LOCAL CATEGORY MANAGER

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LOCAL PROCUREMENT CATEGORY MANAGER

Marketing and Professional Business Services

City: Woking

Department: Procurement

Type of contract: Permanent - Full-Time

Hybrid Working: 3 days Woking office, 2 days remote office

Asahi UK (AUK), part of Asahi Europe & International Ltd, claims to enrich consumer experiences through innovation, high-quality service and an exceptional portfolio of premium beer, ale and cider brands including, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Asahi Super Dry, Meantime, Fuller's London Pride and Cornish Orchards. Our aim is to be the leading super premium beer business in the UK, through a brand mix that creates a compelling proposition. At AUK we operate as an end-to-end business unit responsible for sales, marketing, customer operations, production, supply chain and wholesale operations in the UK & Ireland. For further information, visit www.asahibeer.co.uk

Asahi Europe & International is a subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings Ltd, a global beverage and food company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Japan. Employing > 12,000 people, Asahi Europe & International is the custodian for leading super premium lager brands Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Grolsch, Asahi Super Dry, plus international Czech lager brands, Pilsner Urquell and Kozel. The business has world-class brewing and production facilities in 8 markets - UK, NL, ITL, PL, CZ, SK, HU, RO. In most of these markets, we are the leading brewer with full portfolio of famous brands. Commercial operations in other parts of Europe, USA, Canada, LatAm, Africa and Asia are served through our global distribution network. With state-of-the-art facilities, some of the best brewers in the world, quality ingredients, and a culture based on innovation and collaboration, Asahi offers the best quality of beer to beer lovers worldwide. More information can be found at www.asahiinternational.com

Functional overview

The purpose of Asahi Procurement is to safeguard the existing value and to unlock new sources of sustainable value for Asahi, our customers, and the planet. This is done through partnering with Asahi business stakeholders and a high-performing supplier network.

Procurement capabilities are designed to improve product and service quality, mitigate risks, drive total cost of ownership and infuse top-line growth for Asahi local businesses.

AEI Procurement is aspiring to be a partner of choice for internal clients as well as for external suppliers; trusted for being an inspirational business advocate, connecting people and driving a sustainable procurement value, while aiming to achieve operational and transactional excellence to ensure business continuity.

Excellence in Procurement is achieved through establishing strong partnership for strategic internal and external cooperation, acting innovatively and in an agile manner responding to disruptions and challenges influencing the business. Independently whether Procurement people are based in Prague, Bucharest, Warsaw or any other location, there is a one direction approach used to maximize value delivery in consistent way.

Cost and Net Working Capital efficiency are equally important as a proactive risk management is. The aspiration for continuity, sustainability and circular economy is reflected in all of Procurements activities. Moreover, Procurement employees are not only experts in their categories, but also ambassadors for corporate social responsibility. Following the company`s principles, Procurement thinks globally and acts locally.

Roles and Responsibilities

The UK beer market is highly competitive and Asahi makes considerable investments in Marketing and Professional Services to maintain its' position. As a local category manager your role shall be to directly manage c.£45m of UK specific spend and further support our regional and global teams as they provide Procurement support on regional and global marketing and professional service sourcing activities; total spend c.£75m.

In this role, we seek a candidate exhibiting the following competencies:

Category Management

• Able to:
  • Conduct advanced spend/demand analysis and can summarize findings in clear and easy-to-understand methods (e.g., visualization with observations and conclusions).
  • Evaluate the competitive landscape and supply market using multiple sources of external data and insights to further support my strategy, including supplier strategic priorities and the impact on my category.
  • Identify advanced value identification levers (e.g., process optimization, should-cost analysis, verticalization, design to value) to drive value and have an advanced value pipeline for the coming 3-5 years.
  • Successfully challenge specifications and service levels with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
  • Leverage the stakeholder base to build aligned value initiatives through workshops or other means.

Strategic Sourcing and Contracting

• Able to:
  • Use Ariba or similar source to contract tools for all sourcing processes, including e-auctions.
  • Create detailed and accurate sourcing documents for suppliers.
  • Implement optimal strategic sourcing strategies for key suppliers and subcategories of spend within the marketing and professional business services categories.
  • Align strategic sourcing approaches with regionally and globally defined category strategies.
  • Lead teams to evaluate supplier responses, including non-conforming proposals.
  • Develop and implement complex negotiation strategies, maximizing outcomes for Asahi while aiming for win-win results.
  • Review and negotiate supplier conteract feedback independently and with legal input.
  • Build detailed project plans and conduct regular stakeholder meetings to ensure alignment and communicate risks and opportunities.
  • Understand the contracting process and key contractual clauses, interpreting them in a commercial context and discussing them with stakeholders/legal.
  • Manage contracts post-signature, explaining stakeholder roles and responsibilities, drafting and tailoring contracts to business needs, tracking supplier performance, and initiating actions for deviations.

Stakeholder and Supplier Management

• Able to:
  • Display professional credibility and confidence to enable strong relationships with senior stakeholders.
  • Evaluate tactical issues and can manage appropriate resolution to these in a suitable timeframe.
  • Can anticipate potential issues and put plans in place to mitigate or manage those issues.
  • Intentionally maintain and develop a network of internal and external contacts to support in the delivery of business objectives.
  • Focus predominantly on long-term objectives of relationships and am proactive vs. reactive.
  • Evaluate supplier relationships based on the value that they can bring to our business and foster those that have the potential to drive incremental value and can influence the long-term objectives of our business.

Risk Management and Governance

• Able to:
  • Implement and coach others in key Procurement processes and policies.
  • Manage key risks in Procurement when making decisions.
  • Ensure delivery of required governance reporting.
  • Inspire peers to avoid shadow procurement.
  • Motivate stakeholders to engage Procurement and avoid shadow procurement.
  • Explain the interaction between risks and their impact on my work.
  • Analyze factors that could negatively impact the business.
  • Collaborate to understand risks, influencing factors, and triggers.
  • Define, install, and adjust risk mitigation actions.
  • Assess risks, reevaluate threats, and adjust mitigation actions, informing stakeholders of new risks.
  • Understand the impact of financial risks on budgets and can quantify the effect of price changes on total spend.

Sustainability, Supplier Innovation and Value Creation

• Able to:
  • Integrate Sustainability into sourcing strategies and understand its impacts, including ways to mitigate future negative environmental effects.
  • Incorporate Responsible Procurement and Human Rights due diligence in all supplier engagements.
  • Drive Sustainability and innovation initiatives through supplier engagements and internal forums.

Process Excellence

• Able to:
  • Influence process designs, ensuring that these are "fit for purpose" while keeping given structures and technologies in mind. Identify bottlenecks and support activities to streamline processes. Demonstrate a solid understanding of relevant procurement applications.
  • Systematically assess value generation by applying a consistent methodology of defining, analyzing, improving, and controlling current processes and structures. Design and implement solution-oriented concepts focusing on value creation, simplification, and transparency.

Asahi's Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We are committed to nurturing a workplace where we celebrate and respect difference, and support everyone to be true to who they are! At Asahi Europe and International we believe you can SHINE AS YOU ARE - no matter your age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We want to support you to be courageous in your individuality and to know that whoever you are and whatever your circumstances, you can belong with us without having to conform.