<p>Job Description</p> <p>Established in 1806 as a small soap and candle business in New York City, Colgate-Palmolive is now a truly global company with products sold in over 200 countries and territories under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, elmex, Tom's of Maine, Sanex, Ajax, Axion, Soupline, Haci Sakir, Suavitel, PCA SKIN, EltaMD, Filorga and Hello as well as Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet.</p> <p>Colgate-Palmolive is a leading consumer products company that serves hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide with brands and products across four core businesses - Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. We are committed to offering products that make lives healthier and more enjoyable, and programs that enrich communities around the world.</p> <p>Every day millions of people trust our products to care for themselves and the ones they love. Our goal is to use our technology to create products that will continue to improve the quality of life for our consumers wherever they live.</p> <p>A career at Colgate-Palmolive is an excellent opportunity if you seek a global experience, constant challenge, and development opportunities in an environment that respects work/life effectiveness.</p> <p>Information at a Glance</p> <p>Apply now</p> <p>Job Title: Sr. Manager, Category Procurement Packaging Material - Fiber & Flexibles</p> <p>Travel Required?: Travel - 25% of time</p> <p>Posting Start Date: 4/1/26</p> <p>Hybrid</p> <p>Relocation Assistance Offered Within Country</p> <p>Job Number #172295 - Piscataway, New Jersey, United States</p> <p>Who We Are</p> <p>Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!</p> <p>Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values-Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous-we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.</p> <p>Role Summary:</p> <p>As Manager/Senior Manager, Category Procurement Packaging Material, you will sit at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and value creation. You will shape the global strategy for our Toothpaste Tubes, Flexible Packaging, and Printed Materials, build deep partnerships with leading manufacturers, and help us navigate one of the most dynamic landscapes in the consumer products industry.</p> <p>This is a highly visible global role that requires both strategic thinking and hands-on execution, as well as strong partnership with Packaging, Research and Development (R&D), Divisional stakeholders, and our most critical external partners.</p> <p>Responsibilities:</p> <ol> <li>Category Strategy & Leadership </li></ol> <ul> <li>Define end-to-end sourcing strategies for Toothpaste Tubes, Flexible Packaging, and Printed Materials. You will design risk-mitigation and value-creation frameworks to ensure supply resilience and margin protection, translating these into actionable playbooks for divisional teams to drive seamless global execution. </li><li>Act as the internal pulp and paper commodity SME to translate market dynamics into actionable plans. You will move "upstream" to lead direct engagement with global paper mills, securing long-term capacity and mitigating price volatility. By driving "buy vs. spec" alignment and delivering high-level market intelligence, you will empower divisional buyers to optimize regional conversion costs and protect margins. </li></ul> <ol start="2"> <li>Sustainability, Supplier Strategy, SRM and Innovation </li></ol> <ul> <li>Integrate Colgate's Packaging Sustainability ambitions (Circular packaging, Net Zero Emissions and No Deforestation) into sourcing strategies for the assigned categories. </li><li>Serve as the central Procurement Integrator for 2030 packaging targets by synchronizing milestones and green investment budgets across all categories. You will act as the link between R&D, Global Packaging, and the Divisions to ensure financial alignment and progress tracking, while partnering with category leads to integrate their material roadmaps into the master sustainability plan. </li><li>Define strategic supplier portfolios for assigned Packaging Categories and develop joint business plans that bring innovation, sustainability and operational excellence. </li><li>Lead Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) with global strategic suppliers, including performance scorecards, investment assessments, and continuous improvement programs. </li><li>Serve as the primary bridge between the supply base and R&D for Tubes, Flexibles, and Paper. You will embed procurement into the early-stage design process to identify disruptive supplier technologies and material breakthroughs, ensuring they are scalable and prioritized within the global innovation pipeline. </li></ul> <ol start="3"> <li>Risk, Cost & Value Management </li></ol> <ul> <li>Create and maintain a Risk Landscape Management Plan for assigned Packaging Categories and commodities, addressing volatility, supply disruptions and emerging geopolitical or regulatory risks; define mitigation strategies including dual sourcing, regionalization and inventory/risk-sharing mechanisms. </li><li>Improve cost transparency and protect margins leveraging insights and tools such as should-cost modeling. </li><li>Identify and deliver cost optimization and value creation opportunities (e.g., material harmonization, design-to-value, specification optimization, e-bidding, benchmark studies, external research, innovation days). </li><li>Support annual direct materials budgeting and forecasting for packaging, providing robust market insight. </li></ul> <ol start="4"> <li>Contracting, Compliance & Governance </li></ol> <ul> <li>Work with Legal to develop and negotiate contracts that appropriately manage risk and capture value for Colgate. </li><li>Ensure sourcing decisions and supplier selections adhere to Colgate's policies, ethical standards, quality and regulatory requirements, including sustainability expectations. </li></ul> <ol start="5"> <li>Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement </li></ol> <ul> <li>Partner closely with Global Supply Chain, Divisional Procurement, Packaging/R&D, Finance, Sustainability and Marketing to align on priorities, resolve trade-offs and enable business strategies. </li><li>Coordinate Procurement / Packaging periodic alignment and review meetings, providing transparent updates on strategy, pipeline, risks and savings/value delivery. </li><li>Represent Colgate in external forums, supplier councils and industry networks on packaging and materials topics, bringing back market intelligence and opportunities. </li></ul> <p>Required Qualifications:</p> <ul> <li>Bachelor's degree required. </li><li>Minimum 7 years of experience in Procurement; significant experience with direct materials. </li><li>Proven track record in global category management / strategic sourcing, including strategy development, complex negotiations and supplier relationship management. </li><li>Strong analytical and financial skills, able to interpret commodity indices, cost structures and scenario analyses to support decisions. </li><li>Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to simplify complexity and influence at multiple levels and across cultures. </li><li>Passion for innovation in packaging and strong interest in evolving sustainability and regulatory landscapes affecting packaging materials. </li></ul> <p>Preferred Qualifications:</p> <ul> <li>Master's degree / MBA desirable. </li><li>Experience with packaging for consumer products. </li></ul> <p>Compensation and Benefits</p> <p>Salary Range $124,000.00 - $174,000.00 USD</p> <p>Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing, and long-term incentives for Executive-level roles.</p> <p>Benefits: Salaried employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, and participation in the 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements. Additional benefits include a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days (hourly employees receive a minimum of 120 hours) and 13 paid holidays (vacation days are prorated based on the employee's hire date within the calendar year). Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws. Detailed information regarding paid sick leave entitlements will be provided to employees upon hiring and may be subject to adjustments based on changes in legislation or company policies.</p> <p>Our Commitment to Inclusion</p> <p>Our journey begins with our people-developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to best serve our consumers around the world and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business.</p> <p>Equal Opportunity Employer</p> <p>Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.</p> <p>Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.</p> <p>For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here.</p> <p>#LI-Hybrid</p> <p>Apply now</p>