Manager, Strategic Cost

Job Summary

The Strategic Cost Manager is responsible for driving cost control and enhancing profitability across the organization. This position is expected to develop strategies and provide analytical support for net cost reduction and cost increase mitigation activities. The candidate is adept at leveraging market trends and cost models to produce insights for fact-based decision-making and supplier net cost negotiations. The role is viewed as a subject matter expert for category-specific commodities and cost models.

Duties and Responsibilities

Cost Modeling

• Develop comprehensive cost models which closely reflect supplier input cost volatility

• Work closely with suppliers to acutely understand cost structures

• Continuously maintain and refine cost models to ensure cost component alignment with production enhancements and contract changes

• Develop a fundamental understanding of the manufacturing process for specific product groups

• Educate and gain alignment with suppliers on cost component eligibility for pricing action

Supplier Negotiations

• Support Merchants with fact-based market intelligence in supplier negotiations

• Create detailed negotiation insights and benefit targets for Sourcing

• Review contracts to understand supplier cost change dynamics and develop strategies for proactive increase and decrease activities

• Create customized cost breakdown templates for RFPs

• Build working relationships with suppliers that promote transparency and partnership

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead cost risk and opportunity meetings with Merchants

• Regularly provide comprehensive cost change analysis and recommendations to Merchants

• Provide market insights to cross-functional teams (PGMO, RevMan, Merchandising, Sales) to facilitate proactive decision-making

• Assist in benefit forecasting for sourcing events and supplier direct negotiations

• Advise Merchandising on market relevance of supplier net cost

Market Intelligence

• Utilize third-party platforms for market insights and cost model framework

• Leverage cost models to recommend optimal timing windows for sourcing events

• Monitor and analyze commodity markets, industry trends, and supplier cost drivers

• Develop and present ad-hoc market analysis to internal stakeholders

• Serve as subject matter expert on category-specific commodities and cost models

• Translate raw component market movements into actional net cost insights

• Possess knowledge of macro-economic factors that influence market volatility

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred or applicable experience in merchandising, market intelligence, and supplier negotiations

Experience

• 4 years of experience in merchandising preferred or equivalent combination of education and industry (food service or retail) experience

• 3 years of experience in market intelligence and developing leadership reporting

• 3 years of experience in fact-based negotiations

• Requires excellent Microsoft Excel skills including lookups, pivot tables, and summarizing large data sets. Knowledge of Power Query and VBA a plus

• Prior experience working with relational database management systems

• Knowledge of internal systems like CDM, RME, and Workday Strategic Sourcing

• Understanding of supply chain principles and dynamics

• Understanding of the dynamics of supply and demand

• Ability to effectively collect and use market data to provide actionable insights

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Work Environment

• This position will be performed at the GSC (hybrid schedule)

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate

• Other