Global Category Manager Colors Strategic Sourcing & Agronomy Strategy

Job Description

• Develop and execute the global procurement strategy for natural color raw materials, including paprika, annatto, turmeric, beetroot, purple carrot, grape skin, safflower, spirulina, carmine, chlorophyll, and other naturally derived color sources.
• Identify and develop new suppliers, growers, processors, and geographic sourcing regions to reduce dependency risk and improve supply continuity.
• Monitor global crop conditions, weather events, harvest projections, agricultural trends, geopolitical issues, and market dynamics impacting natural color raw materials.
• Develop agronomy-based sourcing strategies to improve crop reliability, geographic diversification, sustainability, and long-term availability.
• Establish strategic supplier partnerships with key natural color suppliers and processors.
• Lead supplier business reviews focused on performance, innovation, supply reliability, cost improvement, sustainability, and risk management.
• Partner closely with R&D, Regulatory, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, Sales, and Commercial teams to support raw material approvals, innovation projects, second sourcing, and customer growth initiatives.
• Provide procurement leadership on new raw material introductions, reformulations, supplier changes, and second-source development.
• Identify supply risks across the global natural color raw material portfolio and develop mitigation plans.
• Build alternate sourcing strategies for critical raw materials and single-source supply situations.

• Deep subject matter expertise in natural color raw materials and global agricultural supply chains.
• Strong strategic sourcing, negotiation, and supplier relationship management skills.
• Strong understanding of crop-based sourcing, agronomy, harvest cycles, seasonality, and agricultural risk.
• Ability to connect technical, regulatory, quality, commercial, and procurement considerations into a practical sourcing strategy.
• Strong executive communication skills with the ability to present clear recommendations to senior leadership.
• Strong business acumen with ability to balance cost, supply assurance, quality, innovation, and growth.
• Proven ability to influence across functions and lead without direct authority.
• Ability to build trust with suppliers, internal stakeholders, and senior leaders.

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Agribusiness, Agronomy, Food/Soil Science, Agriculture, Business, or related field required.
• Advanced degree in Business, Supply Chain, Agriculture, or Food Science preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of procurement, strategic sourcing, agribusiness, natural ingredients, or food ingredient experience.
• Strong preference for direct experience in the natural colors industry or prior experience working with a natural color house, ingredient manufacturer, processor, or agricultural sourcing organization.
• Demonstrated experience sourcing natural color raw materials, botanicals, fruits, vegetables, agricultural ingredients, or specialty food ingredients.
• Proven experience leading global sourcing strategies, supplier negotiations, supplier development, and risk mitigation plans.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams including R&D, Regulatory, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, and Commercial.
• Ability to travel globally to meet with suppliers, growers, processors, and internal stakeholders.

• Prior experience with natural color raw materials such as paprika, annatto, turmeric, beetroot, purple carrot, grape skin, safflower, spirulina, carmine, or similar agricultural-based color sources.
• Experience working directly with growers, processors, cooperatives, brokers, or vertically integrated ingredient suppliers.
• Knowledge of global natural color regulations, customer expectations, traceability requirements, and documentation needs.
• Experience developing second-source strategies and supplier qualification plans.
• Experience supporting high-growth ingredient businesses or customer-driven innovation pipelines.