AMEIH Procurement Category Manager at Air Liquide

The Category Manager (CM) is responsible for the sourcing strategy of equipment/materials/services in the specified category. Jointly with the Operations, the CM has the responsibility to prepare the Annual Sourcing Strategy/Plan, based on business objectives and the need to improve safety, quality, reliability, on-time delivery, competitiveness or reduce risks related to product supply. CM is in charge of overseeing local category management and ensures central-local collaboration in Coordinated/Enforced categories.

The role defines the category strategy based on internal present and future requirements and ensures deployment and maintenance of category strategy in all entities. It will ensure, manage contracts and supplier relationship in the long term and be accountable for the procurement performance related to his/her portfolio.

The CM focuses on identifying and partnering with 'Best in Class' suppliers, offering innovative technology solutions at a competitive price. CM is accountable for the supplier market analysis, besides their responsibilities to deploy the sourcing strategy on key categories, thus improving safety, quality, reliability, on-time delivery, competitiveness or reducing risks related to product supply. CM is expected to negotiate frame contracts for Hub suppliers and manage strategic relationships

He/She collaborates with the critical vendors to enhance transparency and integration, better (Quality) control of sub-vendors as well as competitiveness opportunities. Enhanced interaction will enable to decrease significantly our procurement costs  through a Design-To-Cost approach, an adjustment of the scope of supply (with the vendors focusing on their core competencies) and a development of a new supply approach on sub-components such as motors etc. (e.g.: Technical, Price agreement).
Accountabilities & related Activities

Category Strategy

• Define 3 years category strategy including the supplier strategy for transportation especially for road transportation
• In close cooperation with Stakeholders, establish yearly ambition and its updates (within the target and rolling forecast processes)
• Implement and manage the category strategy at appropriate geographical level
• Liaise with other HUB / Cluster counterparts to ensure alignment on sourcing initiatives and priorities, as well as assessing practices for consideration in own efforts
• Analyze current procurement portfolio, spend, supply base, contracts for Africa, Middle East and India
• Analyze industry market profile and key suppliers, TCO drivers
• Identify Risks & Opportunities
• Perform internal and external benchmarks in relationship with the Procurement Performance Manager
• Mitigate foreign exchange and commodities price risks in accordance with finance policy and evaluate the cost impact and recommend plans (e.g. hedging, currency per country,.)
• Identify short term opportunities (volumes consolidation, bundling) and long term opportunities (standardization, etc.) and consolidate needs (OPEX and CAPEX), establish RFx planning
• Take into account projects requirements through Procurement Project Managers and propose appropriate sourcing strategies

Sourcing execution & Contract Management 

• Analyse requirements and challenge specifications with requesters
• Identify potential suppliers and propose the list to requesters
• Launch RFx to pre-selected suppliers and deploy the process of suppliers selection (technical and commercial) with requesters
• Analyze offers using TCO and "Should Cost" approaches, make scenarios and propose short list of suppliers based on fact-based and agreed criteria to requesters 
• Select suppliers and negotiate contracts in alignment with AMEI Chief Procurement Officer
• Communicate and explain contracts to Buyers / Requisitioners and finance team for deployment and appropriate execution in the system. 
• Communicate contracts to internal customers (Supply chain)
• Establish measures and controls to ensure and track successful implementation of the contract in collaboration with Procurement Performance Manager
• Follow and manage contract implementation (application of price escalation formulas, volume rebate collection, products and services portfolio management, progress clauses, renewal etc.), including update of procurement database (contracts, catalogues...)
• Define and periodically review buying channels
• Manage incidents and claims

Suppliers relationship management 

• Lead SRM activities for key suppliers of his/her category (supplier strategy, evaluations, review and audit, innovation initiatives, internal promotion of supplier, supplier days)
• Understand (and in some cases is involved in) the strategy of his/her most important suppliers
• Animate the supplier qualification and audit process in collaboration with Inspection teams, HSEQ and Technical experts
• Support in Corporate Social Program (CSP) nomination process (validation)
• Contribute to supplier risk identification and mitigation to ensure compliance with risk mapping regulation
• Facilitate introduction of suppliers to company level stakeholders
• Resolve issues related to supplier in his/her portfolio 

Stakeholders management

• Develop and manage relationship with internal customers to ensure deployment of category strategies
• Develop internal customer feedback on category strategies
• Develop internal customer feedback regarding Supplier Performance
• Lead working sessions with internal customers to identify TCO reduction opportunities
• Develop proactive proximity and build recognition of the procurement function with internal customers

Continuous Improvement

• Conduct periodic surveys to measure internal customer feedback for continuous improvement in collaboration with the Procurement Performance Manager
• Get suggestions from suppliers to improve AL processes and develop innovations originating from suppliers
• Undertake corrective actions with suppliers to improve  performance (e.g. Supplier development programs, progress plans,…) and track progress
• Undertake corrective actions with Clusters/Functions to improve contract compliance
• Proactively organize sessions with internal customers to identify further TCO/TVO reduction opportunities: standardization, joint process improvement opportunities, value engineering, etc
• Identify opportunities for automating Purchase Orders (catalogues, Open PO, Blanket Purchase Orders, etc.)
• Analyze spot buying reduction opportunities, define and implement corrective actions

Reporting

• Consolidate and present Category Management action plan to his/her Management and cluster teams
• Provide periodic activity reporting to his/her Management on actual and projected savings related to his/her categories

Expected Competencies

• Education: NQF Level 8 Honors Degree and CIPS Accreditation 
• Work experience: 10 years experience in Procurement, with specific experience in the strategic sourcing of its category

Language

• English
• Level: Intermediate/ Fluent

Knowledge and Knowhow specific to the job

• Be Act Engage
• Category & Sourcing Strategy (Must have)
• Category & Market Expertise (Must have)
• Supplier Selection, Qualification & Relationship (Must have)
• Negotiations & Contract Knowledge (Must have)
• Performance & Process Management (Data, KPI & Digital Tools) (Must have)
• Planification & Expediting (Good to have)
• Financial Analysis (Transversal) (Should have)
• Project Management (Transversal) (Must have)
• Data analysis

Complementary Capabilities

• Thinking & Partnering strategically
• Influencing for Change
• Managing conflict
• Analysing and solving problems
• Strong interpersonal skills including written and oral communication skills