Procurement category manager

Location: Leeds ICD

Are you ambitious, driven, and looking to make a significant impact in a fast-changing environment, where you will take lead to ensure sourcing or production equipment is to our dairies is optimized and cost competitive? And, do you know how to set strategic direction for a designated sourcing category related to production equipment, to maintain a compliant and relevant supplier portfolio?

"You will join a team of procurement colleagues, whom are passionate to ensure that they supplier base availably for production equipment is not just capable to deliver to quality and standards fit for future, they are also dedicated to ensure healthy competition in sourcing projects. Together with key stakeholders, we define the required sourcing strategy ahead and we aim to manage supplier relations accordingly.”

Says Procurement Senior Director Ninna Normand Helles.

Being based in our UK head office in Leeds, you will act as a sourcing business partner to the UK sites and build a strong collaboration with colleagues at sites as well as our global in Engineering & Technology team. You will take sourcing lead in projects for Capex projects and ensure competitive and timely sourcing of production equipment to UK sites.

How You Will Make an Impact

Your main responsibility is to take souring lead of capex projects at sites in the UK. You will ensure to define the sourcing plan, align with the project team, ensure a competitive sourcing process and evaluate and recommend supplier rewarding. You will navigate in a matrix organization and work closely with key stakeholders in your own team as well as across other team, to ensure success.

You will take ownership of a designated sourcing category within production equipment, where you are expected to define, execute and mature the category strategies. This includes ensuring a competitive and compliant portfolio of suppliers, which can deliver specific types of production equipment in all relevant markets.

Successfully navigating the complexity of your sourcing projects as well as your designated sourcing category, your key responsibilities will include:

* Define and drive the category sourcing strategy, ensuring strong commitment and engagement from key stakeholders.

* lead and execute sourcing processes and negotiations., managing high‑complexity tenders to ensure objective supplier evaluation and competitive outcomes.

* Maintain a compliant, competitive, and relevant supplier portfolio that meets business demand and promotes effective competition.

* Build, lead, and sustain strong, long‑term supplier relationships, fostering collaboration and continuous value creation.

* Partner closely with internal stakeholders to ensure successful, timely, and competitive execution of sourcing projects and complex tender packages.

In terms of travel, you can expect approximately 20-30 days per year to visit suppliers and Arla dairies at various locations in Europe. This travel will enable you to strengthen relationships and gain valuable insights.

What Will Make You Successful

Your qualifications include at least 5 years of experience in a similar role. Your innate project management mindset, coupled with strong analytical skills, allows you to seamlessly transition from a high-level strategic view to execution and diving deep for valuable insights. You excel in business partnering, building positive relationships, and effectively managing stakeholders at all levels of the organization. Your thoughtful communication and flexible project management ensure smooth and efficient processes.

Having a good understanding of complex negotiations, contracts, and the commercial and strategic aspects behind them is equally important in this role. Your experience includes:

* You bring at least 5 years of extensive experience in strategic sourcing.

* You already poses profound experience as sourcing lead of complex tender projects and negotiations.

* You are an experienced Category Management and know how to set and drive a category strategy, and how to establish a compliant and relevant supplier portfolio for your category, preferably within production equipment.

* You have a good technical…