Assistant Procurement Manager at Unilever

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Assistant Procurement Manager seeks to develop a protocol that outlines how eTK purchases goods and services, holds custody of all company policies relating to procurement to ensure that purchasing is managed consistently throughout the organization, making it easier to stay on budget and receive budget approval. The Assistant Procurement manager owns strategy to find cost-effective deals and suppliers to ensure sustainability

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Procurement Strategy

• Integrating global / regional sourcing strategies with business and plant demands, balancing timing, and conflicting interests. 
• Influence Suppliers strategy to fulfil business needs
• To support the procurement organization to meet goals and objectives in support to the overall ekaterra strategy.
• Support development and implementation of ekaterra procurement strategies and policies portfolio

Supplier Relationship Management

• Maintains supplier relationships by resolving supplier issues, responds to queries and requisitions for samples and information
• Evaluates, monitors, and communicates to supplier’s performance on deliveries, material, or service rejection
• Arranges / facilitates supplier review meetings, quality audits and safety evaluations and visits
• Supports supplier capacity planning and run strategy development, communication of ekaterra requirements to suppliers and expediting of orders as needed.
• Communicates output of Supplier Evaluation Program and develops and follows up corrective action and review process with internal customers, supplier relationship managers and suppliers
• To support the management and maintenance of supplier relationships 
• Support security of key materials through the development of contingency plans and alternative materials/suppliers, working with Procurement Materials teams
• Supplier Collaboration & Innovation
• Supports the Competitor Analysis and Benchmarking

User Needs Assessment & Fulfilment

• Supports early Procurement involvement in innovation and supply chain projects within ekaterra.
• Represents Procurement in the innovation projects meetings (material cost, speed to market, complexity, and coherence with strategy) 
• Understands and collects business user needs (from Factories, Estates & Departments) subsequently discusses and agrees with the Procurement Manager on the procurement activities.
• Ensures alignment between business needs and Supply Markets capabilities
• Directly leads or co-ordinates some Innovation projects him/herself as needed 

Cost & Cash Target delivery

• Supports Zero Based Budgeting & Cost optimization programs (Value Creation Plan)
• Support the business in working capital management
• Lead transformational digitization projects – smart sourcing, cataloguing, reporting
• To support deliver cost savings based on sourcing strategies and compliance management.

Policy & Compliance

• Ensure supplier responsible sourcing & quality compliance
• Ensure 100% contract compliance
• Support suppliers’ selection to be involved in projects.
• Is the custodian of the procurement policy, ensuring 100% compliance to the policy during the sourcing process
• Update of Counterparty Risk Tracker

End to End Procurement Process

• Implement the Buying Procedure and Ways of Working
• Support Procurement Manager with the tendering process and the subsequent analysis
• To ensure the satisfaction of ekaterra’s internal customers with the services provided by the procurement organization
• Review and approve SBEs/PCs and POs as per set limits

KPIs & Reporting

• Support the periodic executive summary for the Team by consolidating and reporting various KPIs (e.g., ZBB, Payment Terms Tracker, Supplier Performance)
• Completes information request sheets such as volumes forecasts for buying contracts, buying form for material forecasts through the buying form to the finance team, provides explanations to price variances when required
• Prepare information on purchase prices and conditions to enable proper budgeting, cash forecasting and forecast variance analysis as needed
• Generates and provides reports on supplier spends quarterly.
• Support the financial analysis of the portfolio, including price benchmarking and total cost analysis
• Support Procurement Director, Procurement managers on presentations and updates for internal and external audience

Team Management

• Support the Procurement manager with people management in the unit.
• Support team activities in accordance with the ekaterra Sustainable Living Plan
• Support in preparing and executing of team/project meetings/telcons and visits
• Support in HR issues (Org Charts, tracking of Team member trainings)
• To support complexity reduction programs for the Team
• To be custodian of the team material/service and project databases

Other Responsibilities

• To handle diverse customer, supplier, or operational issues when they arise
• Continuously improve ways of working e.g., more efficient ways of handling data, thereby close co-operation with Enterprise support and Capability Teams

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Qualifications

• Bachelors' Degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Logistics (or equivalent)
• At least 3 years’ experience in Procurement or Supply Management
• KISM/CIPS &/or MBA holder will be an added advantage

Experience

• A strong background in an operations environment.
• Knowledge of sourcing and procurement techniques and proven skills in “reading the market”.
• Proven track record in negotiations, networking & good knowledge of supplier management.
• Aptitude in decision-making and working with numbers, collecting and analysis of data.
• In-depth knowledge of contracts, invoicing, and negotiation terms.
• Superb communication, interpersonal and leadership skills
• Problem solver with a strong analytical mindset.
• Outstanding organizational and time management skills
• Excellent customer service skills.

Personal Attributes

• Assertive, resilient and welcomes change
• Engages interest and participation of others and has a collaborative approach to working together
• Proactively contributes to the team and is actively committed to team’s development
• Is self-aware and optimistic
• Shows moral courage, openness, and honesty in all dealings
• Able to build and maintain effective and productive relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, and suppliers
• Good communication, negotiation, interpersonal and influencing skills
• Analytical, numerically astute with strong demonstrated problem-solving abilities
• Able to manage time effectively, prioritize tasks and achieve set targets
• Commercial and financial awareness with a full understanding of how failure impacts the production, manufacture, and customer order fulfilment
• Able to work well under pressure and handle emergency and stressful situations
• Keen attention to detail and accuracy
• Familiarity with an integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system would be beneficial