Procurement Manager - UniFirst

The Procurement Manager is responsible for strategic sourcing and procurement activities for products sold to our customers and used by UniFirst plant processing facilities. This role requires the use of initiative and independent judgement, while working effectively with multiple stakeholders across several corporate functions and field service locations.

The Procurement Manager will be expected to develop a holistic category management approach for the Production Operations and Facilities Services categories to secure the best value for UniFirst’s money spent on those items and ensure continuity of supply.

This position will report to the Director of Supply Chain / Procurement. This position will be a hybrid work arrangement, with an expectation of 2-3 days per week in the office.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Optimize the supply chain for all Production Operations and Facilities Services spend
  • Create and maintain a comprehensive category plan that includes a three-year sourcing calendar that aligns with UniFirst’s strategic plan
  • Create annual sourcing plans through stakeholder engagement and prioritize the plan according to savings goals, contract expiration and stakeholder/project timing
  • Maintain in-depth knowledge of relevant commodities markets and tariffs to identify supply and cost risks, and work to mitigate risks through SKU rationalization, volume aggregation, specification evaluation and global strategic sourcing
• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives using the UniFirst five-step strategic sourcing process
  • Lead the strategic sourcing initiatives to aid in price discovery and vendor selection
  • Perform spend analytics using ERP systems and vendor usage reports
  • Conduct product/industry research and assess stakeholder needs
  • Develop RFIs / RFPs to qualify vendors and solicit initial proposals for goods or services
  • Negotiate all pricing, contract terms and conditions of supply
  • Utilize price escalator clauses where appropriate to maintain UniFirst’s market price competitiveness
  • Draft and execute supplier agreements with favorable trading terms for UniFirst
  • Facilitate onboarding of new suppliers and implementation of new agreements
  • Provide ongoing Supplier Relationship Management and lead periodic business reviews with vendors to review KPIs and correct performance
• Coordinate with the Product Committee to get approval for product additions, deletions, and substitutions.
• Promptly respond to field location issues and product inquiries
• Maintain all vendor pricing and initiative information on corporate intranet site (UNET) and in Oracle ERP. Communicate changes to product pricing to stakeholders.
• Ensure ongoing location purchasing compliance against vendor agreements
• Train and manage a Procurement Analyst to support delivery of annual sourcing targets
• Serve as the ERP implementation lead for Production Operations and Facilities Services vendors, assist with overall Procure-to-Pay workflow set-up and provide on-going support

Reporting to Management:

• Maintain current results in the Activity Tracker including initiative status, cost savings, cost avoidance and performance improvements
• Track and validate savings on initiatives for a minimum period of 12 months to ensure proper implementation and realization of savings

The ideal candidate will possess these minimum requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• CPM or CPSM preferred
• Minimum 5 years of Strategic Sourcing and/or Buying experience
• Apparel, consumer products, or industrial supply experience is a plus
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, with the capability to use Excel to analyze large data sets
• Experience with an ERP system and eProcurement suite such as Oracle or SAP
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Negotiating skills
• Demonstrated ability to accomplish KPI goals and facilitate continuous improvement
• Strong time-management, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to travel as required
• Fluent in English

Benefits & Perks:

401K with Company Match, Profit Sharing, Health Insurance, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, Tuition Reimbursement, 30% Employee Discount, Employee Referral Bonuses.

UniFirst is an international leader in garment & Uniform services industry. We currently employ over 14,000 team partners who serve 300,000 business customer locations throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

We were included in the top 10 of Selling Power magazine’s “Best Companies to Sell For” list and recognized on Forbes magazine’s “Platinum 400 – Best Big Companies” list. As an 80-year old company focused on annual growth, there’s never been a better time to join our team. 

UniFirst is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment against any individual on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, citizenship, or any other factor protected by anti-discrimination laws