Vibrant Ingredients · 3 hours ago
Category Sourcing Manager
Indianapolis, IN, US
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
8+ years expVibrant Ingredients is a leading provider of natural, clean label ingredients for the food and beverage industry. The Category Sourcing Manager will develop and execute sourcing strategies for ingredients and packaging materials, ensuring supply continuity and driving cost efficiencies while collaborating with various internal teams.
AgricultureConsumer GoodsFitnessFood and BeverageHealth CareManufacturing
Responsibilities
Develop and implement category sourcing strategies that ensure consistent supply, timely delivery, and high-quality materials aligned with business requirements
Act as lead strategist to leverage enterprise scale and drive cost efficiencies across spend categories with a continuous improvement mindset
Achieve competitive pricing advantages through market intelligence, including domestic and international macroeconomic factors
Proactively identify and capitalize on opportunistic market conditions within assigned categories
Identify, evaluate, and execute sourcing opportunities while mitigating supply risk and ensuring supply chain stability
Serve as Supplier Relationship Manager (SRM), fostering strong partnerships across the local and global supply base
Act as the primary interface between Vibrant Ingredients and assigned suppliers
Optimize the supply base to support continuity, scalability, innovation, and long-term growth
Lead negotiations for long-term supply agreements that deliver sustainable competitive advantage
Manage contracts and master supply agreements, ensuring compliance with pricing, quality, and delivery requirements
Coordinate logistics activities with suppliers, including inland freight, ocean freight, and import/export processes when applicable
Collaborate with R&D and Quality to identify, qualify, and approve new materials, technologies, and suppliers
Ensure sourced ingredients meet all product specifications, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and customer-specific needs
Conduct supplier evaluations and drive performance improvement initiatives across the supply base
Partner cross-functionally to support evolving business needs and strategic initiatives
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Economics, Engineering, or related discipline
Minimum of 8–10 years of experience in procurement and strategic sourcing, with strong category management expertise
Highly preferred experience sourcing agricultural products, food ingredients, and packaging materials
Ideal category experience includes Tea, Coffee, Botanicals, or Fruits & Vegetables
Strong financial and business acumen, including PPV management, P&L impact, cash flow optimization, spend analysis, and supply/demand forecasting
Extensive knowledge of import/export processes and trade compliance
Demonstrated ability to build, evaluate, and manage a reliable global supplier network
Proven success in complex contract negotiations
Strong leadership and team-building capabilities, with the ability to coach and mentor
Ability to influence stakeholders, manage ambiguity, and demonstrate resilience
Strong project management skills supporting cross-functional initiatives
Data-driven decision-maker capable of analyzing complex data sets quickly
Excellent interpersonal, conflict management, communication, and presentation skills
Proficiency in ERP systems (e.g., Microsoft Business Central, Great Plains, or similar platforms)
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel
Ability to travel up to 10% or more as required
Preferred
Master's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Economics, Engineering, or related discipline
6+ years of experience sourcing Tea, Coffee, Fruits & Vegetables
8+ years of experience sourcing packaging materials
10+ years of experience in food manufacturing environments
10+ years of experience working in or with foodservice organizations
10+ years of experience working in or with consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies
Professional certification such as Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) or Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
Benefits
Generous time off for vacations
Paid Holidays
401(k) with company match
Tuition reimbursement
Medical/Dental/Vision
Health & Wellness programs
Company
Vibrant Ingredients
At Vibrant Ingredients, we power the world’s best food and beverage experiences by delivering Purely Better™ natural solutions.
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Vibrant Ingredients has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2024 (1)
2022 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
unknown2021-09-20Acquired
Leadership Team
Kevin Neat
Chief Financial Officer
K
Ken Simone
Chief Operating Officer
Recent News
Food Business News
2025-08-14
Company data provided by crunchbase