Job Description

RProcurement Packing Associate Manager is responsible for managing and optimizing the sourcing, procurement, and supply of packaging materials for food manufacturing, processing, and production. This role ensures cost-effective, timely, and high-quality procurement solutions that align with business needs and production demands. The ideal candidate must have a strong background in procurement, supplier management, and cost optimization to support strategic sourcing initiatives and drive operational efficiency in packaging materials.

Identify and Evaluate Packaging suppliers: Conduct through market research to identify potential packaging suppliers of meeting our company's production requirements. Assess their capabilities, quality standards, track records, and compliance with industry regulations.

Vendor Selection and Negotiation: Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including production, quality assurance, legal, and finance, to evaluate potential vendors and select the most suitable packaging suppliers. Negotiate volume, contract terms, including pricing, delivery timelines, quality control, and service level agreements, to secure favourable deals for the company based on cost, quality, and delivery requirements, to ensure cost-effective solutions.

Supplier Relationship Management: Foster strong, long-term relationships with packaging suppliers by providing clear communication, addressing concerns, and facilitating collaboration. Monitor supplier performance, ensuring adherence to contractual obligations, quality standards, and ethical conduct.

Develop suppliers for packaging by creating category strategy per material, VE and INNO initiatives.

Contract Management: Oversee the preparation, review, and execution of contracts with packaging suppliers. Work closely with legal teams to ensure all legal and compliance requirements are met, minimizing risk and protecting the company's interests.

Cost Optimization: Continuously analyse procurement processes, market trends, and supplier performance to identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements. Develop strategies to drive efficiency, minimize expenses, and achieve cost optimization goals.

Supply Chain Management: Collaborate closely with the supply chain team to align procurement activities with production schedules, inventory management, and demand forecasts. Maintain accurate records of procurement activities, supplier performance, and contracts to support effective supply chain planning. Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize tasks effectively.

Quality Assurance: Collaborate with quality assurance teams to define and enforce quality control standards for procured goods and services. Monitor and evaluate external manufacturer performance against quality metrics and take appropriate corrective actions when necessary.

Strategy: Guarantee the correct alignment between global teams, packaging suppliers and KHC related to innovation and strategic plan by updating capabilities to absorb our growth in Mexico, building a Strategic agenda, by setting up categories/materials strategy & sourcing plan.

Key Activities:

• Identify cost-saving opportunities and analyse market trends to optimize procurement strategies for packaging materials
• Analyse and identify opportunities to have cost models when we negotiate packaging portfolio
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (local and global) to ensure that packaging meets product specifications while optimizing costs
• Execute and support sourcing initiatives for key packaging materials, including supplier evaluation, contract management and process optimization

Knowledge & Experience

• • 5+ years of experience in Procurement and Supply Chain, with 2+ years specifically focused on packaging procurement.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business Administration, Economics, or related field.

• Proven experience in category management, strategic sourcing, and supplier negotiations.

• Business fluency in Spanish and English.

• Strong contract management skills, including supplier performance evaluation and cost optimization.

• Experience in leading cross-functional teams and collaborating with internal stakeholders (Operations, Finance, Marketing, R&D).

• Advanced knowledge of SAP Ariba or other e-procurement systems.

• Advanced Excel and data analytics skills for procurement reporting and decision-making.

• Familiarity with sustainability initiatives and packaging innovation trends.

Location(s)

San Jose, Costa Rica Local Office

Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes.