*Candidates must currently reside in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, or Michigan, or be willing to relocate to the Lake Mills, Wisconsin area*
Summary
The Senior Procurement and Risk Manager is responsible for leading strategic sourcing, supplier risk management, and procurement governance across the organization. This role will oversee the strategic purchasing of bulk and specialty feed ingredients (corn, soybean meal, DDGS, fats/oils, etc.) and managing supplier contracts to ensure a reliable, cost-effective supply for a large layer operation. This role requires strong market awareness, negotiation skills, and close coordination with nutrition, feed mill, and operations teams. The Senior Procurement and Risk Manager will also oversee the Assistant Buyer, who manages the day-to-day purchasing of macro and micro ingredients, and provide guidance on supplier relationships and inventory planning.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Procurement Leadership
- Develop and execute enterprise-wide procurement strategies to optimize cost, quality, service, and supply reliability.
- Lead category management strategies, including supplier segmentation, contracting, and long-term sourcing plans.
- Drive value creation through cost reduction initiatives, demand management, and total cost of ownership analysis.
Risk Management & Supply Assurance
- Identify, assess, and mitigate procurement and supply-chain risks, including supplier concentration, market volatility, geopolitical risk, and regulatory exposure.
- Establish and maintain supplier risk assessment frameworks, contingency plans, and business continuity strategies.
- Monitor commodity markets, supplier financial health, and external risk indicators to proactively manage exposure.
Supplier Management & Governance
- Lead supplier selection, qualification, performance management, and relationship development.
- Negotiate complex, high-value contracts, including pricing structures, risk-sharing mechanisms, and service-level agreements.
- Ensure compliance with internal procurement policies, ethical sourcing standards, and applicable regulations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with finance on budgeting, forecasting, hedging strategies, and cost-risk modeling.
- Collaborate with operations and planning teams to align sourcing strategies with production and inventory needs.
- Work with legal and compliance teams to manage contract risk, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution.
Leadership & Process Improvement
- Provide leadership, mentorship, and development to procurement and risk management team members.
- Establish and improve procurement processes, controls, and reporting tools.
- Lead digital procurement initiatives, including ERP, sourcing platforms, and risk-monitoring tools.
Education and/or Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business, Finance, Economics, or related field.
- 8–10 years of progressive experience in procurement, sourcing, and/or supply chain risk management.
- Proven experience managing strategic suppliers and complex contracts.
- Strong understanding of risk management frameworks and commodity or market-based pricing.
Preferred
- Master’s degree or MBA.
- Professional certifications (e.g., CPSM, CIPS, CSCP, CRM).
- Experience in manufacturing, agriculture, food production, or other asset-intensive industries.
- Experience with hedging, futures, or financial risk management strategies.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Strategic thinking and executive-level communication
- Advanced negotiation and contract management
- Risk assessment and mitigation
- Financial and data analysis
- Leadership and change management
Work Environment
- Primarily office-based with frequent contact with feed mills, nutrition, and suppliers.
- Some travel to suppliers, mills, and industry meetings required