Director Agriculture (Solon, OH, US, 44139)

Foods you love. Brands you trust. And a career that empowers you to grow.

At Nestlé USA, we’re all working towards the same goal – to delight and deliver for our consumers. With a rich portfolio of beloved brands, including DiGiorno, Toll House, and Coffee mate, in 97% of U.S. households, we have a unique opportunity – and responsibility – to be there for every moment in our consumers’ lives.

Joining Nestlé means becoming part of an inclusive workplace that inspires innovation, encourages strategic thinking and creativity, and celebrates your achievements. No matter where you work within the organization, you are empowered to challenge the status quo, embrace risk-taking, and pioneer new ideas. Our supportive and collaborative environment encourages bold ambitions and continuous learning so that everyone can grow and thrive.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Leads the development and execution of Nestlé USA’s integrated agriculture strategy, ensuring a sustainable, resilient, and cost-effective supply of dairy while advancing regenerative agriculture, quality, and sourcing priorities.

This role is accountable for aligning agronomy, fresh dairy sourcing, and regenerative agriculture & certifications into a centralized operating model, enabling scale, consistency, and impact across fragmented activities. The Director translates global strategy into U.S. execution, strengthens supplier ecosystems, and partners cross-functionally with Procurement, ESG, and Operations to deliver business and sustainability outcomes.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategy & Transformation Leadership

• Define and execute a holistic agriculture strategy aligned to Nestlé’s Agriculture Framework, ESG goals, and sourcing priorities

• Lead transformation of fragmented agronomy and sourcing activities into a centralized, high-performing model

• Translate long-term sustainability and supply strategies into actionable roadmaps with measurable outcomes

• Drive regenerative agriculture adoption and integrate it into sourcing and supplier development

Sourcing & Sustainability Delivery

• Lead supplier development to improve quality, productivity, resilience, and sustainability outcomes

• Drive carbon reduction, regenerative agriculture adoption, and responsible sourcing across value chains

• Manage agricultural risks including supply volatility, cost, regulation, and climate impacts

• Ensure secure, competitive supply of key agricultural inputs for fresh milk through effective sourcing strategies

• Partner with the Procurement function to ensure effective collaboration and comprehensive sourcing strategies for agricultural products

Agronomy & Technical Excellence

• Provide enterprise leadership across agronomy strategy, protocols, and capability building

• Partner Procurement, Quality, Corporate Sustainability and global agriculture teams to embed science-based practices

• Drive continuous improvement in crop performance, soil health, and productivity

• Lead team of subject matter experts across agronomy and sustainable sourcing to ensure that all business commitments are understood and met.

Stakeholder & Ecosystem Leadership

• Build and manage relationships with farmers, cooperatives, suppliers, NGOs, and industry bodies

• Represent Nestlé externally in agriculture, sustainability, and regulatory forums

• Partner with internal stakeholders (Procurement, ESG, R&D, Quality, Public Affairs) to align priorities

Performance, Governance & Operations

• Set KPIs and monitor performance across:

  • Supply security & cost
  • Sustainability (carbon, regenerative ag adoption)
  • Quality and supplier performance

• Ensure compliance with regulatory, certification, and sustainability standards

• Manage budget, investment prioritization, and operational execution

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Animal Science, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Operations, or related field

• Advanced degree (MBA, MS) preferred

• 12+ years in agriculture, quality, sourcing, sustainability, or supply chain

• Proven leadership experience managing cross-functional and matrixed teams

• Experience in Agricultural supply chains (dairy, crops, or similar commodities)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strategic leadership with ability to translate vision into execution

• Deep understanding of agronomy, agricultural supply chains, and sustainability

• Strong commercial and procurement acumen

• Ability to influence across global, matrixed organizations

• Data-driven decision making and KPI management

• Stakeholder engagement and partnership development

• Change leadership and transformation capability

• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills

Preferred Experiences:

• Experience in global or multi-market agricultural environments

• Exposure to carbon, Scope 3, ESG, and certification frameworks

• Experience leading transformation or organizational design initiatives

• Experience in regenerative agriculture initiatives and practices

• Experience in supplier and sourcing strategy development

It is our business imperative to remain a very inclusive workplace.

To our veterans and separated service members, you're at the forefront of our minds as we recruit top talent to join Nestlé. The skills you've gained while serving our country, such as flexibility, agility, and leadership, are much like the skills that will make you successful in this role. In addition, with our commitment to an inclusive work environment, we recognize the exceptional engagement and innovation displayed by individuals with disabilities. Nestlé seeks such skilled and qualified individuals to share our mission where you’ll join a cohort of others who have chosen to call Nestlé home.

The Nestlé Companies are equal employment opportunity employers. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any special accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Contact us at accommodations@nestle.com or please dial 711 and provide this number to the operator: 1-800-321-6467.

This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

Review our applicant privacy notice before applying at https://www.nestlejobs.com/privacy.

Job Requisition: 412013