Senior Procurement Category Management Specialist – Packaging

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement of strategic packaging categories for Nestlé Health Science US, managing a complex spend portfolio of approximately $30–$40M across a diverse supplier base.
• Partner cross-functionally to align on business needs and drive effective sourcing strategies, supplier selection, pricing, contracting, and supplier performance.
• Develop and execute short- and long-term category strategies and annual sourcing plans to deliver value and support business objectives.
• Lead supplier negotiations and establish contract pricing, terms, and conditions to secure high-value, cost-effective agreements.
• Conduct market research and monitor industry trends to inform category strategies and adapt to changing business needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; preferably in Business, Engineering, Food Science, or a related field.
• Proven experience in procurement category management supporting manufacturing, commercial, and/or corporate functions across various operating models.
• 5+ years of experience with strong subject matter expertise in packaging categories, ideally within food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, personal care, or chemical industries.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic sourcing and category management, including supplier selection, contract negotiation, and implementation.
• Strong knowledge of procurement methodologies and supplier markets.
• Proven analytical capabilities, including data analysis and process improvement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word; experience with ERP systems such as SAP or Oracle preferred.

Hard Skills

• procurement category management
• strategic sourcing
• supplier selection
• contract negotiation
• data analysis
• process improvement
• market research
• category strategies
• contract pricing
• supplier performance

Soft Skills

• cross-functional collaboration
• leadership
• communication
• analytical capabilities
• negotiation skills

Industry Keywords

• packaging categories
• food industry
• pharmaceutical industry
• nutraceutical industry
• personal care industry
• chemical industry
• sourcing strategies
• supplier markets
• business objectives
• spend portfolio

Tools & Technologies

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• ERP systems
• SAP
• Oracle