Category Specialist: Food Sourcing

International-Facilities-Services-Limited; Umhlanga Rocks; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

International-Facilities-Services-Limited in KwaZulu-Natal seeks a procurement specialist to source food and related supplies across African markets, balancing quality, safety, landed cost, localisation and supplier capability. You will develop category plans, run sourcing events and negotiate terms to support operations.

The ideal candidate holds a relevant degree, 4–7 years in food procurement, is willing to travel across Sub-Saharan Africa, and preferably holds a CIPS qualification.

Qualifications

• Relevant degree/diploma in Procurement, Supply Chain, Commerce, Food Science or equivalent.
• CIPS qualification advantageous.
• 4 to 7 years’ experience in food procurement, FMCG, hospitality, catering or related sourcing environments, preferably across multiple markets.
• Valid Code EB drivers' licence
• Willingness to travel to the sites across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Responsibilities

• Develop category profiles covering spend, demand, specifications, suppliers, market dynamics and risk.
• Execute sourcing events for food categories using approved competitive and governance processes.
• Challenge demand and specifications with culinary/operations stakeholders to reduce unnecessary cost and complexity.
• Analyse commodity, seasonal, currency, logistics and market drivers affecting food cost.
• Build sourcing strategies that appropriately combine group leverage, large local suppliers and developmental local suppliers.
• Evaluate supplier capability, food safety, quality, capacity, resilience and commercial competitiveness.
• Negotiate pricing mechanisms, payment terms, service levels, rebates and supply protections.
• Support product rationalisation, standardisation and approved substitution opportunities.
• Monitor supplier performance and collaborate with SRM on corrective action and innovation.
• Maintain sourcing pipelines, contracts, benchmarks and savings/value evidence for assigned categories.
• Run approved sourcing events.
• Recommend supplier awards.
• Negotiate within mandate.
• Escalate supply, quality, food-safety and commercial risks.
• Protect food safety, quality and continuity.
• Avoid cost decisions that compromise mandatory standards or create unmanaged concentration risk.
• Build data-driven food categories with standard specifications, transparent commodity economics, diversified supply and active supplier innovation.
• Use approved procurement technology, structured data and digital workflows as the default way of working.
• Maintain high-quality data at source and actively identify automation opportunities.
• Operations, culinary/food teams, Finance, Quality/HSSE, market leadership, suppliers, logistics and Group procurement.
• Lead and develop staff within the context of the applicable labour legislation.
• Monitor staff performance and provide regular feedback, including informal and formal staff appraisals.
• Coach and support staff where necessary to achieve objectives.
• Manage staff administration issues, including leave, time management and interaction with the wider business.
• Manage and deliver on succession plans to enable the development of a future generation of leaders and specialists and ensure optimal turnover and retention levels are maintained.
• Champion staff training and development through the utilisation of available training opportunities or contributing to the development of new training solutions in collaboration with national training specialists.

Education

Relevant degree/diploma in Procurement, Supply Chain, Commerce, Food Science or equivalent

CIPS qualification advantageous

Job description

Purpose of the Role

1. Source food and related supply requirements across IFS markets, balancing quality, food safety, continuity, landed cost, localisation and supplier capability.
2. The role covers food categories across relevant African markets, supplier sourcing, market intelligence, category plans, tenders, negotiations and supplier performance support.

Key Responsibilities

2.1. Key Accountabilities

• Develop category profiles covering spend, demand, specifications, suppliers, market dynamics and risk.
• Execute sourcing events for food categories using approved competitive and governance processes.
• Challenge demand and specifications with culinary/operations stakeholders to reduce unnecessary cost and complexity.
• Analyse commodity, seasonal, currency, logistics and market drivers affecting food cost.
• Build sourcing strategies that appropriately combine group leverage, large local suppliers and developmental local suppliers.
• Evaluate supplier capability, food safety, quality, capacity, resilience and commercial competitiveness.
• Negotiate pricing mechanisms, payment terms, service levels, rebates and supply protections.
• Support product rationalisation, standardisation and approved substitution opportunities.
• Monitor supplier performance and collaborate with SRM on corrective action and innovation.
• Maintain sourcing pipelines, contracts, benchmarks and savings/value evidence for assigned categories.

2.2. Decision Rights

• Run approved sourcing events.
• Recommend supplier awards.
• Negotiate within mandate.
• Escalate supply, quality, food-safety and commercial risks.

2.3. Governance & Risk

• Protect food safety, quality and continuity.
• Avoid cost decisions that compromise mandatory standards or create unmanaged concentration risk.

2.4. World-Class Function Expectation

• Build data-driven food categories with standard specifications, transparent commodity economics, diversified supply and active supplier innovation.

2.5. Digital & Data Expectation

• Use approved procurement technology, structured data and digital workflows as the default way of working.
• Maintain high-quality data at source and actively identify automation opportunities.

2.6. Key Interfaces

• Operations, culinary/food teams, Finance, Quality/HSSE, market leadership, suppliers, logistics and Group procurement.

2.7. Team Management

• Lead and develop staff within the context of the applicable labour legislation.
• Monitor staff performance and provide regular feedback, including informal and formal staff appraisals.
• Coach and support staff where necessary to achieve objectives.
• Manage staff administration issues, including leave, time management and interaction with the wider business.
• Manage and deliver on succession plans to enable the development of a future generation of leaders and specialists and ensure optimal turnover and retention levels are maintained.
• Champion staff training and development through the utilisation of available training opportunities or contributing to the development of new training solutions in collaboration with national training specialists.

2.8. Teamwork and Self-Management

• Take ownership and accountability for tasks and activities and demonstrate effective self-management in terms of planning and prioritising, and self-development.
• Follow through to ensure that quality and productivity standards of work are consistently and accurately maintained.
• Inform relevant parties in the event of tasks or deadlines not met, the potential risks thereof and provide appropriate resolution.
• Support and drive the business core values.
• Manage colleagues and client’s expectations and communicate appropriately.
• Demonstrate willingness to help others and “go the extra mile” to meet team targets and objectives.
• Champion training and development of self and others through utilising available training opportunities.
• Participate in and drive regular performance appraisals and ensure that own targets and goals are clear and achievable.

Qualification and Experience

• Relevant degree/diploma in Procurement, Supply Chain, Commerce, Food Science or equivalent.
• CIPS qualification advantageous.
• 4 to 7 years’ experience in food procurement, FMCG, hospitality, catering or related sourcing environments, preferably across multiple markets.
• Valid Code EB drivers' licence
• Willingness to travel to the sites across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Preference will be given to internal applicants and appointments that support the achievement of our Employment Equity and Aff