Procurement Manager

About the Company Synlait is a dynamic, purpose-driven milk nutrition company dedicated to "Doing Milk Differently for a Healthier World." We take pride in our unique approach, which fosters innovation and drives value through fresh thinking. Our team consists of down-to-earth, authentic individuals who collaborate to produce the highest quality milk nutrition products. By combining expert farming practices with innovative processing techniques, we deliver a range of nutritional milk products to our global customers. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute their best. About the Role We are excited to announce an opening for a Procurement Manager at our Dunsandel site. This pivotal leadership role will be responsible for shaping and executing the procurement strategy across our organization. You will oversee all procurement activities, ensuring alignment with our business goals, sustainability objectives, governance frameworks, and customer needs while fostering a high-performing, commercially focused procurement team. As the Procurement Manager, you will leverage your strategic and commercial leadership skills, along with your deep understanding of procurement best practices. Your proven ability to lead teams, negotiate complex contracts, and resolve supplier challenges will be essential to success in this role. Key Responsibilities Your main responsibilities will include: - Building and nurturing a capable and engaged procurement team that is empowered to achieve company objectives and support key initiatives across the business. - Elevating the profile of the Procurement function within Synlait and cultivating a culture that values critical thinking and continuous improvement. - Collaborating with senior leaders and stakeholders to connect procurement activities with business planning, performance metrics, and customer outcomes. - Navigating complex supplier relationships, leading negotiations, and delivering measurable cost savings while ensuring continuity of supply and alignment with customer contracts and performance obligations. - Developing team expertise in sourcing, negotiation, contract management, and risk mitigation. - Monitoring market trends and supplier performance to identify cost-saving opportunities and drive continuous improvement. - Supporting internal stakeholders in understanding their procurement requirements and providing guidance as needed. - Collaborating with key customers on joint procurement initiatives, including joint sourcing, regular reporting, and key cost-saving measures. - Championing strong data governance and reporting, utilizing insights to mitigate risk, enhance visibility, and support informed decision-making through well-constructed business cases and continuous improvement initiatives. Requirements To be considered for this role, candidates should possess: - A minimum of 10 years of experience in strategic procurement or commercial roles, ideally within manufacturing or supply chain environments. - A tertiary qualification in finance, accounting, business, or a related field, or equivalent management experience. - Membership in a recognized Procurement/Supply Chain industry body (e.g., CIPS) is desirable. - A demonstrated record of developing and implementing procurement frameworks that deliver measurable value. - Proven ability to lead, develop, and inspire high-performing teams while promoting a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. - Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to assess complex situations and make effective decisions. - Proven capability to build and maintain strong relationships with senior leaders, suppliers, customers, and stakeholders. - Proficiency in strategic planning, project management, negotiation, and influencing outcomes. - Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to drive alignment and add value across the organization. Benefits At Synlait, we offer a range of benefits to support our employees, including: - Health insurance coverage with partnerships for additional benefits and discounts. - Excellent parental leave options through our Matua policy. - B CorpTM certification. - Opportunities for Social Club membership. What’s Next? If you are a skilled and experienced procurement professional with a track record of successfully managing high-performing procurement teams and driving cost savings, we encourage you to apply. Please submit your most recent CV and a cover letter summarizing your abilities and what you can bring to Synlait. We appreciate your interest in joining our team and wish you the best of luck with your application. We encourage you to apply early, as we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and may close the advertisement ahead of schedule. Together, we will continue to foster a workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute their best.