Position
Position overview
The succesful candidate will oversee day-to-day purchasing activities, while also contributing strategically at an executive level. You must balance short-term operational requirements against long-term strategic initiatives.
This includes reducing costs without compromising quality or service levels; establishing strong relationships both internally across departments as well as externally with suppliers; staying abreast of industry changes; ensuring compliance; managing staff effectively; optimizing processes through technology advancements where possible; handling crises related to supply chain disruptions; reporting on metrics related directly back into overall business performance.
You will have a specific focus on real estate and store development projects, driving cost efficiencies and direct savings on key store development projects. You will lead and inspire the Procurement team and drive them to achieve ambitious objectives.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Strategic Sourcing and Vendor Management:
- Establishing and maintaining relationships with suppliers and vendors.
- Developing strategic sourcing policies to find cost-effective deals and reliable suppliers while negotiating contracts to secure advantageous terms.
- Overseeing vendor performance, including compliance with contracts and quality of goods/services provided; transparency in all procurement processes.
- Monitoring spending patterns and identifying opportunities for cost reduction.
- Championing and developing sustainability strategies through vendor onboarding, material certification, reduction of carbon footprint, etc.
- Monitoring and assessing vendor compliance risk to ensure compliance with requirements
Cost Control:
- Creating procurement policies and procedures that promote fair practices and cost savings.
- Implementing procurement strategies in line with corporate objectives, while ensuring working closely with finance departments to align procurement strategies with budgetary constraints and analyzing market trends.
- Identifying potential supply chain risks such as supplier insolvency, geopolitical issues, or natural disasters that could disrupt supplies.
- Developing risk mitigation strategies such as diversifying the supplier base or building contingency stocks.
Team Leadership:
- Leading a team of procurement professionals, providing guidance, training, and mentorship, while setting objectives that are ambitious yet achievable.
- Encouraging professional development within the team to ensure procurement best practices. Administering procurement team performance, development plans and appraisals.
- Working closely with other departments such as store planning, operations, finance, sales, marketing to understand their product/service needs.
Process optimization:
- Streamlining procurement processes through technology implementation or process re-engineering to improve efficiency.
- Ensuring that all procurement activities comply with relevant laws, regulations, and ethical standards, while promoting sustainable purchasing practices including environmental considerations into product selection and vendor evaluation.
- Utilizing data analytics tools to assess the effectiveness of purchasing decisions.
- Preparing reports for upper management on procurement activities, savings achieved, challenges faced etc.
Qualifications:
- 12+ years of experience in global/international purchasing
- Excellent Management skills to give vision and sense, motivate, train and guide team members to deliver performance
- Excellent verbal, written & communications skills in English and preferably additional languages
- Highly proficient in Microsoft Office (excel, word, etc.)
- Highly motivated & organized with strong ability to plan and forecast
- Business oriented: quantitative results and KPIs measurement
- Change management: ability to implement new processes and lead the change
- Experience in retail development and/or luxury industry (or similar field)
The hiring range for this position ranges from $159,120- $224,640. The rate of pay offered will be dependent upon candidates’ relevant skills and experience. Management is also eligible for bonus.
