, budgets, supplier negotiations and risk assessments.
• Coordinate with Trade Compliance, Legal, Finance, Logistics, customs brokers, suppliers and category experts to resolve cross-border issues and maintain continuity of supply.
• Maintain clear governance, documentation and escalation paths for quota, tariff and CDC activities affecting the Canadian portfolio.
Forecasting, Inventory & Materials Management
• Provide leadership and governance for coordination with Materials Management on forecasts, inventory policies, material requirements, lead times, capacity and availability across the Canadian portfolio.
• Lead cross-functional resolution of supply disruptions, delivery issues, allocation constraints and inventory imbalances, with clear escalation, ownership and recovery plans.
• Drive improvements in forecasting discipline, inventory visibility, supplier communication and working-capital performance in…