Procurement Category Manager - CAPEX - Arla Head Office, Leeds

Arla Foods; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Arla Foods is seeking a Procurement Category Manager in Leeds for a hybrid role. The manager will lead CAPEX projects, optimize procurement strategies, and collaborate with various stakeholders globally. Candidates should have extensive experience in procurement and project management, particularly in engineering or dairy sectors. The role emphasizes strong leadership, stakeholder engagement, and strategic negotiation skills.

Qualifications

• 5 years of strategic procurement experience.
• Experience in dairy technology, construction, or engineering.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize CAPEX categories.
• Negotiate contracts and manage supplier interactions.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Stakeholder Management

Negotiation

Leadership

Education

Relevant Engineering Degree

Job description

Procurement Category Manager – CAPEX

Arla Head Office, Leeds

LS10 1AB

Hybrid working pattern

Can you combine a solid commercial understanding with a dairy engineering and technology interest and are you looking for a job where you have global responsibility and high impact?

If so, this is your opportunity to join Arla’s Procurement team and be part of an exciting transformation journey and create value for our dairies globally. Your job location will be our office in Leeds and will report to our Procurement Senior Manager.

“You will join a global teamspread across Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, UK, Poland, Bahrain, Riyadh and Hong Kong.Here,you will be part of the Procurement team responsible for sourcing Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) projects for Arla’s ~60 production sites. We are today a team of six professionals and are looking forward to welcome our new colleague. Our team buys a broad range of investments for Arla globally which could be everything from a new milk filling line to a complete building and we are currently in a growth period with exciting investments ahead of us” says Tevfik Ektas as the hiring manager.

How will you make an impact?

As our new Procurement Category Manager you will be working closely together with global procurement colleagues, engineering & technology, project management teams and business stakeholders to;

• Be responsible for developing and optimizing one of Arla’s six CAPEXcategories where you will be setting the strategic direction and define activities to improve competition, quality and total cost within your field. This in close collaboration with key stakeholders across the business.

• Serve as the commercial lead in CAPEX projects and coordinate supplier interactions towards stakeholders. Develop and launch RFQs / RFPs (request for quotation/proposal) for CAPEX projects to select suppliers in targeted categories and countries. Typical deliverables are:

• Analyzing proposals considering best value and total cost of ownership. Make recommendations to key internal stakeholders and give commercial direction to the project team.
• Negotiating quality, time and cost of solutions as well as other commercial terms and conditions.
• Draft project contracts, service agreements, lead contract finalization activities, assuring interaction with supplier and Legal teams.
• Change order support

• Act as the procurement business partner for CAPEX projects within your region, both towards Engineering & Technology and many other stakeholders such as Arla IT. Typical deliverables:
  • Review and create transparency on CAPEX pipeline to ensure timely procurement involvement.
  • Deploy procurement strategies within your region.
  • Supplier collaboration including escalations.
  • Support in commercial task of various nature.

• Applying your procurement skills and engineering know-how on strategic, tactical and operational levels to support the business in accordance with our CAPEX agenda.

As this role involves close collaboration with various production sites, procurement colleagues and suppliers, frequent travel is to be expected.

What will make you successful?

• We are seeking a procurement expert with at least 5 years of strategic experience, ideally with a relevant engineering degree. Your expertise spans project management in procurement or similar fields, ideally within dairy, construction, or engineering. Experience in dairy technology and civils procurement is a plus.

• Personally, you excel in stakeholder management, building strong cross-cultural relationships, and adapting communication across all levels. With a business-oriented mindset and collaboration skills, you confidently engage senior stakeholders, prioritizing procurement goals while delivering added value to Arla.

• A self-driven change agent, you thrive independently and in teams, demonstrating leadership, problem-solving abilities, and a proactive approach in a dynamic, global environment. Fluency in spoken and written English is essential.

Personal qualities will be key in our selection process, as this role plays a crucial part in accelerating CAPEX procurement transformation.

Application and contact

Please apply as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until right candidate is found. For additional information, please contact Procurement Senior Manager Tevfik Ektas at [e-mail] .

Shape the Future of Dairy

Arla is a global leader in the dairy industry, committed to producing high-quality products while championing sustainability and innovation. We're passionate about people and our planet, striving to unleash the full potential in each of us. Our goal is to make healthy dairy nutrition and good food habits accessible to all. Join us at Arla Foods and become part of a worldwide cooperative dedicated to making a significant impact on the planet and steering the dairy industry towards a sustainable future.

We are devoted to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. Diversity and collaboration are key to our success, propelling us to new heights in the dairy industry.

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