Sr. Manager, Supply Chain Management - The Americas

About this role

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Mexico – Co-op Partnership & Supplier Alignment

• Build and maintain a strong, collaborative working relationship with the Mexican co-op leadership and their supply chain teams, functioning as CKE’s primary SCM interface into the market.

• Support the co-op in supplier alignment activities — including supplier performance reviews, category benchmarking, contract governance, and identification of sourcing optimization opportunities.

• Drive alignment between co-op sourcing practices and CKE’s global supply chain standards, product specifications, and QA accreditation requirements.

• Partner with the co-op to strengthen SCM processes and procedures within the market — including demand planning, inventory management protocols, supplier communication frameworks, and KPI reporting.

• Monitor supply chain performance across the Mexican market and provide structured reporting and recommendations to the SCM Director on risks, gaps, and improvement priorities.

• Support new product introductions and LTO execution in Mexico by ensuring local supply chain readiness, supplier capability, and co-op alignment ahead of launch.

Canada – Full Supply Chain Ownership

• Own the end-to-end supply chain for Canada — operating as the accountable SCM lead with full responsibility for supply continuity, cost of goods, supplier performance, and distribution effectiveness.

• Design, manage, and continuously optimize the distribution model for Canada, including distributor selection and performance management, logistics cost oversight, and service level adherence.

• Lead demand forecasting and inventory planning for the Canadian market, working closely with franchisee operations and distributors to ensure accurate stock projections, minimize waste, and maintain appropriate safety stock levels.

• Manage all supplier relationships in Canada end-to-end — from identification and qualification through to contract negotiation, ongoing account management, performance reviews, and strategic partnership development.

• Set and execute the sourcing strategy for Canada, identifying opportunities to optimize cost, improve supply security, and develop competitive local and imported supply options across priority categories.

• Negotiate supplier contracts and pricing agreements for the Canadian market, securing terms that deliver on cost, quality, service levels, and volume commitments.

• Build strategic supplier partnerships in Canada that go beyond transactional management — aligning supplier growth plans, capacity development, and innovation pipelines with CKE’s Canadian business trajectory.

• Ensure all Canadian suppliers and products maintain active QA accreditation status, partnering with the QA team to manage the qualification pipeline and address compliance issues proactively.

• Engage franchisees in Canada as a strategic SCM partner — conducting regular business reviews, driving supply chain compliance, and providing guidance on cost management and supply continuity.

Caribbean & South America – Regional SCM Support & Development

• Provide SCM support and guidance to franchisees across the Caribbean and South American markets, ensuring CKE supply chain standards, QA requirements, and approved product lists are maintained consistently.

• Identify, prescreen, and develop regional suppliers across priority categories — working closely with QA to progress qualified candidates through the Approved Supplier process.

• Conduct periodic RFPs, support contract reviews, and assist franchisees in benchmarking local suppliers versus import alternatives to drive cost efficiency without compromising quality or supply security.

• Support new country entry activities across the region — including local supply base assessment, cost of goods development, distribution model evaluation, and franchise SCM onboarding.

• Manage relationships with regional and global manufacturers serving the Americas, ensuring CKE’s growth strategy is visible to key suppliers and that regional operators benefit from contracted pricing and service terms.

• Communicate fluently in Spanish with suppliers, franchisees, and co-op partners across Latin American and Caribbean markets, ensuring nothing is lost in translation at the operational and strategic level.

Supplier Strategy, Negotiation & Account Management

• Maintain a structured account management cadence with all key suppliers across the Americas — including regular business reviews, performance scorecards, issue escalation processes, and joint planning sessions.

• Develop multi-year sourcing strategies for priority categories within the region, balancing cost optimization, supply diversification, quality standards, and franchisee capability.

• Lead commercial negotiations with regional and local suppliers, building agreements that protect CKE’s interests on cost, volume, service, and quality while fostering long-term partnership value.

• Monitor commodity market trends relevant to the Americas region — including beef, chicken, produce, packaging, and key proteins — and proactively brief the SCM Director on pricing outlook and risk implications.

• Identify supply chain cost reduction opportunities across the region and build business cases for SCM Director review, translating market intelligence into actionable COGS improvement initiatives.

Quality Assurance Partnership & Compliance

• Serve as the primary SCM interface with the QA team for all Americas-related supplier qualification, audit coordination, and product approval activities.

• Maintain accurate and current records of approved suppliers and products for all markets within the region, ensuring franchisees operate exclusively with QA-accredited supply.

• Drive proactive QA compliance across the region — addressing non-compliant sourcing situations swiftly and working with franchisees and the co-op to implement corrective actions.

• Support QA in coordinating supplier facility visits and audits…