Title: Global Procurement Director Business Services

Work Level:  WL3X

Reports to: Tracey Mackey

Location:100VE ( Open to other locations )

ABOUT UNILEVER

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world. 

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

ABOUT PROCUREMENT

Part of the Supply Chain’s family, Procurement is responsible for 44 B 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 support our company’s growth objectives. Our teams work closely with other areas of the business to understand requirements, elicit 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.

MBS, Unilever’s Marketing and Business Services Procurement team, is responsible for Unilever’s sourcing and supplier strategy and execution for all third party spend across Marketing, Business Services, and IT, supporting the business requirements of BGs, BUs, and functions to drive the priorities of our business through strategic supplier management, cost and value management, sustainability, risk mitigation, and innovation. Within the Business Services portfolio, there are 2 global directors managing an overall annual spend of approximately 2.6 Billion Euro and a full team with 80+ members including resources on our Partner Managed Portfolios (PMP) which are seen as extended part of our teams.

JOB PURPOSE

Find your purpose at Unilever. You will lead innovations, large and small, that will make our business win and grow. You will learn from brilliant business leaders and colleagues in a truly global and diverse culture to ultimately become a better you. 

The successful candidate:

• Is a seasoned procurement leader, ready to bring out the best in people; strong in collaboration and influencing skills; internally and externally networked; and brings forward-looking, healthy challenges to deliver effective solutions.
• Has robust expertise in procurement methodology and best practices to meet or exceed stakeholder requirements by delivering results and minimizing risk to the business. Experience in procurement of services is strongly preferred.
• Fully understands the wider business context, with strong commercial acumen and recognition of how costs, including compensation models, exchange rates and taxation, impact the financial position of the company.
• Is a strategic, systemic thinker and entrepreneurial to bring world-class solutions to steer the teams 3 steps ahead.
• An effective team leader and a creative, strategic problem solver, knowledgeable and equipped to motivate and lead the team to deliver with excellence.
• You will own and drive key and strategic portfolios for Unilever, contributing directly to Unilever’s business imperatives.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

The Global Procurement Director, Business Services – Workplace & Outsourcing is responsible for the sourcing strategy development, implementation and procurement of key Business Services Portfolios covering spend of approximately 1.2+ Billion Euro per annum for Unilever globally. This role is part of the MBS Leadership Team, providing leadership, strategy, and guidance to all of MBS, and part of GBS Leadership Team, providing procurement support and delivery for Unilever’s Global Business Services (GBS) team and other relevant functions.

The director will drive the effectiveness of our business services procurement by bringing expert strategic sourcing solutions across Unilever at scale, leveraging knowledge, relationships, and business strategies across the Unilever ecosystem. This role leads a team of about 30 direct and indirect reports, with an additional 20+ resources on our Partner Managed Portfolios (PMP) which are seen as extended part of our teams.

The person will foster a culture of collaboration and agility to enable an effective and efficient organization. He/she will serve as relationship owner and business partner to key stakeholders across Unilever, which may include GBS, Business Groups, Business Units, and other functions, to understand and identify business needs for the short, medium, and long term, and leverage internal and external parties to develop and deliver future-fit procurement solutions. This role is responsible for leading a team of internal and third party resources based around the globe. This person will lead, foster, and manage external supplier relationships with senior executives and service delivery partners at key supplier partners. The role will report directly to VP MBS Procurement.

This is a pivotal role developing and executing future-fit strategies in alignment with business and procurement strategies. The focus is on the Business Services spend within GBS and the BG-led markets, including leading development and execution of innovative business models with third party partners. 1UL locations are excluded from primary responsibilities, although transitions and collaboration for synergy are expected. The successful candidate will need to build a culture of collaboration and support excellent execution of our solutions while fostering deep relationships with our stakeholders and suppliers, working closely with the business partners inside and outside the function.

This role will be part of the leadership to the Procurement Hub in London. The person will be expected to be a hands-on self-starter and a creative problem solver, leading a variety of start-up or expansion activities with internal and external stakeholders. Alongside the other Hub leaders and with guidance from UPLT and other stakeholders, this person will form foundational relationships and develop operating models, norms, routines, and ways of working, whilst cultivating our winning culture in this mature Procurement location.

