Procurement Director, Global Specialty Food Ingredients.- UK Europe in Manchester

Reports to: VP Global Procurement Direct & Capex. The Procurement Director, Global Specialty Food Ingredients, has a strategic and dynamic role in leading the procurement of ingredients globally. The person will build a high-performance team, develop infrastructure and processes to deliver breakthrough value to the company’s revenue, bottom line earnings, and cash generation. The role requires an individual with experience and knowledge of the global ingredients market, as well as the ability to develop and execute innovative strategies that deliver cost competitiveness, sustainable supply, and value creation. The person will partner effectively with all stakeholders internally and externally, bringing industry and market insights toward the successful execution of the procurement strategy.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in procurement, supply chain management, business development, or similar with a proven track record of delivering results in a global environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Finance or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of the specialty food ingredients industry and experience in managing strategic supplier relationships.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including the ability to lead cross‑functional teams and manage complex projects.
• Excellent relationship‑building and stakeholder communication skills.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and project management skills; proficiency in procurement software (e.g., SAP) and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
• Fluency in English; written and spoken.
• Ability to travel internationally as required.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a sustainable, cost‑competitive supply chain for a broad range of ingredients including hydrocolloids, sugar reduction, milk and dairy, proteins, and selected carbohydrates that meet the company’s demand requirements.
• Develop a procurement KPI dashboard that aligns procurement performance to company targets.
• Lead the development and implementation of category strategies aligned with business growth objectives, recognizing and differentiating between customized solutions and single ingredients.
• Ensure category pricing negotiations are aligned to the strategy, delivering value and competitiveness to the company.
• Implement Supplier Relationship Management programs for strategic suppliers and establish a cadence for top‑to‑top engagement with senior management.
• Maintain and manage a project pipeline for value creation, including projects that deliver cost and cash benefits, improve process and efficiencies, and foster innovation. The tracker should be robust and feed into the global procurement value pipeline.
• Develop market, industry intelligence and insights that can be shared with business and operations stakeholders toward advancing the company strategy and performance.
• Maintain a strong connection with external organizations to drive knowledge and insights to support procurement and business strategy.
• Hire, develop and retain talented employees; build effective collaboration and teamwork between procurement and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with the company’s Procurement Policies, Ingredion’s Code of Conduct, and Business Ethics Policies.

Additional Skills

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in a global, matrixed organization.
• Open mindset for collaboration with global purchasing colleagues to identify global opportunities and risks.
• Analytical skills, business, and financial acumen.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Effective supplier relationship management to ensure a reliable and high‑quality supply base.
• Strategic thinking to align procurement activities with broader business goals.
• Ability to stay updated with industry trends and evolving procurement technologies.