Procurement Manager, Surfactants

JOB TITLE: Procurement Manager, Surfactants

ORGANIZATION: Procurement/Supply Chain

REPORTS TO: Procurement Director, Surfactants and Sustainability

SCOPE: Global

LOCATION: Singapore

Introduction and Background:

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 grow the business whilst doing more good for our planet and our 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 have to look to the future and continuously evolve to meet the needs of our changing environment - reinventing ourselves for sustained competitive advantage.

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. This places great demands on the skills and expertise of all of us as Procurement professionals.

Main Job Purpose:

Professional sourcing of an Oleo Chemical and Surfactants portfolio of greater than 500m Euro spend, meeting the specified needs of the Business at most competitive commercial terms and according to Unilever sustainable standards. 

As one of the world’s leading players within the Home, Personal Care and Beauty and Well Being categories Unilever is therefore one of the largest users of Surfactants and Oleochemicals. This role is responsible for the procurement of the ethoxylation and sulphation capacities and spend for all the business units within Asia, Africa, Middle East. The spend responsibility of the role is in excess of €500mln per year.

Responsibility of ethoxylation and Sulphation will include supplier relationship management & contract management (commercials) of several global, regional, and local ethxoylators/sulphators as well as End-to-End supply chain operations management of alcohol to alcohol Ethoxylate to SLES/PAS/SLS and other innovation materials.

Consumption is spread across clusters with a large number of local, regional, and global suppliers. Since Unilever directly procures primary feedstock of surfactants, it is extremely critical to understand the value chain and manage each step in the chain to achieve the most cost-efficient end to end surfactant supply. The procurement process involves good understanding of the surfactant markets and close alignment with both internal and external stakeholders. The role encompasses both business and procurement skill sets.

A successful Procurement Manager is expected to be:  

• Outstanding in idea generation, ideas that are forward thinking, and that contribute to creating sustained competitive advantage.
• Strong at selling ideas to his/her business partners, internally and externally, translating these into effective proposals conveying value and communicating it accordingly.
• Appreciative of the value and impact of outstanding execution – a keen eye for detail.
•  Act as an entrepreneur, treats business as his/her own, sets trends and is willing to lead, follow or get out of the way.
• Behave as a Partner to Win ambassador and demonstrate the value Procurement adds to the business.
• Genuinely committed to Unilever’s sustainably lead business model, connected with Unilever and the business agenda.

Key Accountabilities:

• Executive Procurement management of a surfactant’s portfolio: Decides where to buy, how to buy, when to buy for the spend of > 500m Eur. 
• Structure and manage key partnerships within Surfactants industry to deliver against value, purpose, and future-fit goals. 
• Develop and implement strategies for procurement of the respective portfolios and assess, identify, and select the appropriate supplier base that would meet the needs of the business. 
• Responsible for delivery of Procurement Key Value Platforms (Our Lighthouse Programs), such as Competitive Buying, Value Chain, Sustainability, Partnership, Superior Availability and Powered by Technology.
• Improvement, Traceability & Sustainability, and etc. in line with sourcing strategies and compliance management.
• Support security of key materials through the development of contingency plans and alternative materials/suppliers
• Close working with Suppliers and consuming countries to ensure material availability.
• Work closely with the business groups and support the launch of innovations and new product development. 
• Work closely with the Business and suppliers to drive key initiatives such as Sustainable Sourcing, Living wage, NDPE, RSP, all aligned with Unilever Sustainability Goals. 
• Support the business with accurate price forecasting. Prepares information on purchase prices and conditions to enable proper budgeting and cash forecasting. 
• Identify metrics, tools, and process to optimize sourcing, supplier activities and efficiencies. 
• Support delivery of cost savings in line with sourcing strategies and compliance management.
• Deliver the Operation Cash Flow and Working Capital plans for the specific materials/services and suppliers. 
• Lead together with our strategy and insights teams the digitization of the portfolio generating more headspace for strategy implementation.
• Support and manage supply chain issues (e.g., crisis management). 
• Develop, coach and mentor resources within a high performing and motivated team responsible for interfacing with internal stakeholders and suppliers. 
• Support collaboration with senior functional leaders to establish short- and long-term business objectives. 

Skills:

• Supply and Material Strategy process and development - Strategic Sourcing. 
• Supplier risk and resilience management
• Negotiation strategy and formulation
• Preparation and conducting supplier negotiations. 
• Engage suppliers through competitive bidding and tendering. 
• Material/Formulation understanding.
• Supplier integration and supplier relationship management 
• Identifying value creating and innovation opportunities 
• Managing Sustainability in Supply Chains 
• Understanding of exploiting technology for procurement efficiency

Essential:

• Minimum of 5 – 7 years’ experience in procurement and/or supply chain at management level
• Strong stakeholder management skills
• Drive for operational excellence and execution as well as strategic thinking and foresight
• University degree

Preferred:

• Experience working in multiple geographies.
• Experience in Oleochemical industry
• Experience in dealing across cultures and time zones.

TO APPLY

Please apply online by clicking on the “Apply” button. Your application will be reviewed against our requirements. Should you not meet our immediate requirements, your profile will be registered in our talent pool system, and we will match your profile to suitable future vacancies.

You will be able to access your status update through the candidate tracking link.

Thank you for your interest and application.

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.