Head of Sourcing & Procurement
The Head of Sourcing & Procurement is responsible for finding and buying products, packaging and raw materials for nutra offers: suppliers, prices, lead times, quality and compliance with requirements.
What a Head of Sourcing & Procurement does
The Head of Sourcing & Procurement, or head of sourcing and procurement, is responsible for what the product is physically made of and where it comes from. In nutra, this means capsules, powders, bottles, labels, boxes, finished goods from contract manufacturers, and logistics up to the warehouse or fulfillment center. Revenue, returns and brand reputation depend on the quality and stability of supply, which is why this role is kept separate from general operations.
Nutra companies work with short offer life cycles and often change suppliers: one batch goes into testing, another is scaled up, and a third is stopped because of complaints. The Head of Sourcing builds a system in which purchasing can be scaled up or stopped quickly without losing control over composition, certificates and deadlines. The role usually reports to the COO or operations director and manages a team of buyers, sourcing specialists and supplier quality managers.
Responsibilities
- Build a database of suppliers and contract manufacturers, run initial screening and audit production capacity
- Negotiate prices, volumes, payment terms, deferrals and penalties for missed deliveries
- Agree product specifications: composition, dosages, filling, packaging and labeling
- Oversee trial and production batches, incoming quality control and certificates
- Plan purchases based on sales forecasts and offer tests, and manage safety stock
- Coordinate delivery deadlines, routes and shipping costs with logistics and the warehouse
- Set up the process for handling quality claims, defects and underfilling, and file complaints with suppliers
- Work with lawyers and compliance on contracts, document requirements and batch traceability
- Prepare the procurement budget and batch unit economics reporting, and identify overspending
- Manage the purchasing team, set KPIs and rules for working with suppliers
Skills
- Negotiating prices and contract terms with manufacturers and intermediaries
- Understanding production processes for dietary supplements and health products
- Supplier assessment: capacity, stability, quality and financial condition
- Managing supply risks: supplier duplication and alternative routes
- Working with technical specifications, packaging and labeling
- Financial modeling of batch cost and purchasing unit economics
- Coordinating between marketing, logistics, lawyers and the warehouse
- Team management and setting tasks with measurable results
- Understanding regulatory requirements for labeling, certification and product documentation
Tools
- Google Sheets or Excel for purchasing models and batch registers
- ERP or accounting system (for example, 1C) for orders and inventory balances
- WMS or warehouse and fulfillment management system
- CRM or supplier register with negotiation history and ratings
- Electronic document management system for contracts and specifications
- Task tracker (Jira, Trello, Asana) for approving batches
- Quality control tools: test protocols and incoming inspection logs
How performance is measured
- On-time in-full (OTIF) delivery rate
- Unit cost of the product versus target margin
- Share of defects and claims by batch
- Time from request to launch of a test batch
- Number of qualified backup suppliers for key items
- Adherence to procurement budget and deviation from planned costs
By vertical
Nutra
In nutra, purchasing is closely tied to regulatory requirements for composition, labeling and certification, and the product is often released under a white label or private label. Here the Head of Sourcing oversees contract manufacturing, verifies documents for raw materials and finished products, and quickly replaces a supplier if an offer or product becomes subject to restrictions.
Levels
Head of / Director
At the Head of or Director level, the role owns the entire purchasing strategy: choosing the operating model with manufacturers, structuring the team, budget, deal decisions and entry into new categories. Responsibility for supply and quality failures lies with this person, not with individual buyers, so the ability to build processes and make decisions with incomplete data is essential.
How to get there
Most people enter the role from purchasing, operations management in manufacturing or logistics, or procurement departments in FMCG, pharma or supplements. Experience in negotiating with suppliers, working with technical documentation and budgets is valuable. For nutra, it is important to understand how production and packaging work and to know the basic requirements for product labeling and certification.
To prepare, study the basics of supply chain management, supplier assessment methods, cost calculation principles and supply risk management. You can gain practice by taking on purchasing for specific categories, maintaining a supplier register, overseeing batch quality, or coordinating with contract manufacturers. Keeping data habitually, on lead times, defects, prices and volumes, is essential.
Growth usually goes from buyer or supplier manager to category head, then to Head of Sourcing, where team management, budget and strategy are added. Moving to the leadership level requires speaking the language of finance and operations, making decisions to change suppliers, and being accountable for the results of the entire chain.
Next steps: Director of Operations, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Head of Supply Chain, Head of Logistics, Director of Procurement
FAQ
How is a Head of Sourcing different from a regular buyer?
A buyer usually manages specific items and suppliers, while the Head of Sourcing is responsible for procurement strategy, the team, the budget and the stability of the entire supply chain. This person decides on changing manufacturer models and entering new categories. The main difference is the scale of responsibility and the impact of decisions on the whole company.
Do you need nutra experience to become a Head of Sourcing?
Nutra experience makes the job much easier, because the role is tied to requirements for composition, labeling and certification. But many people come from FMCG, pharma or manufacturing if they understand how contract manufacturing works. Missing knowledge can be filled by studying industry requirements and working with manufacturers.
What determines income in this role?
Income depends on the size of the company and its turnover, the complexity of the categories, the level of budget responsibility, and how closely the role is tied to margin and delivery results. Experience in contract manufacturing and the ability to manage a team are also important. Specific figures depend on the market and the conditions of each company.
What mistakes are most common in this role?
Common mistakes include choosing a supplier based on price alone without checking quality and capacity, having no backup supplier for key items, and weak control over product documentation. A gap between purchasing and marketing is also a problem, when volumes do not match the sales plan. A good Head of Sourcing plans for these scenarios in advance.
What matters more to employers: negotiation or analytics?
Both skills matter in this role, but in nutra, negotiation and relationships with manufacturers often make a bigger difference than complex models. Analytics is needed to calculate cost, lead times and risks, while negotiation helps secure flexible terms and a fast response to disruptions. Employers usually look for a combination of these skills with the ability to maintain process discipline.
Can you move into this role from logistics?
Yes, a move from logistics is possible, especially if the person has already worked with suppliers, warehouses and delivery schedules. You will need to additionally develop skills in price negotiation, manufacturer assessment and working with technical specifications. Experience managing a team and a budget will also be important.
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