Assistant Manager Packaging and BPC Raw Materials at Unilever

Main Job Purpose:

This role ensures the implementation of the Packaging cross category and Beauty and personal care raw materials procurement strategy. This is done through ensuring progressive and excellent relationships with our suppliers to ensure service and help in win-win negotiations to deliver value to the business.

Key Accountabilities:

• Delivery of NMI and cash objectives.
• Working closely with the Global Procurement teams to support the business with accurate price forecasting, which includes market conditions, price trends and future market trends to enable proper budgeting and price forecasting.
• Supplier relationship management and service development.
• Handling professionally diverse customer supplier or operational issues when they arise. 
• Identifying metrics, tools and processes to optimize sourcing, supplier activities and efficiencies.
• Initiating and driving complexity reduction projects (e.g., harmonization of specifications and suppliers).
• Supporting development and implementation of Unilever procurement strategies/policies.
• Supporting innovation projects through providing market intelligence, supplier capabilities and capacity.
• Provide insights to support Procurement of the materials/services Portfolios such as what to buy, where to buy, how to buy, when to buy
• Follow market conditions, prepare price trends, and formulate future markets trends for the business.
• Work closely with suppliers to drive key initiatives such as responsible sourcing and supplier quality audits
• Deliver the Operation Cash Flow and Working Capital plans for the specific materials/services and suppliers through payment terms extension and MOQ negotiations
• Support in managing supply chain issues (e.g supply crisis management).
• Measure and manage overall performance of suppliers.

Responsibilities:

• Scope: Manage 30m € + spend among All Packaging & BPC Raw Materials, 1500+ Materials and 30+ Suppliers in Kenya & International.
• Constant alignment to global cover policy & cross category projects (i.e., Forecasting, USQS, Responsible Sourcing Audit, Quality Audit, SUSO, COTIF etc.)
• Leading negotiation & develop strong relationship with suppliers & learn their market abilities.
• Support in building local Portfolio strategic plan for the different RM & PM Portfolio.
• Following up & sharing markets and frequent report on price trends to the business for planning.
• Constant Explore & analyze saving opportunity to generate savings & NMCI opportunities.             
• Analyzing supplier's behavior, spend, and past performance on different aspects (i.e., Quality, reliability, capability & Capacity).
• Build material resilience for all materials in the business, start with critical materials.
• Verifying supplier compliance, Audit positions.
• Learning the global market trends and align with global portfolio teams on the strategy and further requirements from supplier.
• Developing cost models with suppliers to enable cover transparency.
• Seeking for new development areas with supplier.
• Assessing, identify and select the appropriate supplier base that would meet the needs of the business.
• Setting skilled negotiation with supplier in order to gain saving & create impact on margins.
• Building local business short & long-term strategy e.g localizing of materials.
• Mapping both global and local supplier's capabilities in different portfolios.
• Follow up on Quality incidences with the help of Quality team & target to reduce the incidences against the previous year as well as developing supplier quality improvement roadmaps.
• Generate contracts every year through iCAT and work closely with CLM on any adjustments. Having Contracts on time & In Full (COTIF) and getting them signed on time.
• Follow up with Finance on closing pending payments & any recon required in order to close supplier’s payment issues.
• Work to close any pending Audit requirements & building SOPs for your portfolios.
• Be the key lead on Sustainability through pushing PCR initiatives.
• Working with Key suppliers & getting updates on position on plastic management & collection.
• Working on Forecasting through Anaplan system & BPC HANA system in order to attain NMCI plans.
• Work closely with Global & Local team to understand Procurement Digital & e sourcing tools that help in day-to-day jobs. 
• Aligning with local R&D on projects that will help deliver savings and resilience.
• Work with Local & Regional Engineering team on Mould health management and align with the category on moulds management strategy.
• Help lead on Wellbeing activities within the team.
• To ensure the satisfaction of Unilever's internal customers with the services provided by the procurement organization.
• To lead the rationalization of suppliers, materials and services that meet Unilever's business requirements
• Organize Supplier cycle meetings to review agreed KPIs that ensures excellent service
• To support Unilever Sustainable Living Plan in the procurement of materials and services.
• BPC CCBT procurement lead

Required:

ESSENTIAL

1. University degree & At least 4 years’ experience in Procurement, Supply Chain Management or Finance
2. Ability to work in a fast paced, high change environment
3. Analytical thinking & ability to solve problems and sustain results through a data driven process
4. Fluency in English is a must
5. Working with multi-interfaces skills
6. Efficient Time management – Multitasking
7. Able to work with a variety of IT systems and have a strong knowledge of Excel & Power point
8. Strong on execution, have analytical skills and be pro-active
9. Working independently and virtually
10. Able to build relationships with people across the business

PREFERRED

1. Experience in Procurement will be an added advantage

Contacts:

Internal:

1. Procurement:
2. Procurement team (Market and Portfolio)
3. Supply Chain:
4. Manufacturing
5. Engineering
6. Supply Chain Category Planning- Supply Chain Innovation Planning
7. MCO Demand Planning (depending on team/portfolio)
8. Import / Export
9. Others
10. Finance Team
11. Procurement finance
12. SC finance
13. FET
14. Controllers
15. CCBT

External:

1. Suppliers/ Agents
2. Regulators e.g NEMA
3. Plastic recyclers