Category Manager - Packaging - Southern Home Counties - Up to £40k pa depending on experience

Up to £40k pa depending on experience

Our client is a global brand services agency that delivers value by working with their clients and their strategic partners to implement effective marketing communications, creatively and efficiently. Practically speaking, that means working with clients and their creative and media partners to implement, adapt, translate, deliver and drive cost efficiencies across all media channels, every sector and any market.

Based on site this role will assume responsibility for all label procurement activity on behalf of the client, comprising approximately £10 million of spend in an area of strategic focus and growth. The Label & Laminate Category Lead will focus on delivering procurement objectives for 2014 and beyond, including, but not limited to:

• Developing and implementing a category specific strategy for packaging procurement for external clients to exceed client contract commercials;
• Ensuring our internal customers achieve European Strategic Sourcing contribution targets;
• Building a best in class packaging supply chain in the label and laminates categories;
• Developing and presenting category strategy in line with client business opportunities.

• Build packaging category specific best in class, cost competitive supply chain within client scope
• Meet / exceed specific packaging category budgets
• Deliver commercial solutions to enable internal customers to exceed client contract commercials
• Exceed procurement contribution targets through outstanding procurement process and drive for results
• Track and measure all savings delivered and contribution generated on a weekly basis
• Deploy best practice procurement techniques to ensure our client has a best in class, cost effective supply chain
• Drive efficiency improvements in managing supplier relationships, including best practice contract management and finance management
• Effectively resolve contract and payment issues/disputes and proactively identify and eliminate future issues
• Proactively monitor supplier performance to ensure internal customers are receiving best service in accordance with contract SLAs and KPIs
• Maintain industry and subject matter expertise on relevant packaging category sourcing
• Report on packaging category trends and best practices driving best in class purchasing practices
• Ensure full compliance with purchasing policies, procedures and standards, ethical practices, and adherence to relevant laws and regulations with category
• Work with all other departments and the wider group to maximise best practice and service delivery to internal and external clients
• Develop close working relationships with account teams
• Support Account Director and Senior Management in new business presentations and client engagement
• Project professionalism and expertise to current and prospective clients, reinforcing clients' trust
• Develop a strategy for categories in this area to support account teams and other internal customers in exceeding client expectations
• Work strategically and tactically with Account Director and Senior Management with a view to supporting business initiatives and encouraging cross selling of categories in this area
• Track and measure all savings delivered and contribution generated on a weekly basis and communicate to internal customers
• Monitor performances of agreements after implementation, against defined criteria, and proactively take action to ensure all parties to such agreements meet or exceed performance expectations

• Outstanding experience in the packaging/print sector
• Proven track record of managing a packaging portfolio
• Significant experience of category/print management or procurement, with a proven track record of value creation by either cost reduction or achieving contribution targets
• Previous experience of procuring relevant category of goods and services highly advantageous
• CIP qualification preferred
• Proven track record of supporting internal and external customers
• Strong ability to communicate effectively with customers: listening, influencing & presenting
• Significant experience of making presentations to clients in support of business development
• Significant experience of procurement best practice and procurement techniques
• Experienced in the successful use of e procurement tools
• Proven track record in data management - strong Excel skills
• Strong negotiating skills (both commercial and legal)
• Experienced at managing change
• Outstanding team player

This position has now been filled.