Senior Procurement Manager (49486) at Sappi

We’re on the lookout for an experienced Senior Procurement Manager to lead and drive strategic sourcing projects to leverage cost competitiveness and secure a stable and sustainable supply base for the business. This involves the development and rollout of category strategies for critical, high-value goods & services for the mills. The Senior Procurement Manager must achieve stretch cost reduction/containment and value improvement targets to support the business plan and to ensure effective and standard systems for managing the tendering, negotiation, contracting, and supplier performance activities.

As a Senior Procurement Manager, you will be responsible for:

• Ensure strategic and center-led commodities for the area of responsibility are procured at optimal cost, time, quality, and quantity.
• Develop & implement category strategies, ensuring supply security while reducing Total cost of Ownership (TCO).
• Conclude and approve major framework agreements and contracts.
• Set and review supplier performance against agreed KPIs.
• Identify and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Consider and enforce B-BBEE, local procurement, code of ethics, and other relevant transformation-related legislation in procurement decisions.
• Conduct global supply market analysis in order to identify potential supply sources.
• Submit Value-add reports and/or dashboards for their own category to various internal stakeholders for collation and distribution.
• Manage internal customer relations, drive remedial action, and provide feedback where service levels fall short of SLAs.
• Identify sustainable supplier development opportunities and assist the Transformation Manager with supplier development efforts.
• Support Transformation strategy by engendering value-added supplier diversity.
• Ensure compliance to procurement policies and contracts.
• Establishing category cost/price benchmarking frameworks involving detailed spend analysis, industry/supplier price deconstruction modeling and deep understanding of relevant category supply chain and product cost drivers.
• Optimizing/leveraging sourcing synergies to achieve specific, sustainable cost reduction, containment, and value improvement targets on an annual basis.
• Leading and supporting Procurement teams in the development and rollout of strategic source plans for key categories of operational spending in order to secure a low-cost supply base that supports the company’s operations with an uninterrupted supply of best-value goods, spares and production inputs.
• Supporting Procurement teams in negotiating and concluding competitive commercial/legal agreements to drive sustainable performance.
• Achieving optimum commercial outcomes in the context of competing political and socio-economic imperatives (local procurement, enterprise development, low-cost country sourcing).
• Leading and coordinating efforts of Procurement/Strategic Sourcing and Operational Teams in ensuring innovation and compliance with respect to minimum safety standards, quality, and product specifications.
• Effectively managing stakeholder relationships involving strategic suppliers and internal parties.
• Identifying and progressing continuous improvement and innovative approaches to sourcing and contracting, maintaining focus on cost and value whilst disseminating best practic

What are we looking for?

• Minimum of a three (3) year relevant bachelor's degree (Financial, Procurement, Supply Chain).
• Postgraduate business qualification will be an added advantage.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in Negotiation, Project Management & Supplier Management
• Strong Leadership Skills
• The Incumbent will be required to travel and work flexible hours with the possibility of shifts as and when required.

What’s in it for you?

• Opportunity to work within a global organisation that continues to thrive in a rapidly changing world even after 80 years of existence
• Learning and development programmes to fast-track your career within Sappi
• Opportunities to travel (dependent on the role)
• Market-leading leave benefits
• Employee wellbeing benefits