Senior Procurement Manager

Key responsibilities: 

• Define and deliver the long term import sourcing strategy and vision ensuring alignment to the commercial category customer proposition and range review plans 

• Strategic leadership to identify, initiate and drive change programs that optimise organizational effectiveness.

• A working awareness and experience of contract law in relation to Heads Of Terms, KPIs, supplier contracts and trading agreement while remaining grounded in commercial principles. Knows when to stop and seek formal contractual guidance and advice.

• Strong project/program management & leadership skills with the presence and credibility to influence with and without authority in a matrix structure in order to secure buy in to strategic solutions and programs.

• Strong data and analytics capability, high level of professionalism.

• Ability to communicate complex information to internal and external audiences, and able to embed information in an interactive, insightful way that is relevant and appropriate to the teams involved that gets a decision made.

• Lead the tender process for Direct GFR product and freight 4PL suppliers through the FE agents and Wickes category teams, ensuring that the full value chain is optimised and total cost of ownership understood to exceed the annual COGs reduction and cost of failure plan.

• Leads the Direct suppliers product and packaging objectives within ethical sourcing, plastics recycling and the circular economy by developing, evolving and executing the business product sustainability strategy to ensure the successful delivery of short, and long term commitments through the supplier base

• A working knowledge of international shipping complexities (includes INCOterms, commodity codes, waste costs, complexities of customs deferment and duty recovery) that will enable you to support commercial and supply chain teams to drive cost efficiencies through the direct supply chain

• Work closely with cross functional team to ensure key business policies are adhered to when making sourcing decisions

• Able to work in diverse environments and adhere to the highest ethical standards.

• Highly analytical and with a detailed mindset that will support the operation of the commercial tools that manage $ FOB costs into sterling delivered cost, through currency fluctuations.  

• Highly proficient negotiator able to work with multiple priorities and projects.

• Engage and influence stakeholders and senior management across the business to ensure alignment and sign off on sourcing plans.

• Represent Wickes to the Far East sourcing team or agent and be a strong ambassador to the business in order to maximise efficiencies and develop long term strategic relationships

• Manage the risks and opportunities to ensure all stakeholders are kept informed of any P&L impacts as a result of changes in sourcing approach.

• Be the ‘expert’ in direct imports and the central point of contact for the wider business.

• A proven ability to lead and manage through a matrix team structure and through direct reports. Demonstrates personal humility and integrity promoting team before self, with the ability to forge strong working relationships with other colleagues, delivering business goals through a cross-divisional ethos. 

• Prepared to travel as necessary/appropriate in the performance of duties