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For more than 115 years, Ferrara has created sugar confections that enable moments of sweetness, celebration, and connection for candy lovers of all generations. Today, the company is the #1 sugar confectioner in the United States. Ferrara boasts a passionate team of nearly 9,000 employees creating and delivering hundreds of products sold under 20 popular brands like Brach’s®, NERDS®, SweeTARTS®, Laffy Taffy®, and Trolli® to more than 66 million U.S. households annually and popular Dori snacking products under brands such as Dori, Gomets, Pettiz, and Yogurte 100 in Brazil. Additionally, Jelly Belly, known world-wide for its confections, was acquired in November of 2023.

Sr. Manager, Indirect Procurement - IT & Professional Services

Work Location: Chicago

Due to the highly interactive and team-based nature of this role, in-person attendance for most of the workweek (i.e., 3 days or more) is essential for: effective communication including during in-person meetings, strong supervision, real-time problem-solving, and participation in cross-functional initiatives.

Want to make an impact?

As a Senior Procurement Category Manager, IT & Professional Services, you will be the strategic lead for all sourcing, vendor management, and contract execution related to Ferrara’s IT and Professional Services categories. This includes enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, SaaS, hardware, IT consulting, managed services, as well as professional services such as legal, audit, finance, HR consulting, and others.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Indirect Procurement, this high-impact role serves as the primary procurement advisor to the CIO, CFO, Chief Legal Officer, and other senior stakeholders. You will drive enterprise value through cost transformation, innovation partnerships, digital enablement, and vendor accountability, supporting an annual spend of $100M+.

Ways you will make a difference

Category Management

Own the end-to-end category strategy, sourcing roadmap, and supplier ecosystem across software (SaaS, on-prem, licenses), infrastructure (cloud, data centers, networking), IT services (MSPs, AMS), hardware (laptops, peripherals, servers) and professional services.
Lead global sourcing events and vendor selection for IT transformation, cybersecurity, cloud migration, ERP upgrades (S/4HANA, Ariba), and other enterprise programs.
Serve as procurement’s subject matter expert for professional services ensuring competitive and risk-balanced engagements.

Strategic Sourcing, Commercial Negotiation & Contract Execution

Own the full sourcing lifecycle: demand forecasting, market intelligence, supplier discovery, RFI/RFP execution, negotiation, contracting, and performance tracking.
Analyze total cost of ownership (TCO), cost drivers, and supplier risk to create business cases for sourcing decisions.
Conduct supplier segmentation and rationalization to ensure a balanced, innovative, and resilient supplier base.
Structure and negotiate complex, multi-year agreements with global and local providers, top consulting firms and other suppliers.
Optimize licensing models, subscription tiers, payment schedules, and SLAs.
Partner with Legal to develop robust MSAs, SOWs, and performance-based contract frameworks that minimize risk and maximize value.

Stakeholder Engagement & Business Partnership

Engage deeply with senior stakeholders in IT, Finance, Legal, HR, Corporate Affairs and other functions to understand evolving business needs and translate them into actionable sourcing strategies.
Proactively build and maintain strong relationships with internal customers to influence budget planning, vendor decisions, and compliance.
Act as a trusted advisor to executive sponsors on procurement strategies, vendor performance, and innovation opportunities.
Deliver measurable value through cost savings, payment term optimization, and demand management.
Build strong alignment between business goals and category strategies to drive innovation and business enablement.

Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) & Risk Oversight

Lead structured business reviews with strategic vendors to track performance, delivery, innovation, and issue resolution.
Develop scorecards and dashboards to ensure SLAs, KPIs, and risk management protocols are being met across global contracts.
Align vendors with Ferrara’s ESG, DEI, cybersecurity, and business continuity objectives.

Process & Digital Enablement

Drive procurement digitization and automation by enhancing catalog enablement, P2P workflows, self-service buying tools, and spend analytics in SAP S/4HANA, Ariba, and other platforms.
Perform in-depth spend analysis.
Ensure timely contract enablement, supplier onboarding, and PO execution in partnership with the Procurement Service Center and Center of Excellence.

Skills that will make you successful

Strategic Sourcing: Deep expertise in developing and executing category strategies, RFP processes, supplier evaluations, contract negotiations, and ongoing supplier performance management for IT and professional services.
Critical Thinking: Ability to analyze complex procurement challenges, synthesize data and stakeholder input, evaluate trade-offs, and develop sound, objective recommendations that align with both business needs and risk appetite.
Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of cost structures, licensing models, contract terms, and financial levers to drive value-based procurement decisions.
Executive Communication: Ability to influence and engage with C-level and senior leadership through crisp, compelling, and data-driven presentations and updates.
Negotiation Mastery: Proven ability to lead sophisticated vendor negotiations to secure optimal pricing, terms, and innovation while preserving long-term strategic relationships.
Analytical Fluency: Highly proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, Tableau, and other tools to build business cases, develop KPIs, analyze spend, and present insights in a clear and actionable way.
Project Management: Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional sourcing initiatives, manage timelines, track deliverables, and ensure alignment with enterprise priorities.
Agility & Sound Judgment: Comfortable navigating a dynamic and fast-paced environment, with the ability to adapt quickly, manage ambiguity, and balance short- and long-term priorities.

Experiences that will support your success

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Information Systems, Finance, or a related discipline required.
MBA, JD, or professional certifications (e.g., CPSM, ITIL, PMP, CIPS) strongly preferred.
7–10 years of progressive procurement experience, with at least 5 years focused on IT and professional services sourcing.
Deep knowledge of commercial models, applications, supplier ecosystems in cloud, SaaS, software, and IT services.
Proven success building robust category strategies, managing large-scale RFPs, license renewals, and negotiations with Tier 1 providers and delivering millions of dollars in annual value through cost savings, payment terms optimization and demand management.
Experience in a global, matrixed enterprise, ideally within manufacturing, consumer goods, or life sciences.
Hands-on experience with SAP Ariba, S/4HANA, and contract lifecycle management tools.

What We Offer

At Ferrara, we're proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance. Learn more about our benefits at https://flimp.live/Ferrara-Candy-2025-OE-QR

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $112,425 to $157,395 annually.

Ferrara’s success in industry-leading innovation has been driven by deep consumer insights, strong retailer co-creation and partnerships, and a dedication to diversity of thought, experience, and people. A privately held company, Ferrara has its global headquarters in Chicago and an operational network of more than 27 locations in North America, Brazil, and China that includes manufacturing, distribution, sales, and R&D facilities. Ferrara is a privately held Ferrero related company. Learn more at www.ferrara.com or www.linkedin.com/company/ferrara-.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, employment decisions and opportunities at Ferrara will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, military or veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic information, pregnancy (childbirth or related medical condition), or on any other basis prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.

Nearest Major Market: Chicago