Head of Procurement at Liberty Group South Africa

Purpose

• To lead and drive the implementation of the Group Procurement Framework, sourcing strategies, policies, processes and minimum standards for a dedicated portfolio through a matrix reporting. To lead and drive all global procurement efforts for a specific portfolio to efficiently and effectively enable spend owners to maximise the value they receive from suppliers to meet their strategic objectives. Establish a best in class Procurement Function by managing costs and leveraging economies of scale.

Qualification and Experience

• Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS) or Member of the Professional Body for Supply Chain Management (SAPICS)
• Member of Governance or Risk professional bodies or equivalent
• Degree in Purchasing and Procurement
• 13 years of experience with a thorough understanding of the end-to-end Procurement Value Chain. Strong contractual and commercial competence with in-depth understanding of procurement related regulatory requirements.
• Experience leading a procurement function within a large company, with accountability for implementing the procurement strategy across different jurisdictions.
• Provide solutions based on client needs and supplier capabilities

Essential Functions

• Provide leadership for the end-to-end Procurement value chain for a dedicated portfolio, including the commercial, contractual, operational, financial, reputational, ethical and procurement risks in order to optimise operational and financial efficiency of the Procurement function.
• Develop and nurture collaborative relationships with key business stakeholders as well as functional stakeholders through a portfolio stakeholder management framework and a matrix reporting structure into Procurement (direct) but also into the Finance and Value Management Function (indirect).
• Establish an effective business partnering model and collaborative relationships with senior leaders within a specific portfolio. Act as a trusted advisor and commercial partner to mobilise appropriate internal and external resources. Provide strategic insights on business needs, resolve complex issues and deliver high performance cost-saving, service and quality procurement outcomes.
• Lead and drive the implementation of the Group Procurement Framework, sourcing strategies, policies, processes and risk management for a dedicated portfolio to proactively support evolving business requirements.
• Develop and implement Procurement metrics and performance goals for a dedicated portfolio ensuring alignment to the procurement annual deliverables and the broader Finance and Value Management goals and strategic aspirations.
• Lead and drive the digitisation journey of the Procurement Function within a dedicated portfolio. Drive effective utilisation of systems and tools to ensure that knowledge and information are managed effectively with a focus on continuous improvement and automation.
• Identify opportunities for enhancements and improvements to the procurement systems and architecture in order to establish a world class Procurement Function.
• Lead strategic high-level negotiations with suppliers on behalf of a dedicated Procurement Portfolio, keeping abreast of all new developments relative to available resources and making recommendations to improve commerciality of strategic long-term contracts.
• Lead and drive sustainable economic transformation of the supplier base through Preferential Procurement policies and processes.
• Lead and drive the development and implementation of management information (MI) tools that will enable better decision making within a dedicated Procurement portfolio.
• Lead and drive the innovation, development and implementation of solutions that continuously improve procurement methodologies, processes, systems, and tools to ensure best in class procurement solutions.
• Keep abreast of new developments, insights and trends in procurement when making decisions and designing procurement and sourcing strategies that enable future focused data driven decision making

Additional essential Functions

• Promote active risk management through ongoing detection and resolution of compliance risks and breaches in accordance with SBG risk frameworks ensuring adherence to relevant legislation within a dedicated Procurement portfolio.
• Monitor and control standards for all procurement processes within a dedicated Procurement portfolio to ensure adherence by both external and internal parties to mitigate risk and protect the assets and reputation of the Standard Bank financial conglomerate.
• Stay abreast of regulatory and legislative developments in order to effectively address the impact of amendments and/or new legislation impacting procurement within a dedicated Procurement portfolio.
• Refine and embed the Group Procurement Framework and strategy within the allocated Procurement portfolio taking cognisance of the impact of the different jurisdictions, regulatory and legislative requirements and the growing complexities and challenges within the allocated portfolio.
• Identify and manage commercial, contractual, operational, financial, reputational, ethical and supply chain risks to minimise negative impact on the business objectives while encouraging innovation.
• Lead and drive procurement initiatives, optimising value, and decreasing costs within the dedicated portfolio providing a holistic view of supplier risk irrespective of category type.
• Lead the Procurement Function for a dedicated portfolio according to the Bank's leadership principles and values, including employee lifecycle from recruitment through to exit, performance management, training and development, discipline and grievance management, retention and reward and people administration, to ensure a high-performance culture.
• Lead and drive the localisation, cascading and embedding of the Group Procurement strategy, policies and processes within the allocated portfolio to drive a value-add and proactive procurement business partnering model.
• Act as the lead negotiator when engaging with large-scale, multi-geography or global suppliers by fostering relationships within these global organisations and enabling a multi-pronged negotiation approach to ensure all internal stakeholders both within Group Procurement and across the SBG contribute in order to obtain buy-on and manage cost.
• Lead the supplier and business relationship by identifying a pipeline of sourcing and contract management initiatives, in partnership with the Procurement Sourcing team, based the allocated portfolio requirements.
• Identify opportunities to reduce procurement costs by monitoring procurement spend within the dedicated portfolio.
• Collaborate closely with the Procurement Sourcing Specialists to select suppliers, draft contracts and manage the business requirements ensuring the procurement process is streamlined.
• Provide innovative recommendations and guidance to Business Leaders within the allocated portfolio identifying opportunities to procure Goods and/or Services from global and/or local suppliers to optimise economies of scale, comply with applicable legislation and utilise resources more effectively.
• Manage the dispute resolution process for large scale, complex and/or multi-geography contract and/or servicing challenges ensuring global supplier service levels are maintained across all geographies.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• A strong leader, great communicator and negotiator and an analytical mind capable of taking on the toughest challenges.
• Solid operational management and general business skills and savvy. Banking knowledge and experience is a key requirement.
• Working knowledge of finance and/or accounting in terms of budgeting, cost management, financial accounting, treasury, risk management, etc.
• Industry knowledge in terms of broad industry dynamics on the buy-side.
• Excellent communication skills and even better listening skills that allows the incumbent to build exceptional business partnering relationships and to get the “voice of the internal customer” for a specific portfolio.
• In-depth knowledge of sourcing and procurement principles and best practices.
• Strong negotiation skills to use for large commercial deals.
• Experience with modern sourcing and procurement systems.
• Familiarity with relevant legislative and regulatory requirements, as well as understanding of standard contractual terms and conditions to mitigate legal risk.
• Strategic mindset and problem-solving skills.

Behavioural Competencies

• Producing Output
• Providing Insights
• Resolving Conflict
• Directing People
• Team Working
• Upholding Standards
• Articulating Information
• Challenging Ideas
• Convincing People
• Embracing Change
• Establishing Rapport
• Following Procedures

Technical Competencies

• Specification Analysis
• Spend & Demand Analysis
• Deal Negotiation
• Dispute Negotiation
• Procurement Knowledge
• Procurement Process
• Purchasing 
• Strategic Business Relationship Management
• Supplier Relationship Management 
• Supply Chain Management
• Category Management 
• Commercial Acumen