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sweetgreen · 5 months ago

Senior Manager, Sourcing Category – Produce & Perishables

Los Angeles, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

$111K/yr - $159K/yr

5+ years exp

Sweetgreen is on a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food. As the Senior Manager, Sourcing Category – Produce & Perishables, you will lead strategic sourcing initiatives for all produce and perishable categories, managing a team of sourcing professionals while optimizing sourcing strategy to drive competitive advantage.

Food and BeverageOrganic FoodRestaurants

Responsibilities

Directly manage, develop, and inspire a high-performing team of sourcing/category managers and specialists for produce and perishables and categories as assigned

Set clear priorities and expectations, guide professional development, and foster a collaborative, mission-driven team culture

Leverage the expertise, capacity, and resources of Sweetgreen’s broader Supply Chain team to enable excellence across category planning, process optimization, and execution

Cultivate a strong network of supplier partners, using their capabilities and innovation as extensions of the Sweetgreen team to drive results in safety, service, cost, quality, and growth

Serve as the “business owner” for produce and perishables, leading the complete sourcing lifecycle for food safety, continuity, total cost ownership, quality, and innovation

Apply Sweetgreen’s Six Steps of Sourcing process—including analysis, strategy development, implementation, supplier qualification + selection, negotiation + contracting, and SRM—to all category initiatives

Lead comprehensive spend and market analysis, risk assessment, and multi-year strategy development to optimize supplier portfolios and achieve business goals

Build and nurture robust supplier partnerships, classifying suppliers by strategic importance and risk profile

Lead joint business planning, Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), and performance management to ensure all key suppliers contribute to and are engaged in advancing Sweetgreen’s competitive priorities in safety, service, cost, quality, and growth

Relentlessly pursue supplier program improvement through data-driven SRM and continuous improvement

Ensure all ingredient specifications, food safety protocols, sustainability, and regulatory requirements are documented, commercialized, and enforced

Oversee compliance with Sweetgreen’s FSQA Expectations Manual, HACCP plans, and GFSI food safety audits

Champion Sweetgreen’s Food Ethos, driving sustainability, regenerative practices, and animal welfare objectives across the supply chain

Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate supply, quality, cost, and regulatory risks through robust risk analysis, risk registers, and contingency planning

Drive the development of secondary supply strategies and optimize product flows to minimize inefficiency and inventory risk

Lead the scoping, design, and delivery of ingredient projects (e.g., innovation, quality upgrades, food ethos improvements) aligned with Sweetgreen’s priorities

Oversee project management systems to ensure timelines, milestones, and deliverables are clear and consistently met

Deliver accurate period-end reporting (credits, substitutions, KPIs, COGS)

Harness analytics and forecasting tools, and utilize both internal and supplier data, to drive continuous improvement and strategic decision-making

Surface actionable insights and business trends to inform future strategy

Collaborate with cross-functional partners (Marketing, Culinary, Quality, Finance, Operations) to support menu innovation, communications, and sustainability messaging

Mentor, coach, and develop the next generation of sourcing leaders and contribute to the ongoing expansion of sourcing excellence at Sweetgreen

Qualification

Supplier negotiationsCategory managementData analyticsSourcing strategyFood safety protocolsSustainable farmingProject managementContinuous improvement mindsetTeam leadershipCross-functional collaboration

Required

Minimum 5 years of progressive management experience in restaurant or foodservice category management, supply chain, or sourcing within the food industry, preferably supporting high-volume, multi-site, retail/distribution, or meat/produce perishable categories

Demonstrated success in team leadership and people development in a fast-paced environment

Proven expertise in supplier negotiations, contract management, and end-to-end category ownership

Proficient with data analytics and supply chain management tools: Source to Contract, SRM, ArrowStream, FoodLogiq, CrunchTime, ERP/MRP, etc

Deep knowledge of sustainable farming, regenerative agriculture (e.g., soil health, cover crops, carbon sequestration), and food/animal welfare/certification requirements

Experience efficiently and reliably moving perishable products through distribution channels

Continuous improvement mindset, strong business case development and execution skills

Excellent communicator and relationship builder with cross-functional partners, suppliers, farmers, and growers

Willingness to travel for supplier and partner engagement