Founded over 35 years ago, First Quality is a family-owned company that has grown from a small business in McElhattan, Pennsylvania into a group of companies, employing over 5,000 team members, while maintaining our family values and entrepreneurial spirit. With corporate offices in New York and Pennsylvania and 8 manufacturing campuses across the U.S. and Canada, the companies within the First Quality group produce high-quality personal care and household products for large retailers and healthcare organizations. Our personal care and household product portfolio includes baby diapers, wipes, feminine pads, paper towels, bath tissue, adult incontinence products, laundry detergents, fabric finishers, and dishwash solutions. In addition, we manufacture certain raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of these products, including flexible print and packaging solutions.
Guided by our values of humility, unity, and integrity, we leverage advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities. At First Quality, you’ll find a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning, professional development, and our mission to Make Things Better®.
We are seeking a Raw Material Procurement Manager for our First Quality Home Care Products facility located in Trumbull, Connecticut, working a hybrid schedule. The Raw Material Procurement Leader is responsible for developing and executing category strategies that optimize total delivered cost, ensure supply continuity, and drive innovation across critical raw material categories. This role leads strategic supplier partnerships, complex negotiations, and risk mitigation initiatives while partnering cross-functionally with Operations, Finance, and Product Development to drive operational excellence and profitability across multi-site manufacturing operations.
Primary responsibilities include:
Strategic Sourcing & Category Leadership
Develop and execute comprehensive raw material category strategies aligned with business objectives and long-term growth plans.
Drive total delivered cost optimization across material, logistics, duties, and related cost elements.
Monitor commodity markets and translate insights into pricing strategy and proactive risk mitigation plans.
Lead structured risk assessments and implement mitigation strategies to ensure supply continuity.
Identify and execute value-creation initiatives including supplier consolidation, dual sourcing strategies, and supplier-driven innovation
Supplier Management & Negotiation
Build and maintain strategic supplier partnerships that support cost competitiveness, quality, service, and innovation.
Lead complex commercial negotiations including pricing, contracts, and long-term supply agreements.
Structure and implement supply agreements that protect business interests and proactively mitigate commercial and supply risk.
Establish and manage supplier performance scorecards, driving continuous improvement initiatives.
Partner with Quality and Operations teams to support supplier audits and compliance evaluations.
Supply Assurance & Operational Alignment
Partner closely with Planning, Operations, and Plant teams to ensure uninterrupted raw material supply.
Align sourcing strategies with production forecasts and evolving business requirements.
Lead cross-functional response to supply disruptions to protect service levels and operational continuity.
Ensure supplier compliance with GMP, FDA, ISO, and internal quality and regulatory standards.
Financial & Performance Management
Deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, and supplier-led innovation initiatives.
Leverage spend analytics and market intelligence to inform leadership decisions and category strategy.
Manage raw material spend and contribute directly to profitability, productivity, and working capital objectives.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance procurement processes and efficiencies.
Owns supplier selection and sourcing decisions within delegated authority limits.
Leadership & Team Development
Lead, coach, and develop procurement team members through performance management and succession planning.
Facilitate cross-functional category teams to drive alignment and execution of sourcing initiatives.
Serve as the Procurement representative on Business Unit leadership teams, influencing strategic decisions impacting cost, supply, and innovation.
Performance Expectations
Deliver annual cost savings and productivity targets
Maintain high raw material service levels
Reduce supply risk exposure across strategic categories
Improve supplier performance metrics
Support innovation and new product initiatives
The ideal candidate should possess the following:
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, or related field
7+ years of progressive procurement or sourcing experience
Experience in manufacturing or consumer goods preferred
Strong analytical capability and experience managing commodity-based categories
Demonstrated success negotiating strategic supplier contracts
ERP experience (SAP, Oracle, etc.) preferred
Strategic thinking and category management
Advanced negotiation and influencing skills
Data-driven decision making
Cross-functional leadership
Risk management and supply continuity planning
Strong communication and stakeholder alignment
High ethical standards and integrity
Hybrid office environment with periodic interaction at manufacturing sites
Travel required as needed
What We Offer You
We believe that by continuously improving the quality of our benefits, we can help to raise the quality of life for our team members and their families. At First Quality you will receive:
Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities
Paid time off (three-week minimum)
Medical, dental and vision starting day one
401(k) with employer match
Paid parental leave
Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)
Bundle of joy benefit (years’ worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)
Tuition assistance
Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums
...and more!
First Quality is committed to protecting information under the care of First Quality Enterprises commensurate with leading industry standards and applicable regulations. As such, First Quality provides at least annual training regarding data privacy and security to employees who, as a result of their role specifications, may come in to contact with sensitive data.
First Quality is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, or protected Veteran status.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, or a related field
- 7+ years of progressive procurement or sourcing experience
- Strong analytical capability and experience managing commodity-based categories
- Demonstrated success negotiating strategic supplier contracts
- Strategic thinking and category management skills
- Advanced negotiation and influencing skills
- Data-driven decision-making skills
- Cross-functional leadership experience
- Risk management and supply continuity planning experience
- Strong communication and stakeholder alignment skills
- High ethical standards and integrity
- Experience in manufacturing or consumer goods
- ERP experience, such as SAP or Oracle
First Quality Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about First Quality and has not been reviewed or approved by First Quality.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Compensation is described as competitive across many hourly, technical, and engineering roles, with pay often characterized as good or fair for the job. Market-aligned base rates are reflected in recent postings and salary entries across multiple functions.
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Strong & Reliable Incentives — Quarterly bonuses, shift differentials, and overtime opportunities are commonly cited and meaningfully boost total earnings. Bonus eligibility appears to be a consistent feature in many roles.
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Parental & Family Support — The package includes paid parental leave, a year of free diapers for new parents, and employer-matched dependent care assistance. These family-focused additions complement core offerings and signal an emphasis on supporting caregivers.
First Quality Insights
What We Do
First Quality was founded over 30 years ago and has grown to become a diversified family of companies with over 4,000 employees. Manufacturing Adult Incontinence Products, Feminine Hygiene Products, Baby Wipes, Adult Washcloths, and Consumer Paper Products, we serve institutional and retail markets throughout the world. Our trusted, household brands include Prevail®, Cuties®, Plenty®, Panda®, and Incognito® Our facilities operate independently to maintain focus on the markets they serve, but benefit from being a part of the First Quality family of companies. We may be spread out across 9 locations and 2 countries, but we are one team! With our focus on innovation, technology, and sustainability, we strive to create the best products that stand out and make a real difference in people’s lives without ever sacrificing quality for affordability. If advanced technology, innovative thinking, and a passion for challenging the status quo excite you, come join our team at First Quality! When you look at one of our job listings what you’ll find is an opportunity: to meet teams who challenge each other to improve, encounter leaders who empower you to experiment, and discover work that inspires you. As a new employee in our FQ family your training begins day one and continues throughout your career as you learn and grow with our organization. Be part of making things better – apply today to join our team at www.firstquality.com/join-us!
