POSITION SUMMARY:In this role, you'll serve as a Lead Procurement Specialist, managing the procurement strategy for spend areas in your scope and localizing any globally created strategies. This role identifies value-creation opportunities and leads cross-functional projects for the category, as well as supplier strategy, category risk management, collaboration, and local relationship management with a focus on risk mitigation, innovation, sustainability, and supplier diversity. You will provide oversight for category-critical tasks like business continuity planning, supplier performance management, ensure supply, PPV forecast, etc., while working with the business to understand strategy, requirements, and challenges and to report updates. This role is the face of their assigned category to Nestrade (Global Buying Organization for Nestlé) and serves as the key interface with business/functional leadership across Nestlé USA for their respective categories. The Procurement Specialist Lead will also play an indirect leadership role by mentoring, drive excellence in Purchase Price Variance (PPV) management and delegating tasks to lower-level team members. Proven competence in influencing and ensuring stakeholder accountability within a matrixed organizational structure.
JOB DUTIES/DELIVERABLES:- End-to-end management of assigned category/categories, including localization of global strategies, development of at-market strategies, and coordination with suppliers and Nestrade buyers (as required)
- Responsible for more complex categories that require executive-level collaboration
- Managing categories with high internal or external visibility, ensuring stakeholder engagement and communication
- Execute Nestlé's 7-Step Strategic Sourcing Process in the North American market, enabling value generation through sustainability, innovation, and cost improvements for Nestlé business units
- Identify value creation opportunities by developing a deep understanding of each relevant business unit's requirements, challenges, and opportunities, and leveraging these insights to create and implement savings initiatives
- Leverage opportunities to lower total cost of ownership or increase value to the business while ensuring supply
- Assign initiative owners for category aligned spend initiatives; provide category expertise and help guide initiative savings execution and pull through
- Use knowledge of global suppliers and processes to bring opportunities to the forefront
- Benchmark against competitors and promote supplier-led innovation to unlock value
- Use insights and trends to liaise strategically with the business, factories, and suppliers
- Define risk management strategies for the business and promote mitigation activities to reduce the chance of disruption
- Proactively manage supplier relationships resulting in a reduction of contractual risks
- Clearly communicate risks and issues to key stakeholders, knowing when and to whom to escalate significant issue
- Suggest improved ways of working, introducing new processes or re-engineering existing ones in support of key priorities
- Recognize strategic drivers and activities that support key priorities, both within your category and across the organization
- Leverage intelligence tools and participate in professional associations to learn best practices and industry trends; apply the learnings to the category strategies to drive continuous improvement
- Comply with all Procurement and company policies, procedures, and practices, and promote adherence across the organization
- Apply project management principles to drive cross-functional teams in effective and efficient delivery of business objectives for both day to day activities and key project
- Analyzing market trends and assessing potential risks to identify Purchase Price Variance opportunities.
- In addition to the responsibilities above, P40 (Lead) role is expected to embody NLF behaviors not only as Employee but demonstrate Leadership NLF behaviors. This can evolve through (but not limited to):
- Identify and develop business case for meaningful intern project
- Lead/guide intern developing KPIs, holding performance reviews, and developmental check-ins
- Embody mentor/leadership role across category teams, act as SME within strategic areas in order to level up skills and understanding of team
- Responsible for coaching on 7CSS, and other key procurement processes and metrics
- Perform other duties as assigned
CRITICAL EXPERIENCES/EDUCATION:- Bachelor's degree required
- 7 years Procurement experience preferred
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including but not limited to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
- SAP and Ariba experience preferred
QUALIFICATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS:- Strong understanding of financial markets, derivatives, and hedging instruments
- Proficiency in financial modeling and risk assessment techniques
- Knowledge of relevant regulations and compliance requirements
- Interpersonal skills to effectively build relationships with and influence a dynamic and diverse set of stakeholders, including the ability to listen and understand differing perspectives
- Strategic mindset with quantitative, problem-solving, project management, and negotiation skills and a strong desire for progress and continuous improvement
- Proven ability to analyze and present findings in a clear and cohesive manner to senior stakeholders.
- Adept at managing change and working through ambiguity to identify and drive to a solution, both independently and collaboratively with cross-functional teams
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to liaise across boundaries and boarders and influence with integrity
- Strong understanding and demonstration of procurement processes, category management, and supplier relationship management.
- Proven ability to create strong and comprehensive category strategies that drive savings and/or innovation to the businesses they support.
- Ability to independently navigate complex problems and make decisions to change processes to drive improvements with cross functional teams considering end to end impacts, and make decisions that drive value for the businesses they support.
- Ability to coach, review, and delegate work to lower-level professionals, mentoring and helping them to build capability.
The approximate pay range for this position is $120,000 to $149,000. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to knowledge, skills and abilities as well as geographic location.
Nestlé offers performance-based incentives and a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k with company match, healthcare coverage and a broad range of other benefits. Incentives and/or benefit packages may vary depending on the position. Learn more at About Us | Nestlé Careers (nestlejobs.com)
