Strategic Assistant Jobs in Arizona (NOW HIRING)

Who is Cafe Bakery

Since 1987, Cafe Valley has been baking smiles one cupcake, muffin, cake, and croissant at a time—putting care and craftsmanship into every product we make. Our people are the heart of our success. We’re committed to fostering a positive, team-focused workplace where collaboration, innovation, and respect are part of everyday operations—because the best baked goods come from people who love what they do. Our employees are our special ingredient. With more than 1,700 team members baking a difference every day, we operate state-of-the-art production facilities in Phoenix, AZ and Marion, IN, where quality, safety, and teamwork rise together.

What You Will Do

The Manager, Strategic Sourcing &  Contracting owns the upstream half of Café Valley purchasing: where materials  come from, what they cost, and on what terms. The role sets sourcing strategy  for key ingredients and packaging, builds supply redundancy so a single  supplier failure does not stop a line, and negotiates and manages the  contracts behind Café Valley’s commodity positions (wheat, eggs, dairy, soy,  palm, chocolate).

This is a strategy role, not an  execution role. Day-to-day ordering, MRP, and supplier delivery sit with the  Manager, Purchasing Operations. This position owns the market view, the  contract, the vendor and material master data setup, and the technical approval  path with R&D and FSQA that has to clear before anything can be bought.  The handoff between the two roles has to be clean in both directions.

Success looks like: coverage levels  that are known and defensible at any point in the year, no single-source  exposure on a critical material, contracts that hold their value, and a  purchase price variance the business can explain.

Sourcing Strategy &  Supply Security

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies that create  supply security and redundancy for key ingredients, commodities, and  packaging.
• Identify and qualify alternate suppliers so that  critical materials are not single-sourced.
• Identify cost-saving and cost-avoidance opportunities,  and quantify them before committing.
• Engage regularly with commodity markets, advisors, and  suppliers to inform booking decisions.

Contract Negotiation &  Commodity Risk

• Lead contract negotiations with suppliers for key  commodities and materials, and execute agreements that align with Café  Valley’s cost and service objectives.
• Book and manage commodity positions, and maintain a  current, documented view of coverage levels by material.
• Monitor commodity trends, pricing structures, and  market risk; report coverage and exposure to the SVP, Supply Chain and Finance  on a regular cadence.
• Maintain and optimize existing contracts for value,  term, and supply security through the life of the agreement.
• Partner with the commodity advisor on risk mitigation  strategy aligned to the company’s financial objectives.

Vendor & Material Master  Data

• Own the setup of vendor and material master data, and  hand off cleanly to Purchasing Operations for ongoing maintenance.
• Ensure new vendors and materials meet technical and  regulatory requirements before they are released for ordering.
• Drive data accuracy that supports sourcing,  procurement, and production planning decisions.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Work with R&D and FSQA to confirm that all sourced  materials are approved and meet product specifications before procurement  begins.
• Serve as the primary link between Purchasing, R&D,  FSQA, and suppliers on the technical attributes of materials and commodities.
• Provide Sales with timely commodity market conditions  and pricing insight to support customer pricing decisions.
• Align sourcing actions to new product launches and  R&D development timelines.

Supplier Escalation &  Performance

• Serve as the escalation point for supplier performance  and contract issues raised by Purchasing Operations.
• Review top supplier scorecards and resolve systemic  performance problems at the relationship or contract level.
• Monitor purchase price variance and act on the drivers  behind it.

Launch & Program Support

• Support supplier setup and commercial terms for new  packaging materials and label programs.

Assist with  specification coordination and supplier transitions so launches are not held  up by sourcing.

Who You Are

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management,  Business, or a related field; or equivalent experience.
• 6+ years in procurement, sourcing, and contract  management.
• Demonstrated experience managing commodity contracts  and booking positions against a market view.
• Proven negotiation skills, including leading supplier  negotiations to signature.
• Proficiency with ERP systems (Syspro, SAP, Oracle, or  comparable) and advanced Excel.
• Working familiarity with food safety regulations and  FSQA requirements, and experience partnering with R&D on material  specifications.
• Ability to build and defend a sourcing recommendation  with data in front of senior leadership.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in food manufacturing or another regulated  CPG environment.
• Direct experience with Syspro.
• Experience working with an external commodity advisor  on booking strategy and market reporting.
• Familiarity with supplier scorecards, purchase price  variance (PPV) analysis, and total landed cost modeling.
• Experience supporting new item and packaging launches  from the supplier side.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish).

Where You Will Work

• This is a remote position

What You’ll Enjoy

• Competitive base salary and bonus incentive
• Paid time off programs
• Comprehensive benefit offering including medical, dental, vision, life, disability and ancillary programs
• Working with a great team of dedicated professionals focused on a common mission

Cafe Valley is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diversity in the workplace. We encourage applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.