Nicole Ward Email & Phone Number

San Diego, California, United States

• Manage supplier relationships and negotiate contracts across all packaging categories for both Jack in the Box and Del Taco, overseeing an annual spend of $110M.
• Develop and execute category strategies, collaborating with cross-functional teams to support product development and improvement, and alternate supplier initiatives.
• Implement cost-saving strategies through RFPs, secondary suppliers, product optimizations, and alternate raw materials.
• Present sourcing strategies to senior leadership and franchisees, supporting strategic decision-making.
• Support the continued integration of Del Taco's supply chain into Jack in the Box, ensuring seamless transition and operational efficiency.

Carlsbad, California, United States

• Manage multiple brands day to day activities: Definitive Technologies and Bowers & Wilkins, for a total of over 175 SKUs.
• Responsible for the management and reduction of Days in Hand and Excess & Obsolete to meet targets set by Management.
• Compile data and present monthly Sales and Operation Planning meeting sections related to my Brands.
• Collaborate with teams in Europe and Japan to align demand and factory capacity planning to optimize shipping and warehousing.
• Manage and find innovative improvements to overcome global supply chain challenges.
• Mentor colleagues in business practices and technical skills.

Vista, California

• Manage and maintain the requisition to PO workflow in Microsoft NAV.
• Research, verify and approve new vendors and their terms prior to set up in the internal database.
• Identification and preparation of indirect spend projects for RFP’s.
• Manage and improve existing CAPEX process.

Greater San Diego Area

• Buy/Plan multiple product categories across many SKUs
• Monitor the status of receipts to ensure supplier adherence to schedule and quantity requirements, escalating issues and expediting as necessary.
• Create and conduct RFPs, vendor selection and implementation process.
• Manage dieline and art redesign changes, runouts and scrap
• Comply with all aspects of supply chain pertaining to timeliness of forecasts, purchase orders, pricing and contractual minimums.

Portland, OR

• Lead campus tours for prospective students and families and provide orientation information

Escondido, California

• Scheduling deliveries and reconciling inventories and payments.
• Ensure prompt review of all material requirement notices, on-time placement of Purchase Orders, and on-time delivery.
• Day to day responsibility for preparing and issuing purchase orders and change notices, monitoring order status and providing updates as required.
• Monitor status of planned receipts to ensure supplier adherence to schedule and quantity requirements, escalating issues and expediting as necessary.
• Prepare and present information and reports to management as needed.

San Diego

• Coordinated vendor, maker and school festival participants
• Obtained sponsorships of both in-kind and monetary donations
• Wrote, filmed and produced weekly informational videos

Greater San Diego Area

Completed literature research, managed data files, assisted in design of data acquisition protocol