Category co-ordinator

DS Smith; Manchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

DS Smith is seeking a procurement professional to support a 12 months fixed term contract on a hybrid basis. The role is based in Manchester or Budapest and involves developing and implementing procurement policies, analytics, and supplier management across a global environment.

You will work with cross-functional teams, drive continuous improvement, and contribute to strategic sourcing initiatives while coordinating projects and ensuring timely delivery in a fast-paced, international setting.

Qualifications

• Experience working within a procurement, sourcing or supply chain environment.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, able to interpret data and translate into insights.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel and PowerPoint, with report creation experience.
• Experience using ERP, procurement or supplier management systems would be advantageous.
• Excellent organisational and project coordination skills with ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive mindset with a passion for continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Support development, implementation and continuous improvement of procurement policies and practices.
• Deliver performance reporting, stakeholder engagement and analysis of procurement and supplier activities.
• Assist Global Sourcing Lead on strategic commercial initiatives and group-wide procurement activities.
• Coordinate sourcing activities and supplier management initiatives to meet objectives.
• Provide procurement and supplier support for new business opportunities, including supplier identification and capacity assessments.
• Contribute to supplier development programmes to improve quality, service, sustainability, and cost performance.
• Coordinate procurement projects, maintain plans, monitor actions, risks and opportunities, and ensure deadlines are met.
• Identify opportunities to improve procurement effectiveness and reporting capabilities.

Skills

Procurement

Sourcing

Analytics

Excel

PowerPoint

Stakeholder management

Project coordination

Continuous improvement

Reporting

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

12 months Fixed Term Contract This role is offered on a hybrid basis, with your office location based in either Manchester or Budapest. TMS Global, part of DS Smith, is a global leader in sustainable packaging and retail solutions. Operating in 97 markets with more than 300 colleagues across APAC, LATAM, EMEA and North America, we partner with leading global brands to deliver innovative print, packaging and display solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the development, implementation and continuous improvement of procurement policies, processes and best practices, ensuring consistent adoption across the business.
• Deliver performance reporting, stakeholder engagement and analysis of procurement and supplier activities.
• Act as a key support to the Global Sourcing Lead on strategic commercial initiatives and group-wide procurement activities, ensuring projects are effectively coordinated, monitored and delivered.
• Coordinate sourcing activities and supplier management initiatives, supporting procurement objectives and business requirements.
• Provide procurement and supplier support for new business opportunities, including supplier identification, commercial analysis and capacity assessments.
• Contribute to supplier development programmes, driving improvements in quality, service, sustainability, innovation, resilience and cost performance.
• Coordinate procurement projects and initiatives, maintaining project plans, monitoring actions, risks and opportunities, and ensuring deadlines are achieved.
• Identify opportunities to improve procurement effectiveness, reporting capability, supplier performance and operational efficiency across the function.

About You

You’ll be an organised and proactive professional who enjoys working in a fast-paced, international environment. With strong analytical skills and a keen eye for detail, you’ll be confident building relationships across multiple functions, managing competing priorities and communicating effectively with a wide range of stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have experience in the following areas:

• Experience working within a procurement, sourcing or supply chain environment.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends and translate findings into actionable insights.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel and PowerPoint, with the ability to create reports, analyse data and present insights effectively.
• Experience using ERP, procurement or supplier management systems would be advantageous.
• Excellent organisational and project coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive mindset with a passion for continuous improvement.

If you’re looking for an opportunity to develop your procurement career within a global organisation and contribute to strategic sourcing initiatives, we’d love to hear from you. “To achieve our aim of being among the most successful, sustainable and responsible companies in the world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.” We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre‑based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 60,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world‑leading organisation and do your best work with us! As the journey continues of bringing together the strengths of both organisations, during your candidate experience you may engage with our colleagues from International Paper! You could visit an International Paper or DS Smith site or office.