Associate Manager - Procurement at British American Tobacco

Job Number:  19716
Location: Lagos
Function: Operations
Level: Experienced Professional
Appointment Type: Permanent

Details

• BAT prides itself as a World-Wide Leader in Procurement. In order to maintain our continued drive for excellence and to deliver our business objectives a new operating model for the procurement function was designed. The end market account management role plays a crucial part in the delivery of benefits at the end market level.
• The WAA Procurement Business Manager acts as the Voice of the Business Customer within procurement and the voice of procurement across the area. Through their strong relationship with the end markets, the WAA Procurement Business Manager plays an important role in the provision of data for category strategy development and in the implementation of global category strategies.

Principal Accountabilities
Business:

• To manage the customer relationship and all aspects of procurement related customer service for WAA.
• To understand customer/business unit requirements including their business goals, targets, initiatives, directions and supplier performance requirements for WAA.
• To manage the local customer relationship for those categories being managed at end market level, shaping demand and compliance where appropriate.
• To deliver end market contracts in conjunction with the Legal function.
• To ensure all contracts are agreed with the relevant business owner.
• To collate all relevant end market business unit procurement requirements, providing the necessary information to ensure robust planning, budget and target setting. 

Leadership:

• To own the relationship between procurement and its customers at end market level.
• To challenge demand and requirements and manage customer expectations to ensure compliance and drive continuous improvement.
• To communicate appropriate supply chain and procurement messages regarding strategies, process and policies to customers, to ensure compliance and engender a common understanding of each other’s goals and targets.
• Responsible for approving supplier selection for categories managed at an end market level.

Management:

• Responsible for implementing global category strategies and sourcing plans at end market level.
• To ensure the business across the whole of WAA is compliant with procurement policy and actively manage any compliance issues.
• To use a consistent approach using the agreed global policies, standards and platforms in all day to day tasks. This may include developing internal SLA’s and monitoring against this performance.
• To mitigate BAT’s exposure to service delivery and commercial risk through the delivery of robust endmarket contracts and the management of the business relationship.
• To identify the correct route for the resolution of contractual performance issues and manages their resolution.
• To coach and develop direct reports and to ensure they have personal development plans in place.
• To manage relationships with the procurement support team which include transactional procurement team, legal executive, contract administration support, warehouse supervisor, customs supervisor.

Innovation:

• To determine the scope, scale and impact of any new products or services required by the customer.
• To communicate these requirements to the relevant Category Manager where appropriate or to amend end market strategies and contracts as required to meet the customer needs.
• To communicate to the customer any new and innovative developments highlighted through Procurement stakeholders (e.g. by the WAA & ECA Procurement Business Manager) and relay any feedback on the use or development of these new products or services back to procurement for further action.

Main Requirements

• Fluency in English is considered a must, while fluency in French is considered a very big plus.
• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in a related field.
• 3-6 years of experience in sourcing and/or account management.
• Good influencing and facilitation skills to act as the interface between end market business units and procurement balancing the optimum delivery of customer requirements with the need to adhere to a global approach.
• Experienced in the sourcing process including negotiation and contracts placement.
• Understanding of financial evaluation and interpretation of supplier’s records and their key cost and business drivers.
• Experience in managing projects, especially to execute category and sourcing strategies at end market level.
• Sound knowledge of corporate regulations and local legislation to ensure the creation of effective commercial contracts.
• Knowledge of the procurement processes, platforms and policies.