Strategic Procurement Manager

We’re Tovala, a food-tech company reinventing home cooking to save consumers time. Through an innovative combination of hardware, software, and fresh food delivery, we make it incredibly simple for anyone to prepare and enjoy delicious, home-cooked meals without sacrificing time to do whatever matters to them. Through our superior technology, product experience and food quality, we have separated Tovala from the busy pack of other meal delivery businesses. In the process, we’ve amassed a loyal, rapidly growing following and our retention, product engagement and customer NPS are all best-in-class. We’ve raised over $100mm from great investors like Left Lane Capital, Origin Ventures, Y Combinator and Comcast Ventures and have invested strongly in building a unique culture that fosters growth, personal development and camaraderie.

Position Summary: Procurement is a fundamental component of Tovala’s business model. This individual will work directly within the Supply Chain Team, as a part of the Procurement group, and cross functionally with Production, FSQA, Culinary, and Menu teams to identify, manage and execute  highly detailed sourcing and process improvement projects. These projects will directly impact the inbound sourcing of food and packaging, allowing production to run consistently and efficiently each week.

Location: Chicago, hybrid - in office and Chicagoland facilities 1-2 days per week

• Initiate and deliver short and long term sourcing strategies, with a focus on fresh produce, proteins and core food ingredients as well as all packaging materials required to produce a Tovala meal.
• Develop and implement procurement projects to deliver added value, new ingredient and packaging opportunities, cost savings and quality improvements. Create project plans and create broader status reports for the stakeholder team.

• Identify challenges and provide solutions to mitigate interruptions in product acquisition.
• Work with the Director of Procurement to secure secondary or even tertiary suppliers for high risk, essential ingredients and packaging items.
• Work cross functionally and hands on with the Production and Engineering teams to test and validate sourcing options.
• Review demand requirements to manage short and long term purchasing needs, working with the Inventory and Menu teams to avoid wastage and identify opportunities for process improvements.
• Develop and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, working with the Procurement Director to identify and develop processes for efficiency and value improvements.
• Monitor industry developments in ingredient markets, packaging technologies and operational capabilities to present new opportunities to the Tovala team. 
• Provide support to the Procurement team and have a full understanding of the purchasing process and systems.

• You thrive in a fast-paced environment, and can prioritize business needs while managing multiple supply chains and priorities. 
• You have strong project management experience, leading the initiation and execution of high value sourcing projects, with a sense of urgency and attention to detail.
• Not only are your project management skills strong, but you also have experience in the identification and implementation of these projects - this is a hands-on and highly cross functional and integrated role.
• You have strong negotiation skills and have a proven history of balancing stakeholder interests and expectations while holding vendors accountable and driving value across the supply chain. 
• You have the ability to think and act critically about processes and supply chain systems with a focus on continuous improvement in value, innovation and cost savings, while staying ahead of market trends.
• You have strong problem solving and planning skills, and display the ability to think proactively and strategically to provide solutions in advance of challenges.
• You have strong verbal and written communication skills.

• 8+ years in a procurement role, experience in fresh food delivery or packaging technologies preferred.
• Proven experience in the procurement and project management functions, with success in driving value through cost savings, process and quality improvements, and product diversification. 
• Experience in the protein or packaging industry is favorable. 
• Ability to use MSOffice, Google Suites (Drive, Sheets, Docs, etc.) to follow and create efficient  and transparent electronic tools for demand planning on materials and packaging.

The values we hold dear

Put the team first

We put what is best for the broader team ahead of what is best for ourselves or our immediate department.

Get s#!t done (well)

We celebrate people at all levels for delivering high impact work that expands the bounds of what we’re able to do.

Connect the dots

We engage with curiosity to learn how our work impacts others so that we can problem-solve holistically and work collaboratively.

Be Direct

We share our perspective openly and directly, even when it feels difficult to do so.

Embrace the obstacles

We rise to meet challenges with a sense of urgency, resolve, and optimism.

Champion the customer

We consider and prioritize our customer in all of our decisions 

At Tovala we‘re committed to building a workplace that represents a variety of backgrounds, skills, and perspectives and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Everyone is welcome here!