Category Manager - Dairy

The Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing end-to-end category strategies that drive cost competitiveness, supply security, and supplier performance across assigned commodity categories within Westrock Coffee's beverage manufacturing operations. This role requires deep understanding of the underlying market forces—such as resin markets for packaging, agricultural commodity cycles for ingredients, and energy cost inputs for manufacturing-adjacent categories—that directly affect the total cost of the category. The Category Manager partners with R&D, Operations, Finance,Legal and Commercial teams to align sourcing strategies with business objectives, product innovation, and profitability targets. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Category Strategy Development & Execution Develop, own, and execute multi-year category strategies for assigned categories (e.g., packaging materials such as aluminum cans, glass bottles, PET/HDPE containers, labels, and corrugate; or direct ingredients such as concentrates, sweeteners, botanicals, and functional additives). Conduct total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis and build category-level cost models that account for raw material inputs, conversion costs, logistics, and quality risk. Identify and monitor the commodity and market factors that drive category costs, including but not limited to: Packaging categories: resin markets (HDPE, PET, LLDPE), aluminum ingot and LME pricing, glass silica and energy inputs, corrugate fiber indices (OCC, virgin kraft), and freight/fuel surcharges. Ingredient categories: sugar and HFCS (CBOT futures), citric acid and preservative markets, coffee and tea commodity indices (ICE futures), botanical and extract supply chain dynamics, and FDA/regulatory input cost factors. Dairy categories: Class I, II,III and Class IV milk futures (CME), butterfat and nonfat dry milk (NDM) spot markets, cheese and whey commodity indices, USDA Dairy Product Price Reports, and Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) pricing mechanisms that drive fluid milk, cream, and dairy ingredient costs. Develop proactive cost forecasting models with quarterly commodity outlooks to inform S&OP planning, financial budgeting, and commercial pricing decisions. Lead make-vs.-buy, single-vs.-dual source, and nearshoring analyses to optimize category risk and cost position. Sourcing & Supplier Management Own the end-to-end sourcing process for assigned categories, including market scans, RFI/RFP development, bid analysis, negotiation, contract execution, and award recommendations. Build and manage a high-performing supplier base; evaluate and onboard new suppliers using a structured scorecard encompassing quality, cost, delivery, service, and sustainability metrics. Negotiate long-term supply agreements, volume-based pricing structures, cost-escalation mechanisms tied to commodity indices, and performance-linked terms. Drive dual/multi-sourcing strategies for critical materials to reduce single-source risk and improve negotiating leverage. Partner with Quality Assurance to ensure supplier specifications, certifications (SQF, FSSC 22000, BRC, Kosher/Halal where applicable), and regulatory requirements are maintained. Conduct periodic supplier business reviews (QBRs) covering OTD, quality performance, pricing, and continuous improvement initiatives. Commodity Intelligence & Market Risk Management Maintain an active market intelligence function: monitor commodity indices, trade publications, supplier earnings reports, and macroeconomic indicators relevant to the category. Provide monthly or quarterly commodity market briefings to Finance, Operations, and senior leadership, including forward-looking price outlooks and recommended hedging or contract positioning. For dairy procurement, actively track USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) weekly price reports, CME spot market activity for butter, cheese, and dry whey announcements as applicable; incorporate these into monthly dairy cost ou…

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