Market Category Specialist, Marketing - Customer at Diageo

Role Dimensions:

Overview

• Develop a comprehensive Category Strategy through analysis of the strategic business requirements, engagement with business partners and in-depth knowledge of your Category and Market Drivers

• Implement the Category Strategy through outstanding business partnering with in market procurement

• Drive Global sourcing projects aligned to the Category Strategy

• Support In market Procurement in sourcing activities to ensure alignment with Category Strategy

• Deliver the best possible outcomes through effective planning, preparation and maximising your Negotiation Toolkit.

• Supplier Performance Management – setting supplier critical metric priorities to drive consistency in and across markets improving the value of data output and act as a critical issue point for poor performance

• Supplier Relationship Management – working with Strategic Suppliers, build collaboration to unlock breakthrough opportunities for the business.

• Pro-active identification of Risk Factors within Category and Development of mitigation plans

• Continuously seeks out opportunities for improvement including bring to bear new ideas from other parts of the business, suppliers and shares this across the business

• Generate insights and opportunities through internal and external benchmarking activity

• Cost modelling to generate insights and opportunities with suppliers and partners

Financial

Diageo SA is part of a dual listed (London and New York) global organisation operating within a complex local environment. Financial complexity is driven through the reporting, planning and forecasting requirements of our global shareholder along with ensuring compliance with local legislation. In addition, compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley codes of good practice is required due the Diageo listing on the NYSE.

The complexity of the market place, with multiple customer segments and routes to market, drives complexity in understanding the creation of value from Retail Selling Price through the P&L. We consistently work to identify and maximise opportunities across the value chain through pricing and promotional strategy across our customer base.

The volatility of the South African macro-economic environment drives a level of complexity when managing global targets, local input costs and product imports. Cost drivers such as inflation and global vs local exchange rates impact our cost base strongly and need to be managed closely.

Market Complexity

Diageo SA operates in a complex, ever changing and extremely exciting market environment. Diageo SA has emerged as the leading spirits business in South Africa facing competition from long established competitors such as Distell and aggressive emerging players such as Pernod Ricard SA and The Really Great Brands Company (RGBC).

The liquor market in South Africa operates through multiple customer channels and routes to market. This is in order to effectively service consumers across an extremely diverse range of socio-economic circumstances, cultural affiliations and geographical ranges.

Our extensive spirits brand portfolio services consumers across our diverse nation and we must continuously strive to keep up with the fast-changing market trends and challenges inherent to such a portfolio.

Leadership and Functional

Key Leadership Capabilities:

• Win through Execution - Lead bold execution in a fast-moving world

• Inspire through Purpose - Amplify our purpose internally and externally

• Shape the Future - Create focus and ownership for shaping Diageo’s future ambition

• Invest in Talent - Harness the full extent of Diageo’s talent and diversity

Key Functional Capabilities:

• Provide in-depth market / portfolio analysis and understanding

• Provide Procurement expertise by tapping into Global and Regional Diageo resources

• Engage and involve key partners specifically in Marketing, CR, Legal, Commercial and Finance

• Engage senior sponsorship in local market

• Use a variety of tools to develop insights and create strategic options

• Finalise & agree portfolio strategies using the Diageo category management process per the Procurement Playbook

• Recommend final source/s of supply for contracting purposes

• Put contracts in place with all suppliers

• Manage strategic elements of supplier relationships

• Drive supplier performance programmes

• Deliver the Demand Strat Plan

• Champion Procurement within the Business

• Has ability to act as a champion for change and create organisational momentum to deliver

• Responsible for driving increased value from a large variety of supplier relationships from open market commodity purchases to long-term single sourced relationships

• Drive SRM programmes with key suppliers. implement and support shareholder initiatives e.g. SFRM, CPRM

Purpose of Role

• To develop and implement the South Africa Procurement strategy within the function, establishing performance targets for each category and then managing suppliers and the Procurement Team to these targets

• Lead the development of appropriate strategic relationships with key partners. Engage and gain consensus from key partners, ultimately increasing spend coverage

Top 3-5 Accountabilities

• To play an integral role in the development and implementation of the Procurement strategy to maximise the value of Diageo expenditure

• Manage and achieve/ exceed the performance targets for category. Delivery of strategic plan savings and agreed critical metrics across key Procurement imperatives of Cost, Risk, Quality, Service, Growth, Innovation and Corporate Citizenship

• Gaining partner buy-consensus principles and ways of working of Procurement team.

• Drive and promote strategies which deliver true cost savings back to the Business.

• To transform key supplier relationships for Diageo to ensure breakthrough performance and manage the strategic and operational aspects of the function’s procurement-specific responsibilities. 

Qualifications and Experience Required

• Relevant Supply Chain, Commercial or Marketing Degree (CIPS qualification would be advantageous)

• Demonstrable ability to learn and develop

• Minimum 5 years procurement and strategic sourcing experience or relevant category (Marketing) experience

• Demonstrate a solid track record in Partner Influencing & Management, with strong interpersonal skills

• The ability to influence and challenge senior partners and budget holders in market, across Africa and globally

• Exceptional communication skills, verbal, written and presentation.

• Proven track record of consistent performance and delivery

• Strong Analytical and Financial awareness including a comprehensive understanding of the AOP requirements and financial goals & value drivers aligned to the category strategy

• Experience of leading negotiations with suppliers

Barriers to Success in Role

Lack of any of the following:

• Ability to build relationships within business and with suppliers

• Commercial awareness and negotiation skills

• Influencing and communication skills all levels

• Ability to use analytical and numerical skills

• Ability to lead and inspire change through purpose

• Lack of demonstration of an ethical and transparent disposition, trustworthy and the ability to assess and manage any associated risk areas within Procurement