Manager, Ingredients - Cheese & Dairy (Canada)

Job Description

Primary Responsibilities:

Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Management

Own and execute end-to-end sourcing strategies for the Canadian Cheese and Dairy portfolio, including market analysis, supplier segmentation, sourcing events, negotiations, contracting, implementation and ongoing commercial governance.

Develop and maintain a multi-year Canada sourcing strategy aligned with North American category strategies while reflecting Canadian market dynamics, business priorities, regulatory requirements and supply-chain constraints.

Partner closely with North American category experts to leverage market intelligence, supplier relationships, sourcing scale and best practices, while maintaining clear accountability for Canadian Business Unit outcomes.

Lead complex and high-value negotiations, supplier award recommendations and contracting, ensuring appropriate cost, service, quality, capacity, flexibility and risk protections.

Develop and communicate a strong point of view on Canadian and North American cheese and dairy markets, including commodity drivers, manufacturing economics, capacity, trade flows, tariffs and regional supply-demand dynamics.

Ensure pricing, contracts, specifications, supplier records and sourcing decisions are accurate, current and compliant within relevant source-to-pay and business systems.

Canada Cheese & Dairy Portfolio Responsibilities

Lead procurement for Cheese, Dairy Powders, Cheese Powders and Cream Mix across the Canadian Business Unit, balancing cost, functionality, specification, service and supply requirements.

Provide portfolio-level governance across maintenance, productivity, innovation, reformulation, promotions, plant transitions, capacity changes and new business opportunities.

Partner with R&D, Quality, Manufacturing, Commercial, Finance, Materials Management and the Canadian Business Unit to define requirements, technical specifications, project economics and implementation timing.

Lead supplier and procurement readiness for innovations, renovations, reformulations, promotions, plant transitions, product maintenance and business continuity initiatives.

Assess and manage category complexity, including product specifications, lead times, minimum order quantities, yields, conversion economics, supplier capacity and cross-border supply lanes.

Build and maintain contingency strategies for critical materials, suppliers, manufacturing locations and logistics routes serving Canada.

Cross-Border, Quota, Tariff & CDC Managemen t

Own procurement coordination for cross-border cheese and dairy flows into and out of Canada, ensuring commercial plans reflect applicable quotas, tariffs, customs requirements and regulatory obligations.

Lead procurement management of Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) requirements and related processes, working with internal and external experts to support compliant and cost-effective execution.

Monitor quota availability, tariff exposure and cross-border cost implications, incorporating these factors into sourcing decisions, budgets, supplier negotiations and risk assessments.

Coordinate with Trade Compliance, Legal, Finance, Logistics, customs brokers, suppliers and category experts to resolve cross-border issues and maintain continuity of supply.

Maintain clear governance, documentation and escalation paths for quota, tariff and CDC activities affecting the Canadian portfolio.

Forecasting, Inventory & Materials Management

Provide leadership and governance for coordination with Materials Management on forecasts, inventory policies, material requirements, lead times, capacity and availability across the Canadian portfolio.

Lead cross-functional resolution of supply disruptions, delivery issues, allocation constraints and inventory imbalances, with clear escalation, ownership and recovery plans.

Drive improvements in forecasting discipline, inventory visibility, supplier communication and working-capital performance in partnership with Mount Royal Planners, Materials Management and Finance.

Supplier Relationship & Performance Management

Own strategic relationships with key Cheese and Dairy suppliers serving the Canadian market.

Support the management of key Canadian Semi-Finished Goods suppliers, including Agropur and other strategic partners, in close alignment with the relevant North American category owners.

Define supplier strategies and performance expectations across cost, quality, service, delivery, capacity, innovation, sustainability and risk.

Lead strategic business reviews, negotiations, performance interventions, improvement plans and resolution of escalated commercial or supply issues.

Establish fit-for-purpose supply agreements, pricing mechanisms, service commitments, capacity protections and risk mitigations.

Develop a resilient, competitive and capable Canadian supply base, including qualification of alternatives and management of supplier concentration or dependency risks.

Build collaborative supplier relationships that enable innovation, continuous improvement, transparency and long-term value creation.

Canadian Business Unit Leadership & Stakeholder Management

Act as the principal Procurement partner for Cheese & Dairy within the Canadian Business Unit, aligning category strategies and sourcing actions with Business Unit priorities.

Participate in Canadian Business Unit Leadership Team sessions as the Cheese & Dairy Procurement representative.

Cascade relevant market, supplier, cost, supply, policy and project information into the Canadian Business Unit Leadership Team, and communicate decisions, priorities, risks and required actions back to Procurement and North American category teams.

Influence senior cross-functional stakeholders and resolve competing priorities across Procurement, Materials Management, Manufacturing, R&D, Quality, Finance, Commercial and the Canadian Business Unit.

Prepare and deliver monthly business updates to the Associate Director, Cheese & Dairy, covering market developments, category performance, productivity, supplier performance, inventory and supply risks, strategic decisions and next steps.

Represent the category in annual planning, productivity, innovation, risk and business review forums.

Project Management & Continuous Improvement

Lead cross-functional programmes related to productivity, innovation, portfolio maintenance, supplier transitions, specification changes, risk mitigation, supply continuity and process improvement for Canada.

Establish governance, milestones, resources, decision forums and escalation paths for priority category initiatives.

Drive improvements in procurement processes, category analytics, supplier performance management, contracting, forecasting, inventory coordination and cross-border execution.

Ensure compliance with procurement policies, sourcing governance, approval requirements, contracting standards, supplier due diligence and internal controls.

Expected Experience & Required Skills

Bachelor's degree in supply chain, operations management, finance, business, food science or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.

4-6 years of progressive experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, supply chain or a related commercial discipline; dairy, cheese, food ingredients, commodity or external manufacturing experience is strongly preferred.

Proven experience developing category strategies, leading complex sourcing events and negotiations, and managing high-value supplier relationships and long-term agreements.

Strong understanding of Canadian dairy or food ingredient markets, commodity and conversion cost drivers, supplier capacity, forecasting, inventory, working capital and supply risk management.

Knowledge of Canadian dairy trade and regulatory considerations, including quotas, tariffs, cross-border processes and CDC requirements, is ideal.