Global Sourcing Category Manager

We are seeking an experienced and proactive Global Sourcing Category Manager to lead our sourcing strategy for fresh crops, juice concentrates and to further develop in-/outsourcing strategies for our growing portfolio. This role is critical in building sustainable, cost-effective, and long-term supply solutions rooted in a deep understanding of agricultural value chains and supplier ecosystems. 

You will drive cross-functional projects forward, solve sourcing challenges quickly and pragmatically, and serve as a catalyst for action across internal and external teams. The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with hands-on field experience and commercial acumen. 

• Category Ownership – Fresh Crops, Juice Concentrates: Manage global sourcing of fresh crops (e.g., fruits, vegetables, roots) and juice concentrates, ensuring continuity, quality, and competitiveness.
• Agricultural Expertise: Understand farming cycles, agricultural risks, and agronomic factors that influence crop yield and quality; integrate this knowledge into sourcing strategies.
• Strategy Development: Design and implement mid- to long-term sourcing and in-/outsourcing strategies in alignment with company goals, sustainability targets, and market trends.
• Supplier Engagement: Build and manage strong relationships with farmers, cooperatives, processors, and third-party manufacturers.
• Problem Solving: Identify bottlenecks in supply and quality, address field or production issues quickly, and escalate or resolve them through structured actions and collaboration.
• Drive Execution: Take initiative to translate strategy into concrete actions and deliverables; ensure sourcing plans are implemented on time and within budget.
• Project Management: Lead and coordinate sourcing initiatives across departments, including pilots, tenders, transitions, or onboarding new suppliers.
• Negotiation & Contracting: Lead commercial negotiations and secure agreements that balance cost, risk, and supply continuity.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with internal teams (R&D, Quality, Operations, Finance, Legal) to ensure alignment and execution of sourcing plans.
• Risk Management: Proactively manage risks related to weather, pricing, logistics, or regulatory changes by building resilience into sourcing models.
• Market Intelligence: Monitor agricultural, commodity, and logistics markets to anticipate supply disruptions and identify cost-saving opportunities.
  
  
  

• Proven experience in global sourcing within the food, beverage, or natural ingredients industry.
• Understanding of agricultural supply chains and fresh/raw material sourcing.
• Demonstrated track record of problem solving, driving initiatives forward, and managing sourcing projects from end-to-end.
• Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
• Strategic mindset with hands-on execution ability.
• Comfort working in a dynamic, seasonally driven environment.
• Fluent in English and French (written and spoken) is must.
• Willingness to travel frequently to farms, processing sites, and suppliers (20–30%).
• Job Location: France or Poland or Italy to frequent travel to fields and suppliers