Job Description:Commercial Activity Manager BRN - Franklin, TNWhat is the job description?
The Commercial Activity Manager leads the team of Activity Analysts that that is accountable for Comercial S&OP+ and transformation projects delivery of QUEST and QES projects, ensuring sourcing strategies, supplier commitments, cost, availability, resilience, and project execution are integrated into business decision-making. The role leads and develops the Commercial Activity team, represents Commercial in Segment Teams and activity task groups (ATGs), and connects Sourcing, Planning, R&D, Supply, Finance, Marketing, manufacturing sites, and suppliers to deliver growth, value leadership, business continuity, and reliable launches.
This role ensure that we have the right talent & capability within the function to guarantee the right innovation projects are executed at the right time to accomplish our business objectives. This leader is also responsible for ensuring Invoice resolution roles deliver exceptional business results by ensuring KPIs for invoice resolution are maintained at acceptable levels to adhere to payclock compliance.
What will be your key responsibilities? Excellent Line Management:
- Foster a collaborative team environment, evaluate, and manage performance, and encourage problem-solving to enhance output and team dynamics.
- Develop individualized growth plans for team members, offering mentorship, training, and opportunities for skill enhancement aligned with career and organizational goals.
- Instill a culture of accountability, ensure clarity of roles and expectations, and align team efforts with the organization's strategic objectives, leveraging available resources and networks.
- Recruit, on-board and upskill talented Associates when vacancies occur.
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Commercial Leadership and Strategy Execution:
- Ensure appropriate participation, inputs & support for all regional commercial transformation, growth initiatives and value leadership programs, within the cross-functional QuEST process and in all Central / Regional ATGs. Ensuring commercial interests are effectively represented within project teams.
- Accountable to ensure availability of raw materials and packaging ready for project launches and escalating where there are risks to the correct forums.
- Proactively cultivate and strengthen relationship networks across Commercial and with other teams like R&D, Supply, IE, Marketing, S&F to aid effective issues resolution & drive alignment.
- Act as the initial commercial delegate for regional initiatives that are subject to confidentiality under non-disclosure agreements.
Project Management and Commercial Excellence:
- Define, harmonize, and deploy a clear process used by all PMs overseeing commercial project workflows, tool management and knowledge retention, focusing on the commercial deliverables required for each project stage gate and inputs for PPM, ensuring delivery is aligned with both commercial and business goals.
- Oversee the RFQ process of project related inputs, accountable for commercial inputs and driving it's completion by other functions, ensuring on time delivery to sourcing managers, negotiating with suppliers in collaboration with other commercial pillars.
- Ensure the seamless operation and continuous improvement of communication processes between PMs and the MSM team, focusing on the effective integration of ATG volume changes into Consensus Demand and RCCP activities.
- Serve as the regional authority on commercial project management, providing clarity and transparency in all S&OP+ meetings, where needed, including but not limited to Segment Teams, updating when required the Commercial Leadership Team (CLT) & Technical Leadership Team (TLT).
- Accountable to identify & implement opportunities for process optimisation and continuous improvement of project related cross functional communication, the full commercial approach to ATG input and management, RFQ process and the wider S&OP process. Actively ensure stakeholder alignment & appropriate scoping & implementation planning, assign appropriate resource for training & implementation.
Invoice Resolution and Net Working Capital Compliance- Lead the Commercial Activity team responsible for invoice resolution.
- Ensure invoice KPIs meet business and pay-clock compliance requirements.
- Drive timely reconciliation and resolution of supplier payment issues.
- Partner with AP, Finance, Genpact, suppliers and sourcing teams to remove barriers to payment.
- Support Mars Net Working Capital objectives and supplier relationship health.
Operational Efficiency and Agile Implementation:
- Manage and optimize cost structures through the RFQ process working alongside other Commercial stakeholders, ensuring alignment with financial goals and ensuring on time delivery to both sourcing and, on completion to the ATG.
- Ensure continuous improvement and effectiveness reviews take place regularly as business and external context shifts, to ensure efficiency & effectiveness.
Knowledge and Resource Optimization:
- Lead and promote a culture of continuous learning and best practice sharing to foster organizational improvement.
- Act as the central point for sharing best practices and learnings, fostering an environment of continuous improvement and knowledge exchange.
- Enhance cross-functional cooperation across marketing, S&OP, and supply chain, ensuring that the commercial function is fully integrated with these key areas.
- Ensuring Site Expert & Category Expert team are well informed on key projects impacting their scope and priorities.
What are we looking for? Minimum Qualifications- BS/BA degree (e.g.: Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Engineering, Economics BSc) or equivalent.
- 5-8 years of experience in Business Management, Supply Chain, or Procurement.
- Preferred to also have 1-2 years in Project Management and a minimum of 2 years in a Line Management role.
Knowledge/Skills- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including conflict resolution and effective stakeholder engagement.
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Excellent time management skills.
- Advanced skills in MS Office, especially in Excel, as well as knowledge about intelligence tools like PowerBI or similar
- Ability to work across cross-functional teams, identify opportunities to improve ways of working, standards, processes, and systems, and lead implementation of agreed changes.
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to draw insights from data and develop solutions collaboratively.
- Project Management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, Kanban...)
- SAP or similar ERP knowledge and understanding
- High decision quality in a fast-paced environment
- High learning agility to utilize data systems
Key Mars Leadership Competencies- Develops Talent
- Builds Effective Teams
