Market Sourcing Manager - Distribution |Kansas City, MO

As a Market Sourcing Manager, you will lead regional sourcing and procurement for goods-not-for-resale (GNFR) and disposable product categories supporting Grocery, Food Service, Janitorial, and food Processor business segments. You will support strategic sourcing and own supplier negotiations, contracting, and pricing strategy; drive private label and brand strategy; and partner cross-functionally to improve cost, service levels, inventory availability, and sustainability (e.g., sustainable/eco-friendly packaging).

In this role you will be an inventory strategy expert. Our National Category Manager team identifies our national core product list. As a Market Sourcing Manager, you will round out the rest of our inventory with items required and acquired at the regional level. Can we get a core item more efficiently from a local vendor? We need a specific item for a regional customer; who are we going to buy that from and on what terms?  How can we further lower cost on inventory by leveraging specific local inventory as a preferred items for multiple local customers?  These are the types of questions you'll make decisions on daily. 

This role is onsite in our Kansas City, MO office, M-F, day shift. There is some flexibility to work from home 1-2 days per month if needed. 

Desired Competencies: strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, supplier relationship management (SRM), contract negotiation, Buyer, RFQ/RFP/RFI, spend analysis, total cost of ownership (TCO), cost savings/cost avoidance, pricing strategy, inventory optimization, assortment strategy, vendor qualification, competitive analysis/market intelligence, private label/house brand, sustainable packaging/ESG.

Responsibilities:

• Negotiate pricing, contracts, and commercial terms with manufacturers and suppliers (including rebates, freight, lead times, and service levels).
• Lead product selection, regional sourcing, and supplier onboarding/qualification for disposable and GNFR categories.
• Build category and market expertise to strengthen assortment strategy, including market trends, competitive benchmarking, and customer/segment needs.
• Monitor market intelligence (pricing, availability, production schedules) and local needs to improve competitive pricing, positioning, and continuity of supply.
• Develop pricing strategy and pricing policies; negotiate vendor programs to improve margin, reduce landed cost, and support growth.
• Rationalize and consolidate product lines to improve inventory turns, reduce SKU complexity, and create volume-based cost improvement opportunities.
• Own supplier relationship management (SRM), including supplier performance management, issue resolution, and continuous improvement aligned to standards and guidelines.
• Manage multiple sourcing projects and initiatives; track milestones, mitigate risks, and provide proactive stakeholder communication.
• Partner with Sales and Operations on special product requirements, costing, and speed-to-market; support customer bids and regional opportunities.
• Identify and recommend new packaging products and sustainable alternatives as they become available; support commercialization and change management.

Requirements:

• High school diploma or GED equivalent required
• Bachelor’s degree, strongly preferred
• Master’s degree preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in price negotiations, influencing stakeholders at all levels, and managing supplier relationships.
• Knowledge of distribution, inventory management systems, and supplier selection/qualification processes (ideally in food service, janitorial, disposables, or packaging).
• Product knowledge across multiple industries a definite plus.
• Strong business and financial acumen
• Strong user-level Microsoft Office skills (Outlook, Excel, Teams, CoPilot) including spreadsheets, pivot tables, and pricing/inventory analysis.
• Ability to create excellent relationships and quickly gain credibility with internal and external stakeholders.
• Possess strong planning, organizational and time management skills, as well as strong analytical problem-solving skills.
• Multi-task with the ability to change direction quickly and often.

The perks of being a Bunzl team member don’t stop at being part of a great team or being valued as our #1 asset. We offer a full range of benefits to help our employees take care of themselves and their families today, tomorrow and for the future.

• Bunzl target salary range for this position is $85,000-$115,000 (plus annual bonus) based on candidate education, experience and location
• Medical, Dental & Vision Benefits effective the 1st day of the month after 30 days
• Paid Time Off - Vacation, Sick, Holidays and Personal Time
• 401K with generous company match
• Additional benefit information can be found on the Bunzl Careers home page under Benefits and Perks. 

Bunzl North America is a global leader in the Cleaning & Hygiene, Food Processing, Grocery, Health Care, Non‑Food Retail, and Safety industries. We have grown both organically and through acquisitions to exceed $10 billion in sales. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Bunzl operates more than 100 warehouses and serves all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean and Mexico. With more than 10,000 team members and over 400,000 supplies, Bunzl is recognized as a leading supplier across North America—and proudly certified as a Great Place to Work®. At Bunzl, you’ll find Unlimited Potential… Your Career - - Our Future!

Bunzl Distribution has a tradition of commitment to equal employment opportunity. It is the established policy to attract and retain the best qualified people without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex/gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran status as provided by law.