At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy!
A day in the life…
As a Sourcing Manager, you will be responsible for executing sourcing strategies across Russell Stover Chocolates’ core ingredient portfolio, including cocoa, sugar, dairy, oils, and specialty ingredients. You will focus on day-to-day category execution, supplier management, and cost optimization to ensure a reliable supply of high-quality ingredients. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including Operations, R&D, Quality, and Finance, to maintain supply continuity, support innovation, and deliver cost savings.
This is a hybrid position based in Kansas City, MO, requiring three days onsite each week. Local candidates are strongly preferred, and relocation assistance is not available for this role.
What you will be doing…
- Execute sourcing strategies aligned with category plans and business objectives
- Manage assigned raw material categories (e.g., sugars, dairy, oils, ingredients)
- Lead RFQs, bid events, and supplier selection processes
- Manage supplier relationships to ensure service, quality, and cost expectations
- Lead negotiations for pricing, contracts, and supply agreements
- Monitor supplier performance and resolve supply or quality issues
- Track commodity markets and identify risks in supply and pricing
- Partner with Operations, Planning, R&D, and Quality on supply and specifications
- Support new product development through ingredient sourcing
- Ensure compliance with procurement, food safety, and regulatory requirements
- Support reporting including savings tracking, KPIs, and supplier metrics
If visiting our manufacturing plants, you will be expected to:
- Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product quality and maintain compliance with food safety standards.
- Complete and follow FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the plant’s food safety and quality objectives.
- Promptly report and take appropriate action on any observed or potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non-conformities by notifying the designated plant supervisor, in accordance with your role and responsibilities.
- Actively contributes to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role.
This job posting is not all inclusive and other duties may be assigned.
Do you have what it takes?
(Basic Qualifications)
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, or related field or equivalent work experience
- 5+ years of sourcing or procurement experience in raw materials, food ingredients, or CPG manufacturing
- Experience negotiating supplier contracts and managing supplier relationships
- Strong understanding of cost drivers and supply dynamics in food or ingredient categories
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation.
Do you stand above the rest?
(Preferred Qualifications)
- Experience in food manufacturing or confectionery
- Familiarity with commodity markets such as cocoa, sugar, and dairy, oils, or similar
- Experience with SAP, Coupa, or similar procurement systems
- Skilled with Microsoft office suite of solutions , excel, Power BI , SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC)
At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace.
We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.
Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.
Make Happy. Work Happy.
