Global Procurement Director - Food Category

Job Introduction

We have a unique and exciting opportunity to join our Global Supply Management centre of excellence as a Global Category Director within the Food category. You’ll lead cross functional sourcing teams with joint accountability for technical and quality performance and report into the VP for Global Supply Management (Food & Retail).

Responsible for designing and implementing category strategies to significantly improve the commercial performance at a group and regional level whilst maintaining continuity, compliance to company policy and mitigating risk. You’ll actively engage and collaborate with all regions across the organisation to develop category strategies with a global approach and build a strong network within the Supply Management organisation and with key stakeholders. You’ll take into consideration geographical differences and business needs in a diverse and international environment. Leading complex and lengthy initiatives you will be capable of keeping momentum and achieving high quality and performance outcomes for our business.

Once it’s safe to do so you will spend some of your time travelling to key regions within Europe, USA, APAC and LATAM and therefore flexibility to travel will be essential for this position.

This will be an exciting opportunity which will allow you to challenge yourself professionally whilst continuing to develop in a well-supported and structured environment with huge future career potential.  

Role Responsibility

• Manage Global categories and develop Global category plans which meet our commercial targets and quality requirements whilst ensuring our CSR commitments are fully achieved.
• Establish a close partnership with the Global Food Platform and agree on priorities
• Develop close relationships with the Supply Management Region Heads and develop a robust and active network of buyers in order to develop international sourcing initiatives across the regions
• Ensure a good alignment and on boarding of the key stakeholders within our Food platforms
• Improve Group profitability by optimising international agreements with global suppliers
• Negotiate international agreements and expand international coverage
• Generate savings and increase international revenues and implement and monitor KPI’s to measure progress
• Set up, initiate and maintain professional relationships with the Global Suppliers network in order to reinforce the image and the credibility of Sodexo and identify the technological developments and innovations from the supplier base
• Working with Supply Management finance teams to ensure robust reporting and measurement of the Global Supply Management performance
• Propose the organisational changes according to the expansion of coverage
• Lead and develop teams to significantly increase our international Sourcing capabilities for food categories

The Ideal Candidate

• Extensive and proven experience in a senior Supply Management / Procurement position including international exposure and collaboration
• Team leadership and people management skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a global structure
• Experience of Food/Retail buying would be an advantage.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills with a proven track records in complex international contract negotiation
• CIPS/ISM or equivalent qualification
• Able to work in a multi-cultural and matrix environment
• Financial acumen and result orientated
• Previous experience managing Supply Management projects and the skills to manage transformational programmes
• Business language is English but French / Spanish language would be a huge advantage.

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs some 36,000 employees to deliver integrated facilities management services to clients at over 2,000 locations in the energy, corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, defence and justice sectors. With an annual turnover of over £1bn, we provide everything from catering, cleaning and reception to security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling our clients to focus on their core business

At Sodexo we are committed to a leading role in promoting equality opportunities and valuing diversity and inclusion. We seek to create a work environment based on mutual respect for all individuals, building a culture that appreciates and values the experiences and skills brought by each person to benefit our organisation and work hard to ensure that all people, whatever their age, disability, gender, transgender, marital or family status, race or ethnicity, religious belief of sexual orientation are welcome to and included within our business. We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process