Procurement Specialist (Sourcing) – Packaging at RCL Foods

• As we continue to grow, RCL FOODS is searching for a Procurement (Sourcing) Specialist with a strong Commercial background to join our Group Services Division. This position will be based at our National Office in Westville, Durban and report to the Procurement Manager.

The purpose of this role is to: 

• Support the Sourcing Manager by strategically sourcing, negotiating, managing and evaluating Group contracts, within the assigned categories, ensuring that Business needs are met, and the best value is negotiated and received by the Group.
• Facilitate increased contract coverage and spend across the Group within the assigned categories through constant engagement with business and analysis of spend behaviours.
• Responsible for the establishment and execution of sourcing events (RFI, RFQ, RFPs) for the respective assigned categories, ensuring targeted savings are delivered and supply risks are mitigated.
• Configure and execute (e-)sourcing events and ensure a continuous supply of materials and services that meet the business operational needs.
• Establish and execute various sourcing events for the respective categories.
• Mitigate risks to the business.
• Negotiate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Negotiate price and contracts with suppliers.

Minimum Requirements    

• 3-5 years’ experience within a sourcing, project management and/or commercial environment
• Analytical skills with demonstrated knowledge of economic indicators, cost drivers and cost analysis
• Degree in commerce/ finance, supply chain management or a related field, would be desirable.
• Demonstrated success in developing and fostering relationships with suppliers while driving lower costs, superior performance, and continuous improvement.
• Confidence to interact and work in cross functional teams (all levels of the organisation).
• Advanced Excel skills
• An ability to think conceptually, while maintaining a cost-conscious and practical approach to using time and resources
• Attention to detail and strong ability to execute and follow-through
• Valid Code EB driver’s licence.

Duties & Responsibilities    
Strategic Support

• Responsibility, within the assigned categories of spend, and understanding the category strategy and plans, working with the Sourcing Manager to deliver category analysis, sourcing exercises and general reviews of spend.
• Develop short-, mid- and long-term strategies for the various assigned categories ensuring delivery at the most competitive cost and ensuring risk is mitigated. 
• Adopt methodologies such as vendor rationalisation, utilising technology and flexible solutions to minimise financial impact.
• Collaborate with site-based stakeholders to ensure Group strategies and policies are applied appropriately, to assess opportunities, and to drive performance improvements.
• Proactively drive regular engagement with the Business regarding its immediate and longer-term category procurement requirements and the extent to which these are being met.

Operational Management

Drive Group Sourcing Projects:

• Contribute to Group Sourcing Savings Targets by working on new projects as well as contract extensions & renegotiations.
• Source new items and identify new suppliers based on the specifications provided by the Business by researching the supplier marketplace and obtaining samples for testing as required by business stakeholders.
• Analyse information within the SOURCE TO PAY system to identify opportunities to leverage spend across the group as well as source alternative suppliers.
• Produce reports and present information to relevant stakeholders to highlight potential sourcing or saving opportunities and update the Sourcing Manager on required actions, where applicable.
• Actively monitor and facilitate the updating of price lists for goods and services in the ERP SOURCE TO PAY systems within the assigned categories of spend.
• Negotiate with the incumbent suppliers to ensure competitive prices are maintained, benchmarking costs against other suppliers where necessary.

Drive Group Contract Spend:

• Maintain contract spend targets across all ERP SOURCE TO PAY systems.
• Highlight and communicate compliance issues relating to adherence to the Group procurement policies.
• Review and analyse all requests for new contracts and recommend them to the Sourcing Manager for approval, should the supplier be financially and ethically sound and there is a valid reason for introducing a new contract.
• Actively monitor the suppliers being used within SOURCE TO PAY system ensuring orders are placed with preferred suppliers and under negotiated contracts.

Category Spend Management:

• Ensure Top Spend Categories are covered by Category Strategies.

Legal Expertise:

• Ability to independently draft service and supply legal agreements for the Group.
• Thorough understanding of the contract management process, i.e engage with the business to identify and define the scope of work, update the schedule of prices and payment terms, define the service levels, price escalation clauses, etc.
• Prepare contract amendments as required.
• Address and resolve amendments to the standard legal terms and conditions, prepare risk assessments for limitation of liability, etc. in conjunction with Legal assistance.
• Hold the Supplier accountable for non-conformances/ deviations from performing the services and supply of goods as stipulated in the contract through remediation or notice of termination where relevant.

Tender/ RFQ Management

• Solicit and evaluate proposals for Group contracts.
• Manage the administrative aspects of RFI, RFQ, RFPs, tenders, e-Auctions for Group contracts in the assigned categories.
• Prepare RFI, RFQ, RFPs, tenders, e-Auctions and compile tender analysis/ evaluation schedules.
• Coordinate invitations for tender and RFQ’s to the relevant suppliers.
• Communicate RFI, RFQ, RFPs, tenders, e-Auctions outcome to the business.

Market Analysis and Forecasting

• Evaluate market conditions to develop sourcing strategies, maintain/ improve quality and influence cost controls.
• Effectively communicate with internal cross functional teams on the current and future status of products and services markets.
• Research potential and current suppliers to keep abreast of market/ procurement conditions, new technology and makes recommendations to improve supplier base and/or purchasing method.
• Forecast price trends and their impact on future activities using a forecasting tool.

Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)

• Report & Evaluate key suppliers’ performance against SLAs, their BBBEE rating and review of their financial risk
• Evaluate and ensure potential suppliers can meet the specified requirements.
• Negotiate the lowest possible cost for the products and/or services balanced against the optimum quality and needs.
• Advise team members and/or management on the appropriate supplier to be used.

Technical Expertise

• Provide ongoing support on best practice to ensure continuous improvement in category contract sourcing and vendor management.
• Provide support to internal customers and colleagues.
• Develop specialist knowledge on assigned categories and identify opportunities to deliver best value solutions and make recommendations on preferred strategies to the Sourcing Manager.

ERP Enablement

• Work with the internal stakeholders to ensure the master data related to the procurement category is accurate and up to date.
• Arrange for all new catalogues and suppliers to be promptly loaded on the relevant ERP system.

SHEQ and Sustainability Management

• Administer all documentation relevant to category quality assurance and conformance.
• Update and maintain the approved category supplier list for the Group.
• Support internal and external audit processes and provide any necessary documentation.

Customer Relationships 

• Confidently interact and foster relationships with internal and external customers.

These include
Internal: 

• Senior management teams across the RCL Foods Business Units.
• Operational managers across all business units serviced by the category
• R&D and Quality team
• Engineering management (where applicable)
• SHEQ (where applicable)
• Transport management (where applicable)

External:

• Supplier representatives 
• Auditors

Problem Sloving/Innovation    
As the Sourcing Specialist, the job holder is expected to:

• execute tasks that are diversified and follow a wide range of standardized and complex procedures.
• resolve all operational issues related to contract execution and vendor management within area of responsibility.
• exercise moderate and significant judgment.
• analyse data generally applied to the solution of specific problems that may occur as a regular part of the job.
• identify and execute opportunities to reduce costs associated with category spend, to improve national contract coverage and to improve supplier performance.

Deadline:14th December,2025