Sourcing Lead - Crop Protection

Company Overview Farmers Business Network, Inc. (FBN®) is a pioneering digital marketplace and farmer-to-farmer network dedicated to empowering family farmers globally while promoting sustainable agriculture. With over 117,000 members, FBN's Farmers First® promise unites growers and ranchers in their quest to maximize profitability and increase food production. FBN leverages data, AI and direct-to-farm delivery to simplify the agricultural supply chain, boosting convenience and transparency, reducing farm input costs, enhancing access to financing and services, and providing personalized farm insights. Its Gradable® joint-venture helps thousands of farmers adopt and earn rewards for regenerative practices while simplifying the access of regenerative products for the world’s leading food companies and grain buyers.
Position SummaryFBN Marketplace is expanding its third-party supplier ecosystem, where external partners compete to serve farmer demand through a scalable platform. Reporting to VP of Category Management, the CP Sourcing Lead is the single-threaded owner for third-party supply of Crop Protection products within FBN Marketplace. This role consolidates supplier sourcing, supply coordination, negotiation, and performance management for non-manufactured products. In a lean operating model, this role functions as the primary third-party supply capability, partnering closely with Marketplace, Category Management, Demand Planning, Finance, and Logistics to ensure the right products are selected, funded, and available to meet farmer needs.
This is a senior individual contributor role with broad accountability for outcomes, not people management.
Responsibilities Third-Party Supply Ownership (Primary Accountability)Serve as the single-threaded owner for third-party supply execution across FBN Marketplace for Crop Protection productsConsolidate supplier sourcing, commitments, and execution in a lean operating environmentAct as the central point of accountability for third-party product availability, timing, and readinessResolve third-party supply issues end-to-end without reliance on a dedicated supply teamAchieve savings targets by deploying appropriate negotiation strategies, such as bids, sharing price intelligence, and securing multiple supply options.Supplier Sourcing & PartnershipsOwn end-to-end relationships with third-party CP suppliers across all non-manufactured productsLead supplier identification, evaluation, onboarding, and ongoing managementNegotiate commercial terms including pricing, payment terms, rebates, and service levelsMaintain clear supplier expectations aligned to Marketplace demand and operational constraintsProduct & Assortment AlignmentPartner with Category Management to determine:Which products are sourced vs. internally manufactured (GCS)Which suppliers participate in each categorySupport assortment rationalization to reduce complexity and improve executionEnsure suppliers are operationally ready for new product launches, promotions, and seasonal demandDemand Planning & Buy ExecutionWork with Category Management on preferred model, ie, Vendor Stock on Demand or Direct PurchaseWork closely with Demand Planning to align forecasts, buy quantities, and replenishment strategiesTranslate demand signals into supplier commitments and purchase plansIdentify and mitigate supply risks including lead times, shortages, substitutions, and supplier constraintsAdjust buy plans dynamically based on in-season demand and supplier performanceSupply Chain & Logistics CoordinationPartner with the Demand, Supply Chain and Logistics teams to execute inbound, storage, and drop-ship strategiesEnsure third-party products are positioned appropriately to meet customer delivery expectationsCoordinate timing, quantities, and fulfillment methods with logistics and demand partnersAct as the primary escalation point for third-party supply execution issuesFinancial & Cash PlanningPartner with Finance to manage cash requirements and working capital for third-party purchasesTrack replacement COGS on a weekly basisBalance product availability with disciplined cash managementTrack margin performance and support variance analysis for third-party productsSupport quarterly and annual planning processes related to third-party supplyMarketplace & Customer EnablementWork closely with the Marketplace and Sales teams to ensure pricing, availability, and assortment support conversionSupport campaigns, promotions, and demand spikes with aligned supplier executionCommunicate supplier constraints, opportunities, and substitutions proactively
Supplier Performance & GovernanceOwn supplier performance metrics including fill rate, availability, margin performance, and service levelsDrive corrective actions with underperforming suppliersSupport a lightweight governance and approval process for new third-party product introductionsEnsure clear documentation and decision ownership across third-party supply activities

Minimum Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations, Agriculture, or a related field- 6–10 years of experience in supplier management, sourcing, category operations, or marketplace roles- Experience negotiating commercial terms with external partners- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills- Financial and margin acumen
Preferred Qualifications - Experience supporting third-party or marketplace-based product models- Agriculture, ag inputs, or supply chain experience- Familiarity with demand planning or S&OP processes (participation, not ownership)- Experience operating in a fast-paced, matrixed organization
Characteristics- Comfortable operating as a senior individual contributor with broad influence- Highly organized with strong execution discipline- Customer-centric, with a clear understanding of farmer needs- Data-driven and financially grounded- Able to balance short-term execution with long-term platform thinking
To understand the physical demands of this job, please click this link and refer to Template B The following represents FBN's reasonable estimate of the US national average base salary range for this role based on market data and placement of internal employees: $129,870 - $144,300 annually. This salary range may vary based on geography and the higher cost of labor in some metropolitan areas. 
Beyond Base Pay, FBN also offers all full-time/permanent employees competitive total compensation packages that include equity compensation (dependent upon job level), incentive/bonus plans (dependent upon position), paid holidays plus an additional floating holiday, work flexibility including paid time off and remote work if your role is eligible, parental leave, benefits including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, wellbeing, short & long term disability, life insurance, 401k, HSA employer contributions, and more. FBN is proud to be an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. FBN considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. 
We participate in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program here. FBN is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to the known limitations for qualified applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance to complete this form or participate in an interview, please let us know.