Procurement Category Manager, Food & Agriculture

Job Description

The Clorox Company is seeking an experienced and dynamic Procurement Category Manager for Food Ingredients and Agricultural Products to join our Global Procurement team. In this strategic role, you will lead global sourcing strategies for a $140M–$170M raw material portfolio that fuels multiple brands within segments exceeding $3 billion in sales. As the category expert, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive supply continuity, value optimization, innovation, and sustainability by leveraging market intelligence and supplier relationships to inform sourcing and risk mitigation strategies. Other key responsibilities include commodity hedging and forecasting, supplier negotiations, and leadership of cross-functional sourcing initiatives to enable growth and resilience in a dynamic global marketplace.

Key Responsibilities:

• Category expertise for both Procurement and cross-functional business partners.
• Develop and execute comprehensive strategies for subcategories within area of responsibility that align with Clorox’s overall business goals, focusing on value delivery, quality, supply chain resilience, innovation, and sustainability.
• Identify and assess market trends, supplier capabilities, and competitive dynamics within the Food and Agricultural Products space
• Establish long-term partnerships with key suppliers, fostering innovation and collaboration.
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers to ensure continuity of supply, optimize value, and drive continuous improvement.
• Conduct annual performance reviews with key strategic suppliers, ensuring that service, quality, ESG, and delivery commitments are met.
• Partner with suppliers to explore innovation opportunities, developing differentiated solutions that support Clorox’s growth and brand equity.
• Cost Management & Value Optimization
• Lead cost management initiatives to deliver annual savings goals, leveraging strategic sourcing, value engineering, and supplier negotiations.
• Manage and optimize spend across the category, identifying and implementing cost-saving opportunities without compromising on quality or sustainability goals.
• Collaborate with finance and Business Unit teams to track performance against budget targets, identifying and mitigating risks proactively.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
• Work closely with the R&D, supply chain, marketing, and manufacturing teams to ensure alignment on product requirements and strategic priorities.
• Partner with sustainability teams to drive initiatives that align with Clorox’s environmental goals, ensuring sustainable sourcing practices.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to internal stakeholders, providing insights and expertise on market trends, supplier innovation, and best practices. Provide procurement perspective to commodity hedging team in support of financial risk management strategy.

Qualifications:

• Four (4) year degree from an accredited college or university, preferably Business/Agribusiness, Economics/Agricultural Economics, Food Science, Engineering, Natural Sciences, or related fields.
• 5 years of strategic procurement or related business experience, preferably in CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) or FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods).
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization. Assertive and diplomatic, self-directed, able to manage up and down the organization effectively, and willing to hold self and others accountable.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and a diverse product portfolio.
• Ability to drive innovation and continuous improvement in procurement processes and supplier relationships.
• Working understanding of sustainable sourcing practices.
• Strong negotiation skills with a proven track record of driving cost savings and value through strategic sourcing and supplier management.
• Familiarity with supply chain risk management principles, including supplier risk assessment, market intelligence, and scenario planning.
• Strong knowledge of procurement software and tools; MS Office, particularly PowerPoint and Excel; and MRP systems (SAP S/4 Hana and Ariba preferred).
• Travel – Ability to travel up to 25%.