Associate Procurement Manager - Farmed Ingredients NA

Job Purpose

There has never been a more exciting time to be working in Procurement when you consider the sheer scale of what we are seeking to do in terms of Procurement with Purpose; not only are we seeking to grow the business and drive competitive value but also do good for our planet and society. As Unilever Procurement adapts to the ever-dynamic business environment, we will need to be agile in order to continue our track record of delivery in contributing to the top and bottom line.

Inevitably, given the consistent and high quality of our delivery over the past few years, we will be asked to continue this rate of performance and indeed go over and above this standard to ensure the value provided is further enhanced across the scope of our remit. As well as ensuring that we are best in class in delivering the basics, we also must look to the future and continuously evolve to meet the needs of our changing environment - reinventing ourselves for sustained competitive advantage.

And of course, we are only half of the picture. Our suppliers are at the heart of everything we do. We need to work more closely than ever with suppliers to co-create sustainable practices and bigger and better innovations. Because here, we don’t just hire for jobs. We invite you to be part of something bigger.

• Seasoned sourcing professional for Ingredients in North America. This role is responsible for managing a spend of approx. $85M USD of Farmed Ingredients portfolio (pasta, rice, vegetables, herbs, spices & more) and drives key competitive advantage for the Unilever Foods business. Role is focused on developing comprehensive long-term sourcing strategies across the various materials that fit the needs of the CAMM and Dressings business as well as managing ambitious negotiations.
• Monitor market trends and movements to support cover decisions.
• Provide the business with accurate price forecasting, which includes understanding market conditions, price trends and future market trends to enable proper budgeting.
• Drive Unilever’s Sustainability agenda (Sustainable Sourcing, Regenerative Agriculture, Climate and Livelihoods) for assigned ingredients portfolio.
• Develop and implement global and local procurement strategies working closely with teams and key stakeholders—assess needs of the market, deep value chain understanding, industry analysis.
• Support APD in close liaison with local and strategy stakeholders on contract governance processes and strategy council submissions.
• Cross functional collaboration with R&D, Category and Operations procurement teams to optimize procurement processes and developing cost savings projects; and ensure seamless supply flow.
• Competitive supplier selection or development, drive continuous improvement and supplier performance management programs. Actively scout and onboard alternative vendors to ensure a resilient supply network.
• Supplier Relationship Management for CAMM and Dressings vendors:
  Support quality and service teams to address concerns / issues. Partner with suppliers to maximize value, derisk top portfolio ingredients and drive innovation projects sourcing strategies. Support compliance requirements with Unilever partner standards.
• Handle price and invoicing discrepancies and oversee full contract lifecycle management.

• Experience in Procurement or Supply Chain (3+ years)
• University degree, Masters degree a plus
• Strong negotiation skills
• Self-starter
• Strong analytical skills (including finance)
• Experience in Cross Functional and cross geography ways of working
• Strong communication skills and ability to engage and influence others
• Fluent communication and verbal skills in English
• Strong ability in managing multiple stakeholders, projects, and deadlines
• Appetite for change and eagerness to collaborate with stakeholders to drive through improvements
• Collaborative, team player who focuses on team success above self

• Experience in ingredient procurement
• Experience in operations- end to end portfolio management including service & quality

At Unilever, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We welcome applicants from all…