Market Category Specialist - Beer Raw Materials

Job Description

Market Category Specialist - Beer Raw Materials

Location: St James Gate, Dublin

Contract: 12 Month Fixed Term Contract

Closing Date: 19th March 2026

Join our Procurement Team! As the custodians of iconic brands such as Baileys, Guinness, Smirnoff, and Johnnie Walker, Diageo sources, produces and delivers 6.5 billion litres of world‑leading products every year across 180 markets globally. The commercial challenges here are large, diverse and endlessly fascinating. Never more so than in Procurement. As an organisation we spend over £5 billion per year. Our Procurement teams make a far‑reaching contribution to our business, productivity and growth goals – right across the globe.

Premium quality and end‑to‑end, sustainable value are how we measure our success – across services, partnerships and products. We always want to be the best and, along with engaging the best talent to work with the best products, this is how we attempt to do it. Ultimately, this is about people as much as numbers. We build great relationships internally and externally – so we understand our needs and how to meet them.

Every time. Join us in Procurement and, if you’re driven, resilient and share our pioneering spirit, there’s a world of opportunity here for you.

We have a great opportunity for an ambitious and high‑performing professional to help shape Diageo’s beer supply chain – creating value, safeguarding quality, and driving strategic impact within the raw materials category. As a key member of the Procurement team, you’ll gain significant exposure to senior leaders across the beer category, offering an excellent platform for both career progression and meaningful influence.

As a Beer Raw Materials Procurement Specialist, you will play a pivotal role in managing the raw materials supply chain during an exciting era for the Guinness brand. You’ll lead strategic sourcing for beer ingredients, unlocking substantial value, mitigating risk, and strengthening supply chain resilience. Acting as the primary procurement partner for St James’s Gate and Little Connel breweries, you will ensure their future needs are fully embedded in your plans and decisions.

You will be at the forefront of change across Supply Categories – whether qualifying new suppliers, leading business continuity projects, securing supply for critical materials, or managing high‑value suppliers essential to the success of the beer category.

• Strategic Sourcing & Category Leadership
  • Develop and execute robust, forward‑looking procurement implementation plans, contributing to the evolution of global category strategies for raw materials.
  • Proactively identify opportunities to deliver productivity gains and significant cost savings using sharp insights from both within and beyond the organisation.
  • Oversee the annual malting barley harvest in Ireland and ensure successful delivery against existing contractual obligations.
• Decarbonisation Roadmap Execution
  • Partner closely with the Grain‑to‑Glass (G2G) and Global Procurement teams to support the regenerative agriculture strategy, ensuring alignment and effective implementation at supply level.
• Cross‑Functional & Senior Stakeholder Partnering
  • Build and maintain influential relationships with key stakeholders across Planning, Sustainability, Finance, Manufacturing, and Legal teams within the beer category.
  • Drive the seamless integration of Procurement initiatives across the business, ensuring brilliant execution and securing the resources necessary to maximise impact.
  • Navigate complex stakeholder environments, securing buy‑in for strategic and operational initiatives and presenting compelling business cases to senior leaders.
• Commercial & Financial Foresight
  • Apply strong analytical and cost‑modelling skills to develop best‑in‑class sourcing strategies and negotiation approaches that deliver outstanding commercial outcomes.
  • Lead negotiations with external partners within a tightly regulated industry, delivering mutually beneficial agreements while continually seeking added value for Diageo.
  • Maintain strong financial acumen to ensure end‑to‑end value creation and delivery.
• Supplier &…