Global Procurement Assistant Manager Workplace Services

JOB PURPOSE

This role will fall within the Unilever’s Marketing Business Services (MBS) Procurement department. MBS is responsible for managing a spend of ~9bn Euros with a supplier base of 40,000+ suppliers across Marketing, Business Services and IT. 

This year, MBS kicked of a major transformation program (OneMBS) to move from the current market-based organization and global organization to an expertise-driven organization. By consolidating our MBS teams globally, we are creating a single community to better align with Global functions, Divisions & Markets and their strategies.

As One team we can better leverage our scale, and yet remain relevant in the markets.By working together, we can work faster to connect strategy and execution and be better partners to internal stakeholders and our suppliers by acting as One Unilever. It will allow us to work with each other more closely so we can learn from one another and build our capability and expertise as MBS procurement professionals.

Within MBS, the Workplace Services (WPS) portfolio covers an array of 3rd party services to build, maintain and serve our offices and supply chain sites with cost-effective solutions that excite our employees and do so safely and sustainably. 

This role is responsible for leading the global procurement agenda for assigned sub-portfolios under the WPS (Work Place Services) umbrella, while remaining flexible to assignments in MBS Procurement outside the core remit. You will be leading projects and programmes independently under supervision of the global Procurement Manager Facilities, or assisting the global Procurement Manager Management on key strategic programmes.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop and implement global sourcing and supplier strategies for the assigned procurement portfolios/sub-portfolios that deliver best value to the Unilever business.

1. Identify and assess potential suppliers, prepare and manage supplier selections and finalise commercial agreements, coordinating with budget holders and support functions such as Legal, Tax and Data Privacy effectively and efficiently.
2. Establish successful Ways of Working between stakeholders and Procurement 
3. Build and maintain strong and successful working relationships with stakeholders, suppliers and user communities across Unilever business. 
4. Take ownership on and lead projects to deliver the One MBS agenda across key value pillars such as Sourcing Excellence, Partnerships with Purpose, Preferred Supplier governance, Contract Life-cycle Management, Responsible Sourcing, savings, cash, Social Commitments.
5. Build and maintain market knowledge of trends and suppliers in assigned categories of spend.

• To manage the assigned Portfolio in terms of sourcing, contracting, stakeholder and supplier partner management activities on a day-to-day basis 
•  To execute innovative strategic sourcing processes and focus on delivering best value to the Unilever business.
•  To build and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders and user communities across Unilever business. 
•  To establish, build and maintain successful relationships with key suppliers.
•  To take ownership on and lead projects to deliver the One MBS agenda a part of the portfolio across the key areas of Partnership with Purpose (PWP), RSP, Sustainability, CLM, Savings, Cash, People well-being, etc  

QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• Experienced (1-5 years) in a procurement role in a large complex organisation 
• A proven commercial negotiator and good communicator
• Track record of building relationships in a complex field of stakeholders and suppliers, across diverse functional groups and geographic locations.
• Advanced knowledge of MS Excel (Vlookup, pivot tables), MS Powerpoint and data analytics (minimum: PowerBI navigation)

Preferred:

• Bachelor degree or equivalent
• Studying for or achieved relevant procurement certifications (CIPS, Unilever Buying Foundation or equivalent)
• Experienced in setting up and managing supplier contracts, preferably in indirects 
• Track record of delivering to challenging value delivery targets 
• Experience in working successfully in virtual team environments  
• Working knowledge of creating category and negotiation strategies
• Managing and influencing senior (WL3+) stakeholders
• Managing complex and dynamic workload, running multiple projects simultaneously
• Working knowledge of Unilever business systems, e.g. SRS, CLM.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

Essential:

1. Stakeholder management & influencing, able to build rapport with a diverse set of stakeholders
2. Ability to communicate effectively in English language.

• Strong analytical skills and to be able to present key findings in a crisp way.

1. Project management, time management & prioritization
2. Self-starter, able to work independently and virtually.

Preferred:

• Get energy from working in an always changing, fast paced, performance-oriented environment
• Ability to find market intelligence and merge with data analysis to set Portfolio and negotiation strategies 
• Influencing skills to challenge and promote ideas and concepts with stakeholders as a trusted adviser
• Understand supplier cost models and lifetime cost of acquisition
• Negotiation abilities to develop value-add situations with key suppliers  
• Innovative thinking to measure and promote supplier performance improvement
• Curiosity for new technology to provide cost reducing or value creating support

Disclaimer

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.