This role has executional delivery requirements with accountability to deliver KPIs such as financial and service delivery targets for themselves and the markets around the world. Such service delivery must be met in BUs and functions, in alignment with the wider global and BG strategies, including from a service delivery, cost competitiveness, and risk management perspective.

• Understand the business objectives for relevant spend areas, and craft and deliver effective business solutions balancing a variety of often competing requirements, to maximize value and service to the business, providing strategic and executional excellence in areas of responsibility.
• Deliver against financial targets and other KPIs as per business plan objectives, accountable for delivery of results, such as net savings delivery with P&L impact, cash targets, and operational performance metrics, including adherence to Unilever’s Responsible Partner Policy (RPP) and sustainability goals of maximizing impact on climate, nature, and livelihoods.
• Harvest and pollinate insights and innovations from across the value chain, industry, and supply base to translate the business requirements into effective future-fit procurement and partner strategies that create lasting competitive advantage. Execute strategic sourcing processes, with competitive and commercial rigour, and focus on delivering best total value to the Unilever business across the supply chain.
• Serve as a leader for Global Business Services strategy & execution aligned to Unilever’s business objectives and procurement strategies around competitive buying, optimizing partnerships, and value creation. Directly manage a large team of FTEs and third party partners, based in geographically distributed locations, and provide leadership, management and accountability for delivery across the global team. Engage, develop, and retain key talent, effectively leading engaged, high performing teams to inspire and support our people and their well-being while delivering business results.  
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders around the world, to support business priorities and enable rapid alignment and deployment with key stakeholders of the procurement strategy and execution.
• Actively serve on relevant Procurement leadership teams to provide thought leadership, strategy, execution, and expertise to our community worldwide.
• This role partners directly the Global Business Services Organization (GBS) forming part of the GBSLT.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

• < 10+ years procurement/supply chain experience, with proven track record of success  
• Strategic sourcing, portfolio strategy and/or supply management expertise, with experience in managing complex portfolio/category at global or multi-regional level
• Expert in negotiation and contracting complex deals, understanding of supply market, value chain, and FMCG knowledge. Knowledge of Business Services portfolios and supply markets is a strong plus.
• Previous experience in BPO Outsourcing contracts is a plus
• Experience in strategic supplier relationship management.
• Experience in large-scale project management.
• Demonstrated and proven leadership capabilities to lead a virtual global team. Experience in shaping and leading transformational business process reengineering, with experience driving Change Management initiatives.
• Knowledge of and passion for sustainability, including social sustainability.

Skills

• Strong procurement expertise and commercial and financial acumen.
• Ability to work under pressure and in a complex global environment balancing a broad spectrum of stakeholder requirements. Strong in project and time management for complex global projects.
• Strong listening and stakeholder engagement skills to interpret business needs and translate them into relevant solutions with agility and resilience. Ability to interact well with senior stakeholders effectively and efficiently functionally (including 1UL Procurement, Global Business Services Value Streams, Supplier Operations, Finance Operations, Legal, Finance) to understand their needs and deliver effective balanced solutions.
• Able to create and drive adoption and execution of a shared vision and strategy for change. Comfortable working in conditions of ambiguity and leading through change. Tenacious and resilient in the pursuit of challenging goals.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including creation and delivery of effective presentations to propose and adapt solutions for value.
• Expertise in owning and driving supplier partnerships and relationships to craft solutions that bring mutual lasting value to Unilever and our partners.
• Ability to deliver change whilst managing the interface between “day to day” and improvement projects, with a passion for continuous improvement.
• Inspiring, motivational, and accountable people leader, able to lead remote and cross-cultural teams and connect people and ideas, with a passion for continuous improvement and practical creativity.

Leadership

• You are an inclusive motivator of people. Your team delivers with real passion, growing and learning from each other whilst delivering quick wins. You elicit the four Unilever behaviours from yourself and from your team.
• You are still responsible for your own results and as a Line Manager, you also need to motivate others to deliver with passion, creating an inclusive and engaging climate around you. You can balance challenge with support and coaching. You understand the wider business context and you are emotionally intelligent enough to motivate people to deliver what is needed.

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life! This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.