Made Better isn’t just a claim; it’s our Dare promise.
Dare has been a proudly Canadian, family-owned company since 1889. Throughout our long history, we’ve created some of the most loved brands in the country including Bear Paws cookies, REALFRUIT gummies, Breton crackers, Melba Toast and many more. For over 130 years we had been located in the Kitchener area since the family’s original store opened in 1892. We are head quartered in Cambridge Ontario and we’ve expanded our roots far beyond. With manufacturing plants in North America and over 1400 employees, Dare is part of the fabric of Canada.
At Dare our dedicated team works passionately to uphold our tradition of excellence, innovation and quality in every aspect of our operations. Our state-of-the-art facilities utilize advanced technology to ensure consistency and quality while meeting the evolving needs of our consumers and customers.
Position Type
Permanent, Full time, Hybrid, Replacement
Position Overview
We are seeking a full-time Sourcing Manager to own end-to-end category strategy for key ingredient commodities — including sugar, dairy, flour, oils, and cocoa. Reporting to the Director of Procurement, this role drives cost savings, supply continuity, and sustainability outcomes through market intelligence, supplier relationship management, and strategic negotiation.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop, own, and evolve category sourcing strategies for assigned ingredient commodities, which may include sugar, dairy, flour, oils, cocoa, and other key raw materials, balancing cost, quality, supply continuity, innovation, and sustainability objectives.
- Monitor commodity markets, pricing trends, and supply/demand dynamics to anticipate risk and identify sourcing opportunities ahead of need; leverage market intelligence tools to inform decisions.
- Develop and execute forward-buy, and index-based pricing strategies for volatile commodity categories
- Own the annual cost/budget forecast for assigned commodity categories, analyzing spend data, business requirements, and supplier capabilities to build robust, defensible sourcing strategies.
- Design and lead supplier negotiation strategies; lead regional sourcing events (RFP/RFQ) and negotiate commercial agreements that deliver sustained productivity and value.
- Lead contract implementation and governance, ensuring compliance with procurement policy, negotiated terms, and supplier agreements across regional and local operations.
- Build and steward long-term strategic supplier relationships, including performance management, business reviews, dispute resolution, supplier development, and joint innovation initiatives.
- Track supplier performance and lead corrective action planning to drive continuous improvement.
- Proactively identify and mitigate commercial, operational, and supply chain risk across the commodity portfolio, including geopolitical, weather, and market volatility factors.
- Own traceability documentation and advance responsible sourcing initiatives, including RSPO certification and related sustainability programs.
- Partner cross-functionally with Operations, R&D, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, to support ingredient specifications, new product development, product reformulation, and value-generation initiatives.
- Maintain accurate procurement data within SAP and support system/process improvements.
- Mentor and provide guidance to junior buyers or category analysts as the team grows.
- Travel to supplier facilities and origin markets as required to support audits, supplier development, and strategic relationship management.
Qualifications
- Minimum 5+ years of relevant purchasing/sourcing experience, ideally within a consumer-packaged goods environment, with direct responsibility for key ingredients or commodity categories.
- Post-secondary degree or diploma in Supply Chain, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- Proficiency with ERP systems, ideally SAP.
- SCMP (Supply Chain Management Professional) designation is an asset
- Demonstrated experience with commodity/futures markets, hedging instruments, or index-based pricing mechanisms, and comfort using market intelligence platforms (Bloomberg Terminal, DTN ProphetX, or similar).
- Excellent analytical, negotiation, and relationship-management skills; ability to influence senior stakeholders and decision-makers.
- Advanced Excel skills, with experience building cost models and forecasts.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple categories, budgets, and projects simultaneously.
- Sound problem-solving ability and a proactive, independent working style balanced with strong teamwork.
- High ethical standards and a strong work ethic.
Total Rewards Package: Our Total Rewards package reflects the investment we make in our employees to help them and their families achieve their well-being goals. Total Rewards at Dare Foods includes a competitive base salary, comprehensive health and wellness benefits and retirement programs. In addition, we offer paid time off, career development opportunities as well as reward and recognition programs.
At Dare Foods Limited, we are dedicated to creating an inclusive, accessible, equal-opportunity environment that welcomes all individuals from all backgrounds because we know it will make our company a better place to work. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment.
We want to thank all candidates in advance for their interest; only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we cannot confirm the receipt of individual applications or resumes.
Salary offers will be determined based on the candidate's skills, experience, and internal equity.
