Category Manager West Africa at DHL

JOB DESCRIPTION

As part of the Sub-Sahara Africa Procurement team, you will contribute value to the business by managing all procurement activities in Sub-Sahara Africa, by ensuring satisfaction of your Business Partners through development of ‘best in class’ procurement sourcing strategies and delivery of robust cost savings.

We are therefore looking to recruit a Category Manager based in Lagos, Nigeria.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Develop and maintain thorough knowledge of relevant supply markets;
• Establish close contact with business units to ensure actual and future knowledge of internal demand and service quality;
• Manage and achieve benefits in the category, ensuring transparency of costs to track benefits;
• Implement corporate or regional sourcing strategies;
• Develop and deliver local category specific procurement strategies and initiatives;
• Anticipate organisational and market evolution and adapt sourcing strategies according to changes;
• Prepare and lead supplier negotiations;
• Ensure effective implementation and roll-out of corporate and regional contracts in cooperation with corporate and regional category managers;
• Conduct supplier management according to corporate standards and provide feedback concerning suppliers to corporate category managers/head of procurement country/sub-region/ procurement manager;
• Identify and develop new capable best in class suppliers in cooperation with corporate category managers/head of procurement country/sub-region/ procurement manager;
• Track category specific project progress and benefits and report according to corporate performance management requirements and tools;
• Seek actively cross-border initiatives;
• Ensure that global DPDHL visions and values are both understood and applied within the procurement organization;
• Contribute to the cooperation between region/country and corporate sourcing;
• Communication and management of organisational change.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE:

• Thorough understanding of procurement practices and procedures and commercial law, preferably category specific;
• University degree (preferably in business administration, finance, engineering, marketing & sales) or equivalent experience;
• Education in supply chain management would be advantageous;
• 3 years of experience in international business working in cross functional teams; 
• 3-5 years of work experience in procurement; 
• Proven experience of successfully negotiating complex, high value projects;
• Project management experience would be helpful;
• Fluency in English (verbal and written) is essential to cooperate with regional business units; German language skills would be advantageous; 
• Personal computer software application skills.

PERSONAL SKILLS:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills:
  • Ability to communicate complex issues in a clear and simple way
  • Ability to deal with ambiguous situations and different interests;
  • Ability to develop and establish solid and trustworthy relationships;
  • Ability to influence senior levels internally and externally.
• Good communication and coordination skills to manage relationships with country stakeholders and within corporate procurement;
• Capable to think in market mechanisms and dynamics and the ability to act upon them;
• Excellent analytical skills, logical approach to complex matters and ability of strategic thinking and planning;
• Process- and result-oriented, problem solving, decision and execution focused Understanding of intercultural differences;
• Loyalty to DPDPHL values, guiding principles and policies and personal integrity; 
• Willingness to travel and work globally.

YOUR APPLICATION:

To be considered for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter in English via the 'Apply' button.