Strategic Programme Manager – Packaging, Global Procurement

Job content

Possible Locations: Schaffhausen (Switzerland)

About Procurement At Unilever

Part of the Supply Chain’s family, Procurement is responsible for over 30B Euro of material and services spend globally with more than 50,000 suppliers. Getting the right services and materials, sustainably sourced and ensuring responsible procurement is critical to ensuring our brands with purpose grow. Our teams work closely with the business to understand brand needs, bring supplier innovation to meet changing consumer needs and drive financial value for Unilever through competitive buying. We’re at the forefront of digital procurement, bringing new tools and analytics to drive data-based decisions.

With over 1400 employees globally, we support a network of thousands of suppliers, more than 1.5 million smallholder farmers who in turn support communities of over 7 million people. Our strategy is ‘Procurement with Purpose’ and focuses on buying responsibly, buying better and growing together with partners around the world and we have an ambition that is based on three key drivers: Being Purpose-Led, Value-Driven and Future-Fit.

Schaffhausen and Singapore are Procurement’s global hubs for strategy & insights, purpose & partnerships, and the global sourcing teams, which integrate with the market teams around the globe.

PROCUREMENT PACKAGING

Packaging Procurement is responsible for €5.5 billion of spend across a variety of portfolio’s including bottles, closures & assemblies, contact flexible & decoration, customer packaging & folding cartons, metals & glass and tubs, lids & tubes.

Packaging Procurement is led by the Packaging Procurement Leadership Team (PPLT) who has the responsibility for strategy, capabilities building, and talent development as well as the engagement with all categories and clusters across the world. The PPLT continues to work on several transformational projects to drive additional value from increased portfolio maturity, excellence in operations, and building a skilled, globally connected and motivated team.

MAIN JOB PURPOSE

The Strategic Programme Manager will be a member of the PPLT and report to the Vice President of Packaging Procurement.

• Support the VP of Packaging Procurement and PPLT in developing and operationalize the strategic packaging procurement initiatives including value-creating and buying better workstreams
• Leads and drives the implementation of selected projects and/or workstreams of the strategic packaging program such as resilience, responsible sourcing, supplier diversity, living wage
• Support the VP Packaging Procurement planning and preparing for internal and external engagements
• Develop PPLT agenda and support the VP Packaging Procurement in developing key messages and presentation material for internal and external speaking events
• Accountable for the development and delivery of the Sustainability program and targets for the PPLT
  

Key Accountabilities

• Support the VP of Packaging Procurement and PPLT in developing the strategic packaging procurement agenda
• Manage the existing strategic packaging transformation projects and initiatives to ensure successful delivery
• Lead, manage and monitor the implementation of the selected projects and/or workstreams of the strategic program
• Develop and Deliver the Packaging Sustainability program to ensure the delivery of the USLP targets. e.g. sustainable sourcing and packaging reduction programs
• Develop the PPLT meeting agenda (including minutes of meetings and follow-up) and coordinate the quarterly PPLT Talk
• Contribute to defining the strategic direction (pioneering and working under uncertainty) of the procurement program as well as a substantial amount of stakeholder engagement at all levels.
• Work closely with the sustainable sourcing steering group, R&D, the categories, and packaging procurement teams in establishing the sustainability programs and the implementation of the programs to ensure the ambitions in the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan are delivered.
• Initiate and drive complexity reduction projects (e.g. harmonization of specifications and suppliers)
  

Personal Competencies Required

• Must be a self-starter with a strong Bias for Action, Accountability & Responsibility, and Growth Mindset.
• Must be able to manage and lead senior relationships with senior internal stakeholders
• Must be a strong executor, being able to work independently and virtually.
• Must lead both processes and people across a broad and diverse geographic and business environment.
• Strong at selling ideas to his/her business partners, internally and externally, translating these into effective proposals conveying value and communicating it accordingly.
  

Professional Skills Required

• Strong professional Procurement skills including supply market intelligence and analysis, supply strategy development and implementation, managing alliances and relationships, and negotiation.
• Project & change management
• Interpersonal and networking
• Strong stakeholder management & communication
• Demonstrated ability to motivate/influence colleagues and in the process holding oneself as well as others accountable for reaching ambitiously set targets
• Experience in managing complex/multicultural environments
• Fluency in English is preferred
  

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.