What are the responsibilities and job description for the Procurement Manager position at Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Careers?
SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES
The Procurement Manager is responsible for category management and leading procurement initiatives across the Tropical Smoothie Cafe system. This includes supplier qualification, price negotiation, landed cost analysis, and contract management. This role also leads strategic sourcing efforts to drive cost savings while ensuring quality and supply continuity. The Procurement Manager will oversee more than $250MM in annual spend and support cross-functional initiatives across operations, marketing, culinary, and finance. This position reports to the Senior Director of Supply Chain Operations.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Lead sourcing initiatives including RFIs, RFPs, and RFQs to evaluate and award supplier partnerships
- Identify and execute cost savings opportunities without compromising product quality
- Conduct landed cost analysis and build models to compare sourcing scenarios
- Qualify, select, and support onboarding of new supplier partners
- Monitor industry trends, commodity markets, and macroeconomic indicators to guide sourcing strategies
- Serve as the internal expert on cost structures, supplier capabilities, and procurement best practices
- Provide business case support and rationale for all sourcing recommendations
- Conduct regular supplier business reviews to evaluate spend, performance, and innovation opportunities
- Participate in S&OP planning and align supplier production with demand forecasts
- Build strong relationships with key supplier contacts and internal stakeholders
- Develop and negotiate service level agreements and other contractual terms
- Manage contract lifecycles, ensuring compliance and timely renewals
- Mitigate supply risk by identifying and testing alternate sources of supply
- Support rollout of new tools and processes that enhance sourcing efficiency
- Leverage historical data and usage trends to inform procurement timing and strategies
- Communicate sourcing decisions and impacts to internal teams and franchisees
- Adhere and manage our contract management tool
- Partner with Legal, R&D, QA, and Operations to drive innovation and alignment
- Act as a leader and mentor within the Supply Chain team
- Perform additional responsibilities as assigned to support business needs
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
- 5 years of experience in procurement, contract management, or strategic sourcing
- Experience sourcing perishable or food products
- Foodservice, QSR, or Fast Casual industry experience strongly preferred
EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Finance, Business, or related field
CERTIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE
- Strong understanding of contract negotiation including pricing, food safety, and technical terms
- Experience leading competitive bid processes (RFx)
- Knowledge of commodity markets and cost structures
- Ability to assess currency impacts and macroeconomic trends
- Proficiency in strategic sourcing tools and techniques
- Advanced Excel skills and proficiency in MS Office Suite
- Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
- CPM, CPSM, or PMP certifications a plus
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
- Up to 10% travel to support business initiatives and supplier engagement
Salary : $250