A senior procurement leadership role with a leading Australian food manufacturer, focused on transforming a decentralised, site-level procurement footprint into a centralised, strategic function. Full remit across direct manufacturing inputs and supply chain spend, with executive sponsorship and clear scope to shape the function for the next decade.

About the opportunity

A growing food manufacturer is centralising its procurement function across multiple business units, and we are partnered exclusively to find the leader who will design and lead the change.

Procurement today is fragmented and operates primarily at site level, with limited central coordination. The successful candidate will design the target operating model, bring existing site-level procurement activity under a centralised function, build supplier relationships at scale, and drive consolidated category strategy across business units. Reporting at executive level, with sponsorship and mandate to lead the transformation.

Scope of the role

•       Direct manufacturing inputs: ingredients, packaging, third-party manufacturing

•       Supply chain spend: freight, logistics, warehousing

•       Out of scope: corporate indirect spend (IT, marketing, professional services, facilities)

About you

You will be a senior procurement professional with deep experience leading direct materials procurement in a food or FMCG manufacturing environment. Ingredients procurement experience is essential — candidates without ingredients procurement experience will not be considered. Experience across a broad food ingredients base is welcomed.

You will have:

•       A demonstrated track record leading direct procurement at scale, with ingredients procurement central to your experience

•       Knowledge of food-grade ingredients sourcing, supplier qualification, specification management, and regulatory compliance

•       Demonstrated experience procuring supply chain spend categories — freight, logistics, and warehousing

•       Experience leading procurement transformation or centralisation programs — taking decentralised, site-level activity into a centralised function

•       Strong change leadership capability — bringing existing teams along through structural and process change

•       Strategic category management capability — supplier relationship management, contract negotiation, total cost of ownership thinking, and supply risk management

•       Strong commercial acumen with the ability to influence at executive level

•       A practical understanding of how procurement decisions impact production, food safety, and continuity of supply

Location and flexibility

The position can be based at the client's South Western Sydney site or in metropolitain Brisbane.

About Sigma Search

Sigma Search Supply Chain is a boutique executive search firm specialising in supply chain, logistics, and procurement leadership across Australia and New Zealand. We work exclusively on retained mandates with clients who are serious about hiring the right person, not the available person. Every engagement is run personally by Founder & Principal Consultant Jon-Paul Hilton, who brings over a decade of executive search experience and a deep network across ANZ supply chain leadership.

Sigma Search is exclusively retained on this engagement. We are working as a strategic partner to the client throughout the search, from market mapping and longlisting through to candidate assessment, offer negotiation, and onboarding support.

To apply

Apply via Seek with a current CV. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. Confidential conversations are welcome before formal application — contact Jon-Paul Hilton via Seek messaging.