Global Category Specialist

Identify, research, and evaluate suppliers that meet the organisation’s standards of price, quality, timing, and reliability of supply.

About the role

Here at DS Smith, we have an exciting opportunity for a Global Category Specialist to join our Group Procurement function.

The Group Procurement Function is accountable for:

• Shaping and aligning the Procurement strategy to support the achievement of business goals including growth, innovation, ESG (inc. Scope 3) and manufacturing excellence

• Partnering with stakeholders to ensuring the function competitively sources quality products and supplier services whilst maintaining and building strong relationships with strategic suppliers in line with group Innovation, ESG and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals

• Partnering differently across the value chain to create innovative business offerings that delight our customers and support business growth.

As the Global Category Specialist, reporting to a Global Category Manager, you will be working collaboratively with stakeholders across the business, and will be responsible for c.£20m spend across Capex Packaging. Key stakeholders are across the group, regions and key functions including Operations, Legal, Finance, Packaging Division & Innovation
 

You will partner with key stakeholders to co create and align on the optimal ‘segmentation and management model’ for Capex Packaging in order to maximise value and support business goals.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop and implement 1–3-year supplier category strategies, supported by execution roadmaps to deliver this strategy with short, medium and long term initiatives.

• Develop long-term, integrated category strategies that drive holistic supplier performance. These strategies include value creation across multiple dimensions, including cost, innovation, top line performance and sustainability (ESG) leadership.

• For the spend portfolio, understanding and responding to market intelligence and economic fundamentals to leverage the optimal time to go to market for pricing and value.

• Delivering supplier strategies which actively anticipate and reduce supplier risk (e.g. sole supplier risk, financial health, data privacy, information security, modern slavery) and secure competitive supply.

• Partnering with group stakeholders and Procurement Excellence Teams to understand and embed agreed risk standards across portfolio.

• Ensure there is an aligned approach for managing relevant contracts with business stakeholders and Regional Procurement teams.

• Oversee the delivery of the portfolio initiatives. These projects could apply a variety of strategies and levers including tendering, e-auctions and cost negotiations, price benchmarking, supplier consolidation and rationalisation, make vs buy or lease, demand and policy levers, price negotiations to support changes and growth etc.

• Management of large-scale supplier market tender approaches and negotiations end to end.

• Ensure that Strategic Suppliers have ‘top to top’ meetings and governance in place and aligned with business stakeholders.

• Build relationships across the procurement community, Procurement Leadership Team and with key stakeholders.

• Represent the Function on Procurement topics in cross functional forums.

About you

• Deep knowledge and experience in procurement having previously worked in a procurement category role

• Experience in developing and implementing procurement strategies.

• Experience in managing a range of complex procurement sourcing and contracting negotiations.

• Strong communication skills with ability to influence in a matrix environment.

• Strong stakeholder management and business acumen.

• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking.

• Strong negotiation skills and ability to manage complex end to end negotiations.

• Ability to deliver to agreed savings and value targets.

• Ability to use information, analysis and insights to identify and unlock opportunities across the supply base.

• Ability to execute a portfolio of strategic and tactical procurement initiatives.

• Ability to independently prioritise work and deliver procurement initiatives.

• Ability to build strong trusting relationships with cross functional and cross geographical stakeholders.

• Fluency in English. Fluency in another European language where DS Smith has a presence would be an advantage.

• Degree level or equivalent by experience. Bachelor's degree

About us

DS Smith are a leading provider of sustainable packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services in more than 30 different countries. It’s a very exciting time to join, as we have committed to investing in our future across our strategic growth enablers within Innovation (R&D), Sustainability and Digital & Data.

“To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.”