Director of Procurement - Manufacturing Commodities and Ingredients

Oversee over $1.2B in spend and drive product sourcing, cost management, product quality and availability for Produce, Commodities, Ingredients, and Raw Materials for Kroger Stores and Manufacturing Sites. Align with merchandising, suppliers and other internal stakeholders to drive enterprise value and long-term growth. Guide the team through key sourcing activities such as vendor identification, cost negotiation, and contracting while monitoring market conditions (e.g., weather, commodity trends) to optimize supply and cost decisions. Reduce non-value-added costs. Partner with manufacturing and merchant leaders to address systemic supplier issues and ensure consistent quality, service, and regulatory compliance across sensitive categories. Provide support for capability build out and disintermediation of distributors / brokers to drive direct relationships with our sources of supply. Demonstrate the company’s core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and safety.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement sourcing strategies across commodities, ingredients, raw materials and produce; align plans with merchandising, manufacturing, Our Brands, and supply chain to optimize cost, quality, and availability in highly perishable and regulated categories; supports enterprise growth, reduces cost of goods sold (COGS), and ensures supply continuity in foundational areas
• Manage and influence strategic supplier relationships across growers, producers, and manufacturers to support enterprise goals; align with stakeholders to set pricing, secure volume, drive innovation, and mitigate risk
• Foster collaboration to ensure supply continuity and performance across diverse sourcing categories
• Support creation of direct fresh importing capabilities for Kroger, in order to take advantage of our scale, minimize our costs and work with growers around the world
• Lead contract development and compliance oversight
• Use analytics to uncover sourcing opportunities and monitor supplier performance, while building a diversified supplier base to reduce risks related to geopolitics, climate, and operations
• Mentor and lead a high-performing team that fosters innovation, champions best-in-class practices, and aligns talent capabilities with enterprise-wide goals
• Supervise and coach direct reports in the performance of their duties; complete performance reviews and provide feedback to direct reports
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field
• 10+ years of experience in procurement, category management, sourcing, or merchandising
• Experience in roles such as procurement/sourcing analyst, category manager, sourcing manager, procurement operations manager, director of strategic sourcing, or merchandising category director
• Experience managing the sourcing of ingredients, local products, or commodities; experience negotiating contracts and ensuring compliance
• Experience overseeing complex supplier portfolios, driving innovation, and managing volatility
• Experience leading sourcing operations, compliance and supplier development in fragmented categories
• Experience leading enterprise-wide strategies for ingredient sourcing, ESG integration, and supplier resilience
• Developed analytical skills in commodity pricing, supplier tracking, and risk modeling
• Strong communication and relationship‑building skills with internal partners and external suppliers
• Commitment to delivering reliable product availability, consistent quality, and cost optimization

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in supply chain or business administration
• Demonstrated ability to partner closely with merchants and manufacturing to optimize quality, service level, and end‑to‑end supply chain performance