Minerals Category Lead Europe

at  AkzoNobel

REQUIREMENTS

• Experience: between 7 - 10 years of experience in procurement, purchasing, or sourcing, with experience in R&D, Operations, or Supply Chain Management preferred. At least 3 to 5 years of experience managing a purchasing team or in category/spend area management.
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Science, Engineering, or Business Management; CPM or MBA preferred.
• Technical Expertise: In-depth understanding of the chemical and/or minerals industry, with the ability to discuss complex materials with RD&I teams.
• Supplier Management Experience: Proven success in negotiating, contracting, and managing suppliers at a senior level, with a strong track record in driving supplier performance improvements.Behavioral Skills: Strong stakeholder management, excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills, ability to work under minimal supervision, and adaptability to work with diverse cultures.
• 
  At AkzoNobel we are highly committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best self. We strive to embrace diversity in a context of tolerance. Our talent acquisition process plays an integral part in this journey, as setting the foundations for a diverse environment. For this reason we train and educate on the implications of our Unconscious Bias in order for our TA and hiring managers to be mindful of them and take corrective actions when applicable. In our organization, all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age or disability.

• Global Sourcing Strategy: Develop and implement global sourcing strategies in alignment with AkzoNobel’s objectives.
• Commercial Management: Oversee all commercial activities such as contract negotiation, management, approval, and implementation.
• Regional & Global Strategy Deployment: Create and deploy applicable regional and global category strategies.
• Supplier Relationship Management: Manage key suppliers globally, ensuring world-class supplier relationship management and improvement.
• Innovation Pipeline & NPI Support: Act as the key interface between sourcing and regional RD&I teams to optimize supplier innovation and support new product introduction.
• Cost Reduction & Procurement Excellence: Drive a pipeline of total cost of ownership reduction projects and implement procurement excellence within the category.
• Market Expertise & Risk Management: Maintain expertise in global raw material markets, translating market developments into new opportunities, and manage supply risks.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Represent the global category in cross-functional forums and programs, including IBP, NPI, and regional procurement programs.
• Delegation & Leadership: Delegate local and tail spend management to regional procurement specialists, while maintaining full accountability.

Collaboration With:

• Regional Procurement Directors
• Business Units’ Regional RD&I Managers
• Regional PMO / CI Leaders
• Category Analysts

• Category Minerals LeadersSenior/Top Management of Key Suppliers

Level of Autonomy:

• Decision-Making Authority: Independently negotiate and contract with all suppliers in the category on behalf of AkzoNobel.
• Strategic Planning: Develop and align strategic plans with critical stakeholders, delegating local spend management as necessary.