Specialist- Commercial Operations (Raw)

Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates; Mumbai; On-site; INR 2,400,000 - 3,600,000; Full time

Job summary

Mars, Incorporated and its Affiliates in Mumbai, India seeks a procurement leader to manage the India cluster supplier base for raw materials. The role drives category strategy, supplier performance, and continuity of supply while collaborating with Sourcing, Planning, Quality, and R&D teams.

You will build strong relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders, translate business priorities into actionable procurement outcomes, and lead continuous improvement across the supply chain.

Qualifications

• MBA or equivalent and 3–5 years of commercial/purchasing experience.
• Fluent in English with strong stakeholder and supplier relationship skills.
• Experience in FMCG/food and beverage is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with sourcing teams to implement category strategy and drive cost-saving actions.
• Ensure contractual allocations and supply continuity for India sites.
• Drive resilience and dual sourcing initiatives with SQA & R&D.
• Negotiate quality, service, and lead times with suppliers to maximize value.
• Provide input to strategic sourcing on supplier performance and manage supplier relationships.
• Lead supplier approvals and introductions for allocated categories.
• Support planning and logistics to avoid payment delays and maintain stock levels.
• Monitor supplier performance and contribute to supplier scorecards.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Supplier relationship management

Procurement strategy

English fluency

Education

MBA or equivalent

Tools

SAP

ERP systems

Job description

Job Description

The Jobholder is responsible for overall management of the India Cluster supplier base of Raw Material categories. The incumbent will manage day-to-day operational procurement activities while driving continuous improvement, risk mitigation and Value creation. He/she is responsible for ensuring that materials for the factories are delivered as per the established KPIs by the relevant internal stakeholders.

The role serves as the key link between Sourcing, Supply Planning, Quality, R&D, and Suppliers to ensure superior service levels, supplier performance, quality compliance, and business continuity. The role requires strong stakeholder management and supplier relationship management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships both externally with suppliers and internally with functions such as Supply Chain, Manufacturing, QFS, SQA and EPM team.

The individual will play a critical role in translating business priorities into actionable supplier and supply-chain outcomes, while ensuring operational excellence and uninterrupted material availability.

Key Responsibilities

Maximize value for money

• Collaboration with sourcing teams and drive actions to implement category strategy and deliver against cost saving activities.
• Ensure contractual allocation made by the sourcing manager.
• Support execution of Value Leadership initiatives and specification changes in coordination with the relevant stakeholders.
• Support Resilience program for the allocated categories in collaboration with SQA & R&D driving dual sourcing target,
• Negotiate and challenge supplier's quality, service, lead times, minimum order quantities in order to get the best value for the organization.
• Provide the necessary support to India sites planning and logistics in ensuring supply continuity.
• Steer new supplier introductions and approvals for the allocated categories.
• Manage and provide input to the Strategic Sourcing on suppliers’ performance (quality and service).
• Provide Commercial leadership to help resolve supplier issues and non-conformance when site planning/logistics are unable to.
• Accountable for new specification introduction/changes including supplier screening, selection and follow up on validation with Supplier Quality Assurance and R&D.

Optimize and protect the supply chain

• Contribute to World-class management of Working Capital through Day Raws and Packs Outstanding (DRPO) initiatives (e.g. stock reductions)
• Contribute to Planning-Commercial meets conducted at a defined cadence.
• Follow up with Planners to clear invoices in SAP to avoid payment delays.
• Resolving Vendor Issues + Closing MCIT Tickets.
• Share Timely Raw Material Forecasts monthly to the suppliers as per their allocations.
• Support SQA in Non-conformance resolutions.

Ensure responsible and continuous supply

• Provide necessary support to sites planning and logistics in ensuring supply continuity, managing stocks and pipelines.
• Ensure zero run-outs due to materials availability
• Accountable to ensure that supplier performance reviews are conducted bi-annually in coordination with SQA.
• Support SQA in developing supplier performance scorecards and provide commercial leadership for the proactive measurement of supplier performance (Supplier compliance scorecards)
• Provide input to the sourcing manager on overall supplier performance.
• Ensures that Continuous Improvement plans are in place and followed through with major suppliers.
• Manage & develop day to day relationship with suppliers and Provide commercial leadership to resolve disputes, supplier issues and non-conformance when site logistics and planning /SQA are unable to during the contractual period.
• Support SQA/Site Logistics and planning to ensure raw suppliers commit to resolving all reported non-conformances (quality or service)
• Provide information on volume forecast to sourcing managers
• Monitor commodity trends periodically and provide local expertise and market intelligence for the sourcing teams in order to anticipate future risks/opportunities
• Lead new supplier and specification introduction/changes including supplier screening, selection and follow up on validation with SQA and R&D
• Responsible, in alignment with SQA, to ensure that specifications are industry appropriate and can be efficiently delivered by potential suppliers
• Provide support to sustainability initiatives (local/regional/global) to ensure compliance to targets in relation to raw materials
• Interact with R&D and ATG as needed in order to support the introduction of new raw materials &
• Work closely with internal stakeholders & SQA in order to minimize the risks on the factory by developing backups for the allocated raw materials.
• Attend FSMR Meetings and represent One Commercial Team; collaborate within team for inputs and actions.
• Support in Finance, MQM, QMS and Global Audits.
• Ensure timely payment release of Vendors by resolution with and follow-ups with APP Team and Finance Team.

Job Specifications

• Masters Degree (MBA)
• 3-5 years of Commercial/Purchasing experience preferably in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)/Food and Beverage Sector
• Fluent in English