What are we looking for?

• Bachelor / Master’s degree in business (preferred)

• 5 + years of professional experience, ideally within procurement/sourcing indirect categories, supplier/customer management experience & financial acumen

• Proven track record of delivering P&L saving projects

• Demonstrated successful performance in role of similar scope and breadth

• Previous management experience that includes Proven Leadership, Change Management and Project Management skills

• Top level commercial negotiation skills with ability to influence cross-functionally

• Prior in-depth experience negotiating with large and difficult Professional Service providers

• Experience of and ability to develop and implement category strategy plans for Professional Services sourcing

• Understanding of best-in-class Procurement, Risk, Information Security and Source to Pay processes

• Demonstrated ability to make sound decisions in complex and/or ambiguous business environments. 

• History of building strong client and supplier relationships

• Global experience, knowledge and understanding

What will be your key responsibilities?

• Develops, co-creates, and executes global sourcing strategies using the MSSM framework and the appropriate tools for the market category (routine, leverage, bottleneck, critical, market and financial insights, inputs to the multi-year operating plan, collaboration with business partners) and to ensure is fit for purpose in the region.

• Leads the Global Category Team and establishes and maintains working relationship with the category operational buying managers in the region and sometimes across all regions to drive benchmarking and best practice. You will help us build resilience and execute day to day deliverables at our best.

• Works collaboratively with Regional/Global stakeholders for this category and other cross functional partners to develop and implement global standards

• Develops and implements regional and often global contracts and related Service Level Agreements (securing price, volume rebates, capacity & service levels in line with the needs and commitments of the business).

• Develops and maintains sustainable relationships with key suppliers. Tracks, monitors and drives key supplier performance indicators across cost, service and quality and puts corrective actions in place, when needed. Acts as point of escalation

• Establishes & maintains relationships with key internal stakeholders (such as VPs, Global and Regional Directors, etc.) and their teams to ensure understanding of their needs and to facilitate the appropriate level of challenge.

• Implements and complies with standard processes and tools to ensure responsible, continuous and sustainable sourcing in line with commercial policies, systems and controls.

• Applies a wide range of sourcing tools (e.g., negotiation, e-procurement, strategic collaboration, etc.) to select and allocate business to suppliers. Heavily contribute to P&L and Cost Avoid savings for the team and find saving opportunities via stakeholder engagement and data analysis.

• Is responsible for delivering agreed annual sourcing plan targets and other key commercial metrics. Drive annual savings and productivity improvements via Strategic Request for Proposals (RFPs), demand and process management.

• Ensure stakeholder alignment for MSSM with Functional Stakeholders. Develop and manage a positive relationship with difficult stakeholders and ensure client satisfaction with service, cycle time, and strategic value-add.

• Ensure governance and strategy institutionalization. Support the use of preferred supplies, pricing / rate-cards, discounts, and buying channels. Perform direct negotiations and manage sometimes large and complex agreements.

• Align on resource allocation with Operations Team & execute purchasing activities

• SRM as per role definition (e.g., point of escalation)

• Coaching of junior or new joiners

• Actively participates to the design & the implementation of best practices (e.g., MSSM², SF, e tool, …). Coordinate, prepare and manage RFx/competitive bids to optimize cost and service. Drive the utilization of sourcing technologies, including e-sourcing and e-auction.

• Ensure the supplier base is optimized according to the category management strategies to enable the end to end procure to pay process.

• Responsible to drive compliance, including Responsible Sourcing, with zero exposure and ensure all governance according to the Mars standards.

• Develop Category insights & benchmark, import best practices and ensure knowledge management within MGS Commercial for the Spend Categories under your responsibility.

• Lead regional strategy execution and globally coordinated tenders

• Partner with the key Regional and at times global stakeholders including P&O, S&F, Sales and the functional Leads within the segments to ensure alignment with the long term business strategies as well as Annual Sourcing Plans.

• Responsible for the relationships with defined supplier panel to drive performance management, deliver continuous quality and cost improvement as well as develop supplier enabled innovations.

• Develop Category insights & benchmark, import best practices and ensure knowledge management within MGS Commercial for the Spend Categories under your responsibility.