Summary Description

At The Gorilla Glue Company, we're passionate about building strong brands with our fantastic team of employees. We believe in promoting a culture of excellence that empowers, engages, and connects people. The Strategic Sourcing Manager will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including researching and evaluating new suppliers, negotiating contracts, and managing product development projects. They will collaborate with R&D and Brand Management to translate consumer insights into product designs and will maintain purchase orders and inbound supply for newly launched or strategic products/materials. This role requires a results-oriented technical professional who can effectively coordinate with various teams to drive and monitor product development initiatives.

• Act as an internal technical expert to support cross-functional team and collaborate effectively with global R&D and Supply Chain teams

• Develop relationships/partnerships within the industry to stay on top of new technologies and translate them into new product concepts.

• Partner with Regulatory and Quality groups to:

  • Define appropriate claims for products and develop the required substantiation

  • Ensure labeling complies with local regulatory, safety and commercial guidelines

  • Develop product and formula specifications, test methods, standard operating procedures, and other controlled documents as required.

  • Evaluate existing products to ensure quality levels are maintained, as well as explore continuous improvement opportunities.

• Understand cost structures and pricing on all product lines and link to Global Cost Savings program to drive out unnecessary costs.

• Maintain Knowledge base on top competitive product performance aligned with POS data in all product categories.

• Act as a conduit on all packaging changes connecting with Global Pack/Dev group

What's in it for you?

Thanks to our commitment to creating a supportive and engaged workplace culture, Gorilla Glue has been recognized as a top place to work for 14 years in a row. We offer competitive compensation packages, comprehensive healthcare benefits, and other perks and incentives to ensure our employees feel valued and supported.

Joining the Gorilla Glue family means being part of a team passionate about building strong brands and promoting a culture of excellence. As an employee, you'll be able to help create high-quality products and build brands that people love. Join us in an inspiring workplace where you can belong, grow, and make a difference!

What will your day look like?

• Identification / Qualification of New Sources of Supply

  • Works in conjunction with R&D and Quality resources for new products.

  • Jointly responsible for vendor audit and qualification (business risk assessment).

  • Responsible for commercial terms negotiation regarding new supply contract.

  • Key contact point for vendor regarding supply issues during first year of product launch.

  • Identifies and evaluates alternate sources of supply for existing product/materials.

• Vendor Negotiations

  • Develops and implements negotiations strategy for annual contract review across vendor base.

  • Coordinates with Quality regarding resolution of any supply issues, including product non-conformance and on time delivery performance.

• Inventory Strategy and Tactical Procurement

  • Partners with S&OP team in development of stocking strategies regarding new purchased products/materials.

  • Owns communication and implementation of stocking strategy with outside vendor:

    • Lead time reduction

    • VMI strategies

    • Vendor forecast

  • Responsible for tactical procurement of product/materials during initial 6-12months following launch.

    • Includes responsibility for successful transition to Tactical Buyer at the end of this period.

  • Responsible for ongoing tactical procurement of key, strategic commodities.

• Communicate

  • Cross functional communication is key for success in this role.

  • Requires effective communication in a team environment.

  • Internal customers include: R&D, Marketing, Quality, Engineering, S&OP, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Finance

What you bring to the table:

Education:

• BA or equivalent experience

Experience:

• 7-10 years progressive experience in Purchasing, Sourcing or Supply Chain

• Technical experience in cosmetics, chemicals

• Microsoft Excel

• APICS Certification a plus

Specific Skills:

• Must possess excellent communication skills and interpersonal skills.

• Should be goal oriented, confident, outgoing, and able to work well under pressure.

• Expected to succeed within a competitive environment.

• Demonstrate good judgment.

• Must be able to multi-task.

• Must be able to work independently and demonstrate effective initiative.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stoop, reach, stand, walk, lift, pull, push, grasp, talk, hear, see and use repetitive motions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may frequently lift and or move up to 50 pounds of material, boxes, etc. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as reading handwritten and or typed material and must have the ability to focus.

Company Values:

Must adhere to The Gorilla Glue Company’s Core Values that ensure everyone works together to exceed expectations.

• Have fun, be passionate and show it!
• Act with integrity and respect in all relationships.
• Communicate openly and appreciate the effort of others.
• Embrace knowledge, growth, and change.
• Strive for excellence in what we do every day!