Purpose of the Position

The Director of Procurement Operations provides leadership and overall direction for the plant Procurement functions for business units within Simmons Foods. This leader of Procurement Operations will lead all efforts to drive standardization to best practices through continuously improving processes, optimizing inventory, delivering a competitive supply advantage, recruiting and developing talent, developing and growing effective external and internal relationships that ensure inventory is procured and maintained at all locations to support the production plan.

Essential Position Responsibilities - This is a Salary Exempt position.

Lead team members to develop and execute short and long-term inventory planning and analysis to meet the ongoing needs of the business.

Lead the team to develop and maintain processes and procedures to ensure sustainable supply of direct and indirect materials at all locations to support continuous operations.

Develop and support all supplier relationships to meet current and future business needs.

Leads all efforts to define and execute adequate inventory levels that supports the supply plan while optimizing the use of working capital.

Responsible for managing on-time/in-full inventory to support production schedules.

Leads all efforts to identify purchase price variances and collaborates with sourcing to minimize variation to plan.

Collaborates with Sourcing on all supply, cost and quality risk assessments for materials. Proactively assesses at risk materials and works with cross functional teams to effectively provide the company with assured supply options that meets the companies supply plan targets.

Develop and mentor talent to support the ongoing and future needs of the business.

Collaborate and build strong relationships with cross-functional business partners and procurement teams across the enterprise, including Operations, Sales, Finance, Maintenance, Quality, Regulatory and other team members to provide project support and ensure procurement best practices are utilized to deliver business results.

Drives transformational change by establishing results focused KPI's that align with and support the annual operating plan, and actively manage the business to deliver against these metrics.

Foster and grow a culture to drive continuous improvement to move the business forward while driving waste and inefficiency out of the organization.

Direct responsibility to ensure the Procurement Operations teams delivers on all ethical, sustainability, diversity company priorities and objectives.

Routinely presents performance metrics to senior management.

Participates as a member of the Team Participates in the ongoing development, communication and implementation of team concepts, programs and policies; coordinates work to ensure best practices with all team members. Attends appropriate team meetings. As a member of the Team, fosters strong cohesiveness regarding all major issues; e.g., direction, annual plan, budget, policy changes, etc. Accepts responsibility to quickly identify any areas that lack cohesiveness, bringing them to the attention of the team leader and working with the team in a supportive manner to resolve issues and actively look for ways, and reinforce actions needed, to achieve synergy possible within the larger organization.

Proactively manages & oversees facility Procurement This position will oversee all aspects of the plant procurement for the enterprise. Identifies and recommends purchasing options to meet overall program and department needs; identifies supply risks/issues and works with Sourcing and R&D on contingency plans. Coordinates and communicates long term demand planning to the procurement operations team. Collaborates with cross-functional departments and stakeholders to identify gaps in the purchasing process and develop a plan to eliminate gaps.

Enhances competitive advantage through continuous improvement initiatives in conjunction with the CI team. Interacts with suppliers and internal plant departments on all quality issues. Maintain raw material and packaging inventory levels on a regular basis and achieve desired turn targets. This includes monitoring demand inputs and forecast information to develop inventory targets and make system recommendations for purchasing parameters. Measures, monitors and drives on-time and in-full deliveries on materials to support the operation ensuring right material at the right place at the right time.

Maximizes the financial effectiveness and profitability of Operations through diligent application of proper contractual and commercial practices and with the careful management of risk. Identifies risks, opportunities and alternatives from the supply chain, providing the organization with a competitive advantage. Provides an ethical and consistent approach to the purchasing of goods and services. Considers and puts forward alternative materials / methods of working and assesses cost effectiveness.

Manages employees. Directs and supervises employees' work activities and monitors work performance. Follows Simmons values to develop and maintain a favorable working relationship with all employees. Promotes a cooperative and harmonious environment in order to facilitate positive employee morale, productivity, and continued improvement.

Simmons Operating systems principles and objectives: Is familiar, or develops familiarity with Simmons' established operating systems (e.g. J.D. Edwards, Oracle PLM, Oracle Cloud, Microsoft Office Applications, company policies, LEAN).

Performs other duties as necessary in support of business objectives: This position description is intended to guide the activities of the person in this position and is not intended to limit the thinking and creativity of the person as to the work of this function nor is it intended that this describe all the work that may be required of the person in this position.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): As required by visiting facility.

Travel: Travels within North America, occasionally requiring overnight stays.

Technical Experience: 5+ years procurement experience. Preference for food processing organization. Strong analytical ability, production scheduling and financial knowledge. Experience effectively managing working capital and customer requirements.

Minimum Education : Bachelor's Degree in Business or related field, or 4 years related work experience

Preferred Education: Designated Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP) or equivalent.

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