1st Executive are retained by a global automotive manufacturing business, at the forefront of some major new product developments and initiatives in the industry. They require a pro-active, passionate and entrepreneurial procurement lead to lead both sourcing and strategy development on a number of direct and indirect spend projects.

A truly excellent opportunity, given someone the chance to design, build and execute international procurement strategy from the ground up, with a household industry name.

Key Accountabilities:

Category & Sourcing Execution

• Development of the category strategy across a wide variety of both direct and indirect spend areas.
• Conduct appropriate supply market analysis to establish rigorous, 'future proofed' supply networks - which may also include the use of parent/subsidiary company expertise.
• Development of a robust category and sub-category strategy to support the supply chain to serve the pre-production activity.
• Build out a procurement plan which includes all product componentry, product development & testing services, any associated ancillary services, products or activities including filling, packaging, logistics and storage requirements.
• Drive rigorous supplier selection, negotiation, contracting and performance management through strong cost and value analysis, and the use of e-enabled tools where appropriate including post award contract management.
• Ensure all sourcing arrangements are fully compliant to company processes and all corporate, social, environmental and financial risks must be observed, and requirements such as authority to commit are fully implemented.
• Integrate suppliers, supporting the implementation of new contracts and ensuring efficient change process, and execute roll out of new suppliers and switch out.
• Provide the necessary levels of project management and coordination to manage all procurement activities.
• Take the lead on all procurement activity in the initial setting up and establishment of all Supply chain activities including supply into UK oprations, and 'future proofing' of supply chains which will shift globally post the initial launch of products.

Business relationship

• Communicate with senior business stakeholders to ensure procurement objectives are aligned with business objectives.
• Work closely with the product technical and quality engineering teams to bring procurement and 'supplier know-how' / value engineering expertise to continuously improve product design, optimise the manufacturing flow and help manage production costs.
• Leverage and collaborate with other company Procurement teams to deliver value to the product.
• Support the product plan for 2018.

Required Experience:

• Direct & Indirect Procurement experience in the automotive manufacturing industry is essential.
• Ability to converse with technical automotive industry professionals on subjects relating to production environments. These may include prototype/pre-production development, and experience in converting from conception to mass production including CAD systems is highly desirable.
• Demonstrable experience in procurement is essential with experience of setting up complex supply chains, ideally across a wide variety of both direct and indirect spend areas.
• Experience of negotiating with suppliers and developing or writing complex contracts, negotiating and drafting to ensure liability and warranty.
• Understanding of Prototype/NPI/Component development.
• Proven experience of developing and executing complex category strategies.
• Vendor management across, local, regional and international basis.
• Self-starter with the ability to deal with strategic requirements as well as tactical and be able to converse with all levels of business and supplier stakeholders.

Desirable Requirements:

• Engineering and/or production equipment/services category experience.
• Experience in Supply Chain and Business/Stakeholder Management.
• Worked within a team to get to mass production/CAD level 4 from initial concept.
• Experience of working independently and/or with a remote manager.