Category Manager - Vegetables

UNAVAILABLE; Horsell; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

UNAVAILABLE is seeking a proactive procurement professional to lead strategic sourcing across multiple geographies, building strong stakeholder relationships and delivering cost savings while maintaining quality and compliance.

You will manage supplier performance, drive category strategies, and ensure sustainable and ethical sourcing in a fast-paced, matrix organisation. FMCG/food manufacturing experience and CIPS are preferred.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent is required.
• CIPS or similar qualification is required.
• Experience in multinational FMCG/food manufacturing is essential.
• Extensive experience in procurement within a matrix organisation.
• Proven track record delivering commercial value via negotiation and supplier management.
• Experience across multi-function, multi-geography and multi-category activities.
• Excellent communication and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Maximise end-to-end value by optimising the supplier base and standardising terms.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities through collaboration with suppliers.
• Use market intelligence to forecast price trends and support negotiations.
• Deliver annual targets for productivity improvements and reductions in COGs.
• Manage supplier performance, ensuring compliance with policies and laws.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Supplier relationship management

Commercial awareness

Communication

Analytical skills

Education

Degree or equivalent

CIPS or similar qualification

Job description

Overview

PURPOSE & IMPACT: The role supports the execution of the procurement strategy for the segment by ensuring business requirements are met through procuring goods and services in a sustainable and ethical way, whilst optimising costs, maintaining quality standards and mitigating supply chain risks.

We need a proactive self-starter who can build strong, meaningful relationships with stakeholders across multiple functions and multiple geographies. A persuasive manner with the ability to both challenge and influence internal stakeholders and suppliers alike are crucial. The role requires the ability to work in a fast-paced environment, build processes and develop and grow the vegetable portfolio while ensuring competitive advantage. The role would suit someone that has the ability to create and execute a robust strategy whilst also being action focussed to deliver against both deadlines and financial targets.

Responsibilities

Delivers Commercial Value

• Maximises end to end value creation by optimising the supplier base, leveraging our scale, harmonising specifications for goods/services and standardising payment and other contractual terms with suppliers
• Continuously strives to identify ways to unlock value, working collaboratively with suppliers to identify what both parties can do to sustainably reduce costs
• Uses market intelligence to forecast both price and market trends, leveraging this knowledge in negotiations with suppliers to deliver value
• Owns the delivery of annual targets for productivity improvements, materials productivity and reductions in COGs for the total category, including team members
• Manages the supply chain for procurement, Supplier base of copackers to brand and portfolio with Markets

Sources goods & services in a sustainable and ethical way

• Minimises the environmental impact of our supply chain by working with the Sustainability Team to define the sustainable and ethical sourcing action plan for the category and taking ownership of its delivery
• Proactively builds supply chain resilience, taking proactive steps to de-risk our supply chain through the identification and resolution of risks

Owns Supplier Performance*

• Leads the process to identify and select appropriate and compliant suppliers for their category
• Owns the management of supplier relationships, tailoring the approach as required
• Measures and tracks supplier performance, proactively resolving any issues - quality, service or cost - whilst ensuring supplier compliance with internal policies and external regulations and laws

Delivers project outcomes on time and in full

• Enables successful changes to products & SKU rationalisation by proactively engaging with other teams, bringing insights from market intelligence and supplier performance to inform decisions, and taking ownership for delivery of procurement actions

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent
• Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) or similar qualification
• Experience of working in multi-national, commercial organisations of scale is essential. FMCG and Food Manufacturing sector experience preferred
• Extensive experience in a procurement function within a matrix organisation
• Proven track record of delivering commercial value through excellent negotiation skills, strong supplier relationship management and commercial awareness
• Experience of working on multi-function, muti-geography and multi-category activities and projects
• Excellent communication and analytical skills distilling detailed information down into key clear messages