Sourcing Manager, Packaging

Role Profile

The Sourcing Manager for Packaging is a full-time position in the Direct Procurement organization, based in Kingsport, TN, USA, reporting to the Sourcing Director. The primary responsibility of this role is to manage sourcing and procurement of a portfolio of categories of industrial packaging spend: typical categories of industrial packaging include drums, pallets, bulk bags, totes, corrugated boxes, etc.

The role includes developing sourcing strategies for the packaging items required and an overall direction for the categories, securing the needed materials at the lowest total cost of ownership, negotiating pricing and supply contracts with existing suppliers, working to develop new supply sources as needed, working with internal stakeholders to gain product and supplier approvals and ensuring product supply and managing supplier risk. The role will involve communicating and meeting with external suppliers, internal stakeholders, and occasional travel. 

The Sourcing Manager will interface closely with internal stakeholders, including Strategic Business Units, Manufacturing Units, Manufacturing, Product Stewardship, Supply Chain and Quality organizations.

Responsibilities

• Leads sourcing activities for one or more Packaging categories of spend, with the goal of achieving significant initial cost reductions, while maintaining/improving product quality and supplier service levels   
• Applies 4-step procurement framework to strategic categories and drives all aspects of strategic procurement effort
• Works with manufacturing areas to identify packaging improvement opportunities to drive cost savings or performance improvement
• Works with various organizations to establish new or modified packaging to support new products or new business requiring modified packaging
• Develops and refines packaging specifications.  Is a consulting resource for design and commercial needs across all businesses and global sites    
• Investigates complaints that are potentially connected to packaging deficiencies
• Conducts assessments and audits to qualify new suppliers or validate existing ones meet expectations (quality systems, certifications, security)
• Ensure designed packaging complies to all regulatory expectations (performance, labelling) regarding transport of hazardous goods
• Work with product stewardship team and suppliers to ensure our materials maintain compliance with new and evolving packaging regulation trends
• Works closely with key stakeholders in the businesses, quality, operations, finance, legal, and across global procurement to develop effective sourcing, inventory, cost reduction and category plans
• Facilitates supplier exploration, negotiation and contracting processes and ensures contract compliance
• Develops market expertise in the assigned categories and monitors market trends to inform sourcing decisions and make recommendations to business leadership
• Leads cost savings opportunities via negotiations with suppliers
• Facilitates cross-functional teams to develop and implement category strategies
• Assesses product and supplier risk of business interruption and establishes and executes effective mitigation plans
• Upholds internal and external policies, regulations and laws 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Three years of related sourcing or other related commercial role
• Successful, track record in Supply Chain, Purchasing, Sales, or other business commercial role
• Strong commercial and negotiating skills to drive to lowest total cost of ownership
• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills (multiple complex analyses simultaneously)
• Strong attention to detail and accountability
• Strategic mind-set to identify improvement opportunities, with balance of short term and long-term interests.
• Good planning/project management skills
• The ability to represent Eastman’s position with suppliers and other external contacts
• Proactive and self-motivated in recognizing needs, solving problems, anticipating issues and developing solutions
• The ability to work cross-functionally and to collaboratively engage and influence other parts of the Corporation  
• Adaptive to change, embraces challenges
• Demonstrates a global mindset
• Strong bias for action and goal oriented to drive to positive outcomes
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills