Category Manager, Marketing and Sales Group at Japan Tobacco International in Mississauga, ON

Responsibilities

Management strategy by category

• Manage the procurement activities of the Marketing and Sales category in Canada and the United States.
• Define and implement strategies for the Marketing and Sales category supply chain that align with local and global business objectives. Document and communicate local and group strategies.
• Build relationships with budget officials and ensure participation in grassroots improvement efforts with respect to costs and procurement.
• Demonstrate value to business partners through collaboration on efficiency, vendor and market knowledge, vendor risk, and compliance issues.
• Consistently apply strong communication skills and cost reduction initiatives, and have a great sense of organization.
• Effectively and jointly identify, report, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance issues.

Management of suppliers

• Nurture and manage the pool of suppliers at the local and group level.
• Negotiate strategic contracts and ensure optimal and sustainable supply conditions. Recommend timely strategic decisions, where appropriate, to achieve procurement efficiencies. Ensure the sustainability of supply and effective management of supplier relationships at all stages of the supply chain.
• Demonstrate the ability to challenge the status quo, and propose and execute projects that will add value to the business. Provide regional and global Procurement teams with necessary implementation support.
• Manage SRM with major local vendors and coordinate against global and regional leadership teams. Help global and regional category teams develop an innovation and sustainability strategy with global and regional vendors, and promote any ideas that could represent a competitive advantage for JTI.

Key performance indicators and targets

• Meet KPIs and established procurement negotiation goals. Plan and achieve savings goals. Develop and recommend a plan and inform strategic sourcing decisions.
• Lead or support tendering processes targeting suppliers in close collaboration with relevant business partners to ensure an optimal combination of parameters and conditions in terms of quality, cost and service for products and services.
• Lead local and group strategy implementation for assigned category, and monitor performance. Ensure corrective action is taken as required.
• Lead ad hoc cost optimization and continuous improvement initiatives.

Business partnerships

• Ensure the connectivity of the company and promote collaborative business partnerships with specific stakeholders.
• Emphasize the value of business partnerships by developing a customer-centric approach.
• Align the strategy with key business partners and ensure it aligns with operational priorities.
• Ensure harmonization and effective communication between procurement departments, business partners and suppliers.
• Take preventative action to avoid supply issues and help resolve issues as needed.

Commercial information

• Communicate category information, identify trends and opportunities, and promote innovative ideas.
• Apply best practices in procurement process management using the latest models, and take necessary improvement actions.
• Assess procurement risks, develop contingency plans and propose ideas and alternatives to ensure the best conditions for the business, including through in-depth market research and the proactive use of suppliers innovative.

Qualifications and experience

• Bachelor's degree or diploma in business administration or a related field.
• At least 7-10 years of strategic sourcing experience, including 3-5 years in category management of marketing agency services in Canada.
• Complex contract negotiations.
• Understanding of procurement laws and regulations.
• 3-5 years of business experience in a global or consumer staples organization.
• Business acumen and strong financial and contracting skills.
• Professional title in the procurement sector an asset.

Skills, competences and languages

• Excellent understanding of Category Management and Strategic Sourcing processes and related experience.
• Comfortable leading and conducting business negotiations.
• Excellent communication skills demonstrated.
• Ability to work with little supervision , make decisions and meet deadlines.
• Experience and knowledge of established categories and industry best practices an asset.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to build strong relationships with and build credibility with senior internal stakeholders, affiliates and suppliers.
• Ability to take personal responsibility for assigned categories and projects.
• Demonstrated sense of organization and capacity for resilience and adaptation in all aspects of the work.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Bilingualism (French and English), an asset.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Word.