IT Procurement, Software Sourcing Manager at Unilever

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE;

• Develop and align own work plan, objectives, priorities, and processes within the context of the overall supply management and stakeholder community priorities and strategies.
• Lead global and regional strategic sourcing activities to professionalize the sourcing of materials/clusters of external spend within the area of spend responsibility.
• Identify, initiate and sustain direct interactions with appropriate internal stakeholders / functional/operating teams within the business to drive “buying” behavior change required to meet business project objectives and facilitate implementation of the approved sourcing strategies.
• Conduct data gathering and analysis of internal needs. Develop and follow supply market knowledge and insight (e.g. suppliers, price trends, cost drivers, acquisitions & disposals etc.).
• Develop appropriate sourcing strategies for the cluster of spend within the area of responsibility.
• Execute the sourcing strategy, including tendering, analysis, selection of and negotiation with suppliers, including crafting and placing legal agreements/contracts and confidentiality agreements and ensuring that all are conducted in accordance with Unilever’s code of business ethics and corporate social responsibility requirements.
• Ensure that supply agreements, commercial terms & conditions, specification information and pricing information, including changes, are communicated accurately and in a timely fashion to appropriate operational teams/individuals. 
• Enable and facilitate the implementation of the approved sourcing strategies with appropriate functional and operating units within the business.
• Responsible for ongoing supplier relationship management, monitoring, review and continuous improvement, and leading supplier side of innovation/sustainability/cost savings projects.
• Identify the need for and support the design of business processes to facilitate the use of appropriate “buying channels” and strategies. within UL stakeholder community.
• Develop a deep understanding of and rigorously apply the Unilever strategic sourcing process and tools, including being fully operational and actively using e-Sourcing tools, e.g. use of e-RFIs, e-RFPs, cost modelling and others.
• Respond proactively to information demands and questions from supply management operational teams and other internal parties as needed.
• Provide input, influence, and linkage to business transaction tools (as appropriate).
• Have input to developing a Supply Management Team Workplan for the area of responsibility, to deliver the required objectives and develop and own strategic sourcing team priorities within this context.
• Participate in or lead Regional/Global Teams (as appropriate) for the area of responsibility.

SCOPE:

• Unilever IT global yearly spend is approx. €1 Billion
• Areas of the business where IT Sourcing development is required..
• Business partnering. Works collaboratively in cross-business teams.
• Interacts directly with senior level UL stakeholders and functional experts within the business, regional & global IP colleagues/leaders and internal stakeholders in all functions across all levels of the business.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED:

Experiences & Qualifications:

• University degree or equivalent IT education (IT procurement diplomas/certifications)
• At least 5+ years IT Procurement experience
• Software and IT services procurement knowledge and experience
• Appropriate functional business experience in supply management, finance or functional area of assigned stakeholder community with a proven track record of strategic analysis, negotiation, team leadership. 

Skills:

• Alliance and relationship management: Need to manage ongoing relationships with suppliers and internal customers to deliver value into the business.
•  Manage contracts agreement, implementation and termination and joint assessment of the relationship and project portfolio, protect continuity of supply, and drive continuous improvement.
• Supply market intelligence and analysis: Need to identify, examine and analyze all direct and indirect cost market drivers for sourcing strategy development as well as build databases cost models.
• Supply strategy development and supplier selection: Need to match supply market dynamics to internal business need. Construct sourcing strategies, within and across divisions and regions, select suppliers to maximize the sustainable value added to the total business and manage supply risk from global, regional and local supply markets.
• Integrating supplier value into the business: Is the key link between the IP and UL stakeholders.
• General 105: Change Management: Sustainable cost savings delivery is highly dependent on "UL user buying behavior" change, which is embryonic within UL
• Negotiation: Need to set up contracts, commercial terms & conditions and performance parameters with external suppliers

Leadership:

• You are an inclusive motivator of people.
• Your team deliver with real passion, growing and learning from each other whilst delivering quick wins.
• You are still responsible for your own results and as a manager, you also need to motivate others to deliver with passion, creating an inclusive and engaging climate around you.
• You can balance challenge with support and coaching. You understand the wider business context and you are emotionally intelligent enough to motivate people to deliver what is needed.
• Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviors
• PERSONAL MASTERY: Sets high standards for themselves. Has emotional intelligence to take feedback, manage mood and motivations, and build empathy for others.
• PASSION FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE: Generates intensity and focus to motivate people to deliver results at speed. Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results.
• TALENT CATALYST: Invests in people – coaches individuals and teams to realize their full potential. Creates an inclusive climate, empowering everyone to be at their best.
• PURPOSE & SERVICE: Has humility, understanding that leadership is service to others, inside and outside Unilever.
• CONSUMER LOVE: Invests time inside and outside to understand the needs of consumers.
• BUSINESS ACUMEN: Creates sustainable growth with purpose, engaging different partners across the system for change.