Senior Specialist Category Management Buyer - Corporate Services

Nestlé • Solon, OH

102d

About The Position

At Nestlé USA, we're all working towards the same goal - to delight and deliver for our consumers. With a rich portfolio of beloved brands, including DiGiorno, Toll House, and Coffee mate, in 97% of U.S. households, we have a unique opportunity - and responsibility - to be there for every moment in our consumers' lives. This role is responsible for owning the category relationship for the locally managed Total Rewards categories (HR Benefits, HR Consulting, Compensation, Retirement, Leave Management). You will serve as the key interface with the business across Nestlé in the USA. You are an expert of the category, setting the procurement strategy for spend areas in your scope and localizing any globally created strategies. This role identifies value-creation opportunities and leads cross-functional projects for the category, as well as supplier strategy, collaboration, and local relationship management with a focus on risk mitigation, innovation, sustainability, and DEI.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in applicable fields required
• 5+ years of knowledge of and experience with global procurement and sourcing processes, legal contract negotiations, and contract management systems preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including but not limited to CoPilot, PowerBi, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• SAP, Ariba, and Oscar experience preferred

Nice To Haves

• Interpersonal skills to effectively build relationships with and influence a dynamic and diverse set of stakeholders, including the ability to listen and understand differing perspectives
• Strategic mindset with quantitative, problem-solving, project management, and negotiation skills and a strong desire for progress and continuous improvement
• Proven ability to analyze and present findings in a clear and cohesive manner
• Adept at managing change and working through ambiguity to identify and drive to a solution, both independently and collaboratively with cross-functional teams
• Detail oriented and a self-starter, with demonstrated record of taking end-to-end ownership, leading through service, solving problems and learning from failures
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to liaise across boundaries and borders and influence with integrity

Responsibilities

• End-to-end management of assigned category/categories, development of at-market strategies, and coordination with suppliers
• Understand business requirements and challenges; including priorities, must win battles and key value drivers.
• Evaluate context and stakeholder objectives and decide focus areas; align procurement resources behind the strategy.
• Partner closely with key stakeholders to align on key metrics of the business
• Confirm business objectives, challenges, projects, requirements to influence strategic planning, policies and procedures.
• Provide the business compelling category & sourcing insights & strategies.
• Seek proactive feedback regarding sourcing activities to enable transformation and impact.
• Own and measure cost & process improvement targets & projects. Monitor & periodically reassess.
• Execute Nestlé's 7-Step Strategic Sourcing Process in the North American market, enabling value generation through sustainability, innovation, and cost improvements for Nestlé business units.
• Identify value creation opportunities by developing a deep understanding of each relevant business unit's requirements, challenges, and opportunities, and leveraging these insights to create and implement savings initiatives.
• Leverage opportunities to lower total cost of ownership or increase value to the business while ensuring supply.
• Assign initiative owners for category aligned spend initiatives; provide category expertise and help guide initiative savings execution and pull through.
• Use knowledge of global suppliers and processes to bring opportunities to the forefront.
• Benchmark against competitors and promote supplier-led innovation to unlock value.
• Use insights and trends to liaise strategically with the business, factories, and suppliers.
• Suggest improved ways of working, introducing new processes or re-engineering existing ones in support of key priorities.
• Recognize strategic drivers and activities that support key priorities, both within your category and across the organization.
• Leverage intelligence tools and participate in professional associations to learn best practices and industry trends; apply the learnings to the category strategies to drive continuous improvement.
• Comply with all Procurement and company policies, procedures, and practices, and promote adherence across the organization.
• Apply project management principles to drive cross-functional teams in effective and efficient delivery of business objectives for both day to day activities and key projects.

What This Job Offers

• Industry: Food Manufacturing
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree