Short Intro and About the Job
The Senior Director, Logistics Procurement is responsible for developing and executing the procurement strategy for the company’s Transportation, Warehousing & Third-Party Logistics (3PL), Pallets, and related logistics services categories.
This leader will build multi-year category strategies that deliver competitive cost, capacity, service, resilience, sustainability, supplier innovation, and measurable business value. The role serves as the senior Procurement partner to Logistics, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Finance, Sustainability, Legal, Quality, Digital/IT, and other key stakeholders.
As a member of the Procurement Extended Leadership Team, the Senior Director will contribute to the broader Procurement strategy, transformation agenda, organizational capabilities, and talent development while leading and developing the Logistics Procurement team.
Key Responsibilities
Category Strategy & Strategic Sourcing
- Develop and execute multi-year category strategies across Transportation, Warehousing & 3PL, Pallets, and related Logistics services.
- Translate business requirements, network strategies, market conditions, and external cost drivers into sourcing strategies and category roadmaps.
- Lead complex sourcing initiatives, including market analysis, bid strategy, supplier evaluation, scenario modeling, negotiation, contracting, implementation, and benefit tracking.
- Leverage market intelligence, cost modeling, total cost of ownership, benchmarking, and advanced analytics to drive fact-based commercial decisions.
- Identify structural value opportunities through supplier strategy, demand management, specification optimization, commercial-model redesign, technology, and innovation.
Transportation Procurement
- Lead procurement strategy and sourcing for truckload and associated ground-transportation services.
- Develop carrier portfolio strategies that balance cost, capacity, service, resilience, geographic coverage, and supplier diversification.
- Lead carrier sourcing, commercial negotiations, contracting, and award strategies.
- Develop strategies addressing freight rates, fuel, accessorials, detention, capacity commitments, and other significant transportation cost drivers.
- Partner with Logistics Operations to translate network, lane, volume, equipment, and service requirements into effective sourcing strategies.
Warehousing & 3PL Procurement
- Lead category strategy and strategic sourcing for third-party warehousing, distribution centers, overflow storage, cross-docking, handling, and related 3PL services.
- Lead commercial negotiations for new 3PL operations, renewals, facility transitions, outsourcing decisions, and significant scope changes.
- Develop commercial models addressing labor, storage, handling, equipment, technology, capital requirements, productivity, and other key cost drivers.
- Partner with Supply Chain and Logistics on specifications, capacity requirements, service expectations, implementation, and supplier transitions.
- Establish strategic relationships and commercial governance with key 3PL partners, including productivity, innovation, and continuous-improvement roadmaps.
Pallets & Logistics Services
- Lead procurement strategy for pallets, pallet pooling, repair and recovery, and associated logistics services.
- Develop sourcing strategies that optimize total cost, supply assurance, specifications, service requirements, and sustainability.
- Partner with Manufacturing, Logistics, and Quality to identify opportunities for standardization, reuse, circularity, and specification optimization.
- Develop strategic supplier relationships focused on cost competitiveness, availability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Supplier Relationship & Performance Management
- Establish a structured Supplier Relationship Management approach across the Logistics portfolio.
- Develop executive relationships and governance with strategic carriers, 3PLs, pallet providers, and other key suppliers.
- Partner with Logistics Operations to establish supplier scorecards covering cost, service, capacity, quality, sustainability, innovation, and contractual compliance.
- Develop joint business plans with strategic suppliers focused on productivity, resilience, continuous improvement, sustainability, and innovation.
- Monitor supplier concentration, financial health, capacity, contractual performance, and other material supply risks.
Value Creation & Commercial Excellence
- Build and deliver a multi-year value-creation and productivity pipeline across the Logistics spend portfolio.
- Drive value through strategic sourcing, negotiation, demand management, cost-model optimization, supplier innovation, technology, and structural improvements.
- Expand value creation beyond purchase-price savings to include cost avoidance, cash, risk reduction, capacity assurance, service improvement, sustainability, and innovation.
- Partner with Finance to establish baselines, validate financial benefits, support planning and forecasting, and track realized value.
- Establish robust contracting and commercial governance to protect value and minimize contractual or financial leakage.
Risk, Sustainability & Innovation
- Develop category risk and business-continuity strategies addressing supplier concentration, market volatility, capacity, financial health, and other critical risks.
- Incorporate risk and resilience requirements into sourcing strategies, supplier selection, contracting, and supplier management.
- Integrate sustainability and responsible-sourcing requirements into category strategies and supplier relationships.
- Partner with Logistics and Sustainability on transportation efficiency, emissions reduction, warehouse sustainability, pallet circularity, and supplier decarbonization.
- Champion digital procurement, analytics, automation, and AI-enabled capabilities that improve sourcing effectiveness, transparency, and decision-making.
Procurement Leadership & Business Partnership
- Serve as an active member of the Procurement Extended Leadership Team, contributing to Procurement strategy, transformation, digitalization, organizational effectiveness, governance, and talent development.
- Serve as the senior Procurement partner to Logistics and Supply Chain leadership and bring external market, supplier, and commercial perspectives to strategic decisions.
- Establish strong cross-functional relationships across Finance, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Legal, Quality, Sustainability, and Digital/IT.
- Ensure clear alignment between Procurement and Logistics Operations on category strategy, supplier selection, implementation, supplier performance, and business continuity.
- Lead, develop, coach, and engage the Logistics Procurement team and build succession and future Procurement capability.
Job Dimensions
The Senior Director, Logistics Procurement has Procurement responsibility for a significant external-spend portfolio encompassing Transportation, Warehousing & 3PL, Pallets, and related Logistics services.
The role owns category strategy, strategic sourcing, commercial negotiation, contracting, supplier relationship management, market intelligence, value creation, procurement risk, and supplier innovation across these categories.
The position is a member of the Procurement Extended Leadership Team and serves as the senior Procurement partner to Logistics and Supply Chain. Day-to-day execution of the physical logistics network remains the accountability of the operational organization.
The salary range for this position is $220,000-$315,000 USD. The exact salary offered will depend on several factors, including the candidate’s relevant experience, geographic location, internal equity, and market conditions. Danone USA additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options. To give our employees flexibility, Danone is a hybrid work environment.This role is considered a “hybrid” position that allows for flexible work, meaning it is a role where collaboration with key stakeholders in Danone Hubs occurs. While you may have the option to work from home on a schedule as agreed to with your supervisor, you are also expected to regularly report to your assigned office location at least 3 days per week.
About You
Professional Experience & Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations, Engineering, Finance, Business, or a related discipline required; advanced degree preferred.
- 12+ years of progressive experience in Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Supply Chain, Logistics, or related functions.
- Significant strategic procurement experience across Transportation, Warehousing/3PL, Pallets, or related Logistics categories.
- Experience in CPG, food and beverage, consumer products, manufacturing, retail, or another complex, high-volume supply-chain environment strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated success developing multi-year category strategies and leading complex, high-value sourcing initiatives and senior-level negotiations.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen, including cost modeling, total cost of ownership, market intelligence, contract management, and value delivery.
- Experience with sourcing, spend analytics, contract management, supplier-performance management, and other procurement technologies.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams and influence senior stakeholders in a complex, matrixed organization.
Key Competencies
- Strategic category management
- Transportation procurement
- Warehousing & 3PL procurement
- Pallets and logistics-services procurement
- Strategic sourcing and advanced negotiation
- Supplier relationship management
- Cost modeling and total cost of ownership
- Contract and commercial management
- Financial and business acumen
- Risk and resilience
- Sustainability and responsible sourcing
- Digital procurement, analytics, automation, and AI
- Executive stakeholder management
- People leadership and talent development
Leadership Profile
The successful candidate will be a strategic, commercially minded Procurement leader capable of translating complex logistics markets into clear category strategies and business decisions. They will demonstrate strong executive presence, analytical rigor, negotiation capability, and the ability to influence across a matrixed organization.
They will be comfortable challenging existing specifications and supplier models, balancing cost with service, capacity and risk, and building strategic supplier partnerships that deliver immediate value and long-term competitive advantage. Equally important, they will have a strong record of developing people and building high-performing Procurement teams.
About Us, We offer and What's next
Life at Danone
With 5,000 employees across two headquarters and 10+ U.S. manufacturing locations, Danone offers a vibrant culture, meaningful work and growth opportunities that make employees proud to be Danoners.Rooted in our mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible, Danone is proud to be the world’s largest B Corp.
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Our Brands
When you join Danone USA, you’ll work with some of the best known food and beverage brands in the world, including Activia®, Danimals®, Oikos®, Silk®, Dannon®, evian®, International Delight®, STŌK® Cold Brew Coffee®, and more.
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Our Benefits
Our benefits support your physical, mental, financial and family wellbeing through health coverage, flexible time off, retirement savings, family care support and more.
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Equal Opportunity EmployerDanone USA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. It is our policy to give equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to legally protected characteristics, or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state/provincial and/or local law. For our EEO policy statement and your EEO rights under law click here.#LI-NORAMEmployee & Applicant Privacy Policy