Head of Commodities

£60000 + up to 25% bonus + Car Allowance £6120, Pension Scheme, 25 days Holiday, Subsidised Healthcare, Excellent Benefits

This multinational company designs and manufactures a range of high technology engineering systems for the aerospace and defence sectors. They operate successfully across European markets and are in the process of building a global presence.

The Job

An opportunity exists for a senior purchasing strategist with international mechanical engineering procurement experience to fulfil a key role overseeing the mechanical engineering category within this large organisation. Reporting to the Procurement Director you will have the following overall objectives and responsibilities;

• Annual Commodity Spend: circa €120M
• Develop market knowledge of the Mechanical Domain both in Europe and in countries on other continents
• Interface with the international internal stakeholders on all Procurement matters jointly developing, planning and implementing category strategies based on market knowledge and company requirements
• Define the suppliers to be used in the chosen countries with the type of relationships to be developed
• Lead the implementation of those strategies in both international and national environments both within the Procurement and stakeholder communities
• Lead the strategic direction of the buying community for the Mechanical domain of activity in France, UK and Italy ensuring strategies are followed
• Drive standardisation and commonality of what is to be bought
• Drive down the costs of what is bought from the supplier base
• Drive the Optimisation of the supply base - reduction in the number of suppliers with concentration on fewer better performing suppliers
• Lead key negotiations, agreement of Contracts and Frame Agreements
• Interface with shareholder companies to realise mutual benefit from the activities of the domain
• To continue to develop Low Cost Country activities in the Mechanical Domain
Reporting: One of seven first reports to the Commodities Procurement Director, you will have responsibility for a small group of International Commodity Managers leading multi-functional teams (indirectly leading c.50 people in multi-functional teams)
Travel: role will require 2 to 3 foreign trips per month with duration of c. 2 -3 days per trip.

The Candidate

The ideal candidate should have a good mix of the following skills and experience;
• Purchasing Management experience
• Procurement professional educated to degree level ideally.
• Good understanding of Mechanical Engineering (qualification desirable)
• Experienced people management skills in a multicultural, pan European organisation
• Results driven individual with good leadership and analytical skills
• Advanced influencing, negotiation and interpersonal skills
• Excellent process and change management skills
• Good knowledge of the supply base and technologies on offer in the domain
• Extensive knowledge and experience on a broad range of Commercial issues including Contract and Terms and Conditions (working knowledge of at least one of the following English law, Italian law, French law).
• Fluent in the English language. Additional language skills desirable (French, Italian and German)
For office use only; For office use only: Hertfordshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Milton Keynes, Hatfield, St Albans, Luton, Bedford, Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford, Hitchin, Hemel Hempstead, Cambridge, Stevenage, Head of Purchasing, Chief Buyer, Procurement Director, Purchasing Director, Head of Procurement.