Sr. Sourcing Manager - Tek Ninjas

Title: Sr. Sourcing Manager, External Manufacturing                                      

Location: Burlington, MA or Frisco, TX (Hybrid)

Type: 6-month contract

Reporting To: Director, External Manufacturing

Travel: Travelling for up to 20% of the time to meet/ visit with suppliers and stakeholders

 

Purpose: In the pursuit of growth, constantly drives innovation, offering consumers a beverage for every need, anytime, anywhere. Generating fuel for growth and operating under a dynamic capital allocation framework are complementary elements of our strategy, requiring the use of external manufacturing capabilities in specific situations in which choices related with capabilities, capacity, scale and/or capital investments must occur.

 

Description: As the Manager, External Manufacturing you will be responsible for leading sourcing and procurement activities in the US Refreshment Beverage and Coffee supply chain. Working in close collaboration and building strong relationships with Planning, USRB WD and DSD teams, LRP, and others to develop and manage partnerships with external manufacturers. This role will sustain business and drive new supply requirements to existing co-manufacturers and re-packers in support of external manufacturing category strategies.

 

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent) from an accredited university
• Minimum 5 years procurement experience, preferably in CPG
• Experience in external manufacturing category management
• Experience as a negotiator to reach consensus, buy-in and commitment from internal and external partners.
• Experience in supplier identification, development, and qualification.
• Proficiency in navigating a multinational and matrix environment.
• Strong analytical skills and financial acumen
• Excellent judgment about proactive communication, issue escalation and solutions proposal
• Strong decision-making abilities and experience leading teams and complex projects
• Collaborative, team-first mindset to drive optimal results for the organization.

 

Responsibilities:

Strategic Sourcing: 

• Execute sourcing strategies to optimize external manufacturing capabilities, driving efficiency and innovation. 
• Collaborate with stakeholders and BU leaders with category strategies to achieve BU goals, including cost savings and risk mitigation. 
• Manage all aspects of strategic category management and supplier lifecycle, including strategy execution, deployment, performance management, and risk analysis. 

 

Supplier Relationship and Performance Management: 

• Manage strategic and tactical partnerships that align with agreements and business needs. 
• Develop and implement aligned KPIs across managed partners.
• Address any deviations of KPIs against contractual commitments
• Act as liaison between internal teams and external partners
• Conduct due diligence of potential suppliers to expose financial risk, compliance, quality and on?time delivery service and End?of?Life issues.

Supplier Base Development and Activation: 

• Conduct market scanning and capability assessments of external suppliers, cataloging technologies for future needs. 
• Support the activation of new suppliers and manage supplier exits. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to qualify and activate new partners. 

 

Financial Oversight and Optimization: 

• Support the Annual Operating Planning (AOP) process and financial forecasting to ensure predictable spending. 
• Manage conversion costs at external manufacturers. Collaborate with finance to address financial variances. 
• Partner with suppliers and internal teams to drive cost optimization. 

 

Contract Management: 

• Negotiate service agreements and clarify roles for sourcing and management. 
• Conduct quarterly business reviews with strategic suppliers. 
• Collaborate with Legal, Tax, Finance, and other functions to draft and negotiate complex contracts. 
• Lead compliance initiatives related to ethical sourcing, risk management, and sustainability. 
• Ensure projects meet business standards before implementation, covering quality, regulatory compliance, finance, marketing, sales, manufacturing, and supply chain deployment.