Direct Category Procurement Manager at Avon

What you'll be working on:

Strategic Thought Support:

• Develop and implement approved long term category strategies in collaboration and alignment with the global categories and business requirements.
• Lead key negotiations to establish commercial contracts in line with DOA and deliver business value in line with agreed global or regional Procurement strategies and mandates, develop and lead Avon’s relationships with its external supplier base and regulatory authorities within the assigned geographies.
• Collaborate with business and functional stakeholders to deliver an enhanced value through detailed TCO and commodity strategy reviews.
• Lead strategic sourcing projects and RFX processes and leverage any synergies with business and global procurement to drive innovation and savings.
• Conduct comprehensive supply market analyses to evaluate opportunities for supply, risk management, in-depth understanding of cost drivers, benchmarking and innovation trends for VE options.
• Collaborate with Centres of Excellence and the Supply base to construct should cost models and value chain optimisation solutions.
• Provide budgetary input for ACM and quarterly cost books forecast.
• Ensure category approval decisions are in line with the GPP and the DOA by developing comprehensive business cases prior to approval of contracts.
• Lead supply management with strategic and critical suppliers with regular fact-based and objective reviews.

Aligning multiple Teams in a Category / Cluster

• Align multiple category teams’ goals, priorities, and deliverables to those of the overall business/category to meet the required ongoing innovation, delivery, service, cost & quality target.
• Translate business strategies into long-term category/cluster sourcing and supply strategies.
• Ensure that defined category/cluster sourcing targets are tracked and achieved on time, to budget.
• Ensure that suppliers and internal Avon category/cluster team members adhere to Avon’s business policies.
• Provide support to the SA Procurement Lead of CM OV.

Supplier Relationship

• In line with agreed global sourcing strategies and delegated mandates, develop and lead Avon’s relationships with its external supplier base and regulatory authorities as this may relate to assigned categories.
• Ensure suppliers meet Avon’s quality, innovation, service level performance, cash and pricing requirements.
• Review and action results of core supplier scorecards and agreements.
• Ensure strategies are created and implemented for continuous joint improvement.
• Manage assigned expenses within annual budget expectations.
• Provide input to annual performance measures to enhance category teams' performance.
• Develop key metrics for sourcing organization effectiveness; establish clear and measurable goals that challenge sourcing to improve using financial and quantitative data to manage continuously; direct and develop sourcing process disciplines and management systems necessary to achieve objectives.

What we're looking for:

• Bachelor's Degree -minimum requirement (Masters, CIPS, BCom Supply Chain, CMA preferable).
• 7-10 years of professional experience in Procurement, Finance, and Supply Chain Management.
• Demonstrated knowledge and application of strategic sourcing discipline.
• Demonstrated leadership skills -People Management, Collaboration, Conflict management, change management, Accountability, Planning and organising, driving long-term results.
• Effective communicator with interpersonal skills, integrity and creativity.
• High degree of problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• Working knowledge of multiple spend categories / commodities.
• Understanding of e-procurement processes and systems.
• Able to work in diverse environments and adhere to highest ethical standards.
• Advanced negotiator with ability to negotiate complex contracts for mutual gain of the parties, dispute resolution and strategic partnering.
• Demonstrated cross-functional leadership.
• This position maintains close links with stakeholders internally and externally. (Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, IT, NPD&E, supplier base, regulatory authorities).
• Ability to lead complex cross-functional projects in country, regionally and globally.
• Relevant industry and market experience.
• Experience in the cosmetics industry (preferable).