Strategic Sourcing and Planning Manager-Food

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Strategic Sourcing and Planning Manager to join our team. As Strategic Sourcing and Planning Manager, you will play a key role in supporting Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Seabourn in the NAA Sourcing and Supply Chain function of our organization. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and execute effective sourcing strategies, identify opportunities, and optimize the supply chain. As a category lead, you will engage with strategic business partners, listen to understand needs, provide expertise, track and communicate project timelines, and provide favorable outcomes to ensure business goals and objects are met.  As a people-manager, you will lead and manage 2-5 direct reports with similar responsibilities. 

The person will utilize appropriate sourcing process including the 7-step sourcing process to develop and implement strategies that deliver breakthrough value creation, innovation, and/or quality improvements and will be responsible to drive cost innovation for their category and their direct reports.

The Manager, Strategic Sourcing and Planning has responsibility to develop and implement sourcing strategies and procurement activities on highly complex, high value, high risk projects for the food & beverage categories assigned covering North America and Europe. As an advisor to the business, this role recommends sourcing strategies to internal stakeholders driving the balance of price, quality, supply, and service to insure the overall best customer experience onboard our vessels.

This role reports to the Director, Strategic Sourcing – Food & Beverage. The role will have 2-5 category leaders as direct reports.

This role will be challenged to effectively work across internal stakeholder groups for all North American brands.  It is challenged with ensuring continued supply for a portfolio of categories and/or work on strategic sourcing initiatives on a project basis.  Challenges include meeting value creation targets, consistent client engagement, cultivation of qualified sources, and consistent engagement of Carnival Corporation operating units to ensure potential global synergies are captured.  

Essential Functions:

• Development of an effective long-term strategic sourcing plan for highly complex categories and projects that create long term value while meeting brand objectives, including value creation, supply continuity, risk mitigation, and innovation. Effective collaboration on strategic sourcing categories and projects within the organization and stakeholders; Developing relationships to become a trusted sourcing partner.  Ensuring cross-functional engagement and support of category projects and initiatives. Remains connected to key stakeholders, and solicits input from them at appropriate times to stay aligned with the needs of the business, as well as run meetings providing key supplier and product updates and/or address specific needs of key stakeholders
• Apply spend category management best practices, tools and techniques in the development and implementation of an integrated strategic sourcing strategy to assesses the overall opportunity within the categories for projects. Serving as a subject matter expert on strategic sourcing categories with the stakeholders and fostering effective relationships.
• Maintain focus on project timelines and deliverables to ensure business goals and objectives are met. Strong partnership with Finance team to accurately forecast impacts of category strategy, including scenario modeling. Manages annual initiative plan by creating realistic timelines and meeting contracting deadlines, communicates initiative status.
• Provide oversight, performance manage, coach, and develop highly skilled team of 2-5 category leaders able to drive strategic approaches and cultivate their own strong business relationships with both internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Researching best practices and conducting baseline due diligence to best understand opportunities for savings, reducing TCO, improve efficiencies, quality improvement and service of the sourcing teams. Lead supplier qualification, segmentation and certification programs. Well informed about commodity markets and uses information to report trends, pricing fluctuations, provides forecast detail and product cost shifts to brands.
• Effective supplier relationship management; leveraging data, metrics, and internal feedback.  Providing and reviewing score cards to improve supplier results. Developing early supplier involvement to ensure suppliers are utilized to their full capabilities and proactively providing input to provide low cost, efficient, and quality goods and services. Effectively influencing change and buy-in across the stakeholder group and leadership. Oversees portfolio of contracts, builds and maintains supplier relationships, holds suppliers accountable to deliver contractual requirements.
• Implement gold-standard contracts across strategic supplier base. Negotiate strategic supplier contracts, develop innovative pricing models and agreements to deliver value to brands.   Leads supplier negotiations, manages RFP/RFQs, utilizes 7-step sourcing process where applicable, and development and execution of category strategy. 

Qualifications:

• Education:  Bachelor’s Degree, Leadership & Engagement Skills with equivalent experience
• Disciplines/Major:  BS/BA in relevant field or equivalent years’ experience with education in supply chain, business, economics, or related field highly desired / MBA is a plus 
• Preferred Certifications or additional education:  CPSM or CPM, Six Sigma, Lean or equivalent.
• Years & Area of Professional Experience (Minimum Experience):5-10 years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, contracting, supply chain, and/or category management.  Strong Microsoft Office skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).  Experience with sourcing tools (Ariba, Coupa, CrunchTime, MXP). Category level commodity sourcing experience

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (Minimum Qualifications):

• Master of specific categories and/or ability to develop knowledge of new categories
• Master negotiation skills and solid business judgement
• Courage and conviction to hold suppliers and distributors accountable during challenging times, events, or periods of change
• Master technical sourcing process knowledge
• Ability to conduct analysis required during a sourcing initiative
• Ability to build strong relationships with suppliers
• Ability to perform analysis and interpret results into actionable steps
• Ability to manage multiple initiatives and priorities at once
• Strong attention to detail and process orientation
• Excellent written/verbal communication and presentation skills
• Strong people management skills: clear expectations/feedback, consistent coaching, and development. Ability to effectively lead in a cross-functional team environment and manage multiple priorities. Identify and resolve problems efficiently and effectively
• Well-developed influencing skills and stakeholder management. Experience with supplier relationship management. 

Physical Demands:  Must be able to remain in a stationary position at a desk and/or computer for extended periods of time. 

Work Conditions:  Work primarily in a climate-controlled environment with minimal safety/health hazard potential.  Work beyond normal business hours or on weekends may be required occasionally to support business needs, projects, or operations. 

Work Location: This position is classified as “in-office.”  As an in-office role, it requires employees to work from a designated Carnival office in South Florida Tuesday through Thursday each week. Employees may work from their homes on Mondays and Fridays. Candidates must be in (or willing to relocate to) the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area.

At Carnival, your total rewards package is much more than your base salary. All non-sales roles participate in an annual cash bonus program, while sales roles have an incentive plan. Director and above roles may also be eligible to participate in Carnival’s discretionary equity incentive plan. Plus, Carnival provides comprehensive and innovative benefits to meet your needs, including: 

• Health Benefits: 
  • Cost-effective medical, dental and vision plans 
  • Employee Assistance Program and other mental health resources 
  • Additional programs include company paid term life insurance and disability coverage  
• Financial Benefits: 
  • 401(k) plan that includes a company match 
  • Employee Stock Purchase plan 
• Paid Time Off 
  • Holidays – All full-time and part-time with benefits employees receive days off for 7 company-wide holidays, plus an additional floating holiday to be taken at the employee’s discretion.  
  • Vacation Time – All full-time employees at the manager and below level start with 14 days/year; director and above level start with 19 days/year.  Part-time with benefits employees receive time off based on the number of hours they work, with a minimum of 84 hours/year.  All employees gain additional vacation time with further tenure. 
  • Sick Time – All full-time employees receive 80 hours of sick time each year.  Part-time with benefits employees receive time off based on the number of hours they work, with a minimum of 60 hours each year.   
• Other Benefits 
  • Complementary stand-by cruises, employee discounts on confirmed cruises, plus special rates for family and friends 
  • Personal and professional learning and development resources including tuition reimbursement  
  • On-site preschool program and wellness center at our Miami campus 

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