Job Title: Manager, Procurement

Reporting to: Financial Controller

Location: Durham, North Carolina or Remote

About Pairwise:

Pairwise is a mission-driven food+tech company dedicated to building a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables. Founded in 2017 by eminent scientists in the gene editing and biotechnology fields, Pairwise holds licenses from Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital to base editing and high-fidelity enzymes. We also are tuned in to consumer food trends, and we believe that consumers deserve more variety and innovation in their fresh food choices. Our team is primed to deliver that innovation through one of the best gene-editing platforms in food and agriculture. Pairwise has an exclusive 5-year research collaboration with Bayer to develop products in corn, soybean, wheat, canola, and cotton. Plus, Pairwise is developing new types of leafy greens, berries, and stone fruit, with the first product launched in early 2023. Pairwise is based in the start-up friendly Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina.

About This Role:

The Procurement Manager is responsible for developing and managing the Pairwise strategic sourcing function. This position will have an important role developing vendor relationships as well as sourcing approaches, defining policies, implementing best practices and shaping workflows in the business as well as NetSuite as the business ramps up. This is an exciting opportunity for the right professional to join a start-up and help to build and shape the Pairwise procurement function.

Essential Functions:

• Pairwise point person for procurement of products and services, works with organization with respect to preferred vendors and owns RFQs to ensure optimal price and quantity.
• Work cross-functionally to ensure the evolving procurement needs of start-up business are met, while proactively identifying gaps.
• Support product development and commercial product launches including managing key supply chain vendors and suppliers with heavy emphasis on co-manufacturer relationship as well as maintaining oversight to outbound shipping.
• Manage re-order awareness for safety stock, lead times, MOQ and inventory levels for all packaging and components ensuring continuity of supply.
• Oversee periodic review of key vendor performance including service level agreements (SLAs).
• Periodically review credit ratings of critical suppliers and develop plan B vendor diversification strategy.
• Collaborate across necessary functions and subject matter experts to ensure optimal architecture for procurement activities in the NetSuite and take full ownership of the same.

• Provide oversight to purchase order procedures in NetSuite; follow-up with owners on status of available PO funds.
• Manage new vendor set-us and ensure optimal payment terms, own vendor follow-ups in case of disputes.
• Work strategically with annual budgets to align purchase order funds to targets where vendors are known; also provide inputs to cash flow forecasting.
• Create, update and own purchasing and purchasing-related policies and related standard operating procedures with implementation of best practices.
• Ensure correct data is flowing to NetSuite from Prendio; assist with Bioprocure relationship as needed.
• Develop and manage reporting for product volume scenarios to maximize the use of supplies and minimize write off in consideration of shelf life.

Required Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Operations or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 10 years of procurement and strategic sourcing experience, including participation in new product launches.
• Experience working in AgriTech and/or Agriculture a big plus.
• Strong working knowledge of demand planning.
• NetSuite experience is strongly desired.
• Previous experience defining processes and procedures.
• Broad working knowledge across business functions as well as a skilled collaborator and communicator.
• Willingness to roll up their sleeves and build something from the ground up.
• Experience working with complex supply chain preferred.
• People Leadership experience preferred.

Offerings:

• Comprehensive Benefits Plan, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA/FSA, 401k, Life Insurance, Short-Term & Long-Term Disability, and more!
• Flexible PTO (use what you need, when you need it), in addition to company holidays.
• Casual work environment.
• Mission-driven organization focused on creating healthier fruits and veggies.
• A cutting-edge, driven community looking to lead the industry in innovation and nutrition.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and use hands to finger, handle or feel, and techniques that require fine motor skills and repetitive motions. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

EEO Statement:
We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Pairwise we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

No Recruiters please