Senior Procurement Manager - Packaging

Distinct | B Corp; Peterborough; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Distinct | B Corp, a global food manufacturing group, is seeking a Senior Procurement Manager with strong packaging procurement experience to drive strategy across a complex international network. The role focuses on packaging category leadership, cost savings and supplier performance across the UK, Europe, and other regions.

You will lead global category strategies, manage spend across sites, and partner with operations, technical and commercial teams to deliver value while navigating changing

Qualifications

• Strong packaging procurement experience
• Experience leading global/category strategies
• Multi-country/site experience across UK/Europe
• Willingness to travel regularly
• Track record of delivering savings and supplier improvements

Responsibilities

• Developing and delivering packaging category strategies across countries/sites
• Managing packaging spend across multiple countries and sites
• Delivering cost savings and value creation
• Leading sourcing projects, tenders and negotiations
• Managing supplier relationships and performance
• Ensuring packaging compliance, sustainability and legislative alignment
• Identifying supply risks and mitigating them
• Improving procurement data, systems and processes
• Collaborating with operations, technical and commercial teams
• Aligning sites around common suppliers and strategies
• Handling multiple priorities and delivering projects at pace

Skills

Packaging procurement

Strategic sourcing

Stakeholder management

Supplier negotiations

Cost savings

Project leadership

Multi-site coordination

Data & systems improvement

Job description

I’m recruiting a Senior Procurement Manager with strong packaging procurement experience to join a global food manufacturing business during a major period of transformation.

This is a newly elevated role, created to bring greater experience, pace and strategic focus into the procurement team. The successful candidate will take responsibility for packaging procurement across a complex international manufacturing network.

The role will support operations across the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Poland and Ireland, as well as colleagues in Australia and New Zealand.

The role

You will lead the development and delivery of packaging category strategies across multiple countries and manufacturing sites.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing and implementing global packaging category strategies
• Managing packaging spend across multiple countries and sites
• Delivering cost savings, value creation and supplier improvements
• Leading sourcing projects, tenders and commercial negotiations
• Managing strategic supplier relationships and performance
• Supporting packaging legislation, compliance and sustainability requirements
• Identifying and mitigating supplier, cost and supply chain risks
• Improving procurement data, systems and processes
• Working closely with operations, technical, commercial and site teams
• Aligning sites around common suppliers, specifications and procurement strategies
• Managing multiple priorities and delivering projects at pace

Packaging experience is central to this appointment.

• Relevant category experience could include:
• Films
• Trays and rigid plastics
• Corrugated and cardboard
• Labels and sleeves
• Food-contact packagingSustainable and recyclable packaging
• Secondary and tertiary packaging

You should also have a strong understanding of changing packaging legislation, compliance requirements and sustainability pressures.

Global and multi-site experience

The successful candidate will be comfortable working across geographically dispersed teams, suppliers and manufacturing sites.

You will ideally have:

Strong strategic packaging procurement experience

• A manufacturing, food, FMCG or consumer goods background
• Experience operating across multiple sites or countries
• Exposure to regional, European or global procurement
• A track record of delivering savings and commercial improvements
• Strong supplier negotiation and stakeholder management skills
• The resilience to work effectively during business transformation
• The ability to work independently without close supervision
• A flexible and proactive approach to changing priorities

Travel and working pattern

Regular travel will be required across the UK and Europe to visit manufacturing sites, suppliers and project stakeholders.

The role will initially require at least three days per week at the Huntingdon office, supplier locations or other business sites. Greater flexibility may be available once established.

This opportunity would suit an experienced Senior Procurement Manager, Packaging Category Manager, Global Category Manager or Senior Packaging Buyer ready to step into a broader international role.