North America Direct Materials Sr. Category Manager

Hello. We’re Haleon. A new world-leading consumer health company. Shaped by all who join us. Together, we’re improving everyday health for billions of people. By growing and innovating our global portfolio of category-leading brands – including Sensodyne, Panadol, Advil, Voltaren, Theraflu, Otrivin, and Centrum – through a unique combination of deep human understanding and trusted science. What’s more, we’re achieving it in a company that we’re in control of. In an environment that we’re co-creating. And a culture that’s uniquely ours. Care to join us. It isn’t a question.

This is an exciting time to join us and help shape the future. It’s an opportunity to be part of something special.

As the North America Direct Materials Sr. Category Manager, you will manage some of Haleon’s key supplier relationships, overseeing a spend of £20m - £30m on Direct materials in North America. You will be accountable for identifying and delivering business benefits aligned with cost reduction, cash improvement, assurance of supply, quality, service, sustainability, and innovation. The role will also require serving as the main procurement site point of contact for 2 of the 5 North America Manufacturing sites. This is a fantastic opportunity to challenge yourself in a vibrant team, requiring you to display your commercial and financial aptitude.

This role will provide YOU the opportunity to lead key activities to progress YOUR career.  These responsibilities include some of the following:

Strategy Creation & Execution:

• Develop, manage, and implement comprehensive category strategies in alignment with regional and global business requirements to achieve cost and cash savings targets that significantly impact Haleon’s financial results.
• Create supply strategies that meet key business requirements, including assurance of supply, quality, regulatory compliance, service, sustainability, and innovation.
• Lead the category agenda in relevant supply chain and brand-focused forums.
• Continuously enhance processes and performance within the category and supply base.
• Serve as the regional expert in the spend categories within your scope of responsibility.
• Drive competitive intelligence by exploring and sharing new technologies and innovative packaging formats or raw materials that could benefit and differentiate Haleon products.

Benefit Delivery:

• Achieve regional savings benefits identified in strategies through effective execution.
• Drive initiatives to improve Haleon’s cash flow position, including lead time improvements, MOQ negotiations, inventory reduction agreements, and payment terms extensions.
• Implement initiatives and programs to improve the quality of bought-in goods and services.
• Protect Haleon revenue streams by managing supply security through robust risk management processes, including developing and implementing risk mitigation strategies.
• Ensure regulatory compliance.
• Ensure suppliers effectively manage all identified enterprise risks, particularly Haleon’s safety, health, and environmental requirements.
• Resolve major supply base issues, such as recalls or sudden cessation of supply.
• Resolve major legal disputes, such as compensation claims.
• Develop and improve robust and innovative procurement tools, such as should-cost models and optimized supply replenishment models, to identify and deliver incremental savings.
• Promote sustainable solutions in the market and transform the category into recyclable and sustainable materials.
• Drive the transition to recycled content through the use of mechanically or chemically recycled plastics, where applicable.
• Reduce the carbon footprint to industry best practice levels.

Business Partnering & Stakeholder Management in Haleon:

• Strategically engage with and understand the business requirements of stakeholders and business partners to position the Procurement value proposition at local and regional levels.
• Establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders; agree on RACIs/DAI and business requirements.
• Develop a deep understanding of Haleon brands.

External Supplier Relationships:

• Build strategic relationships with key suppliers at a senior level and lead processes to ensure value is driven from these relationships. Ensure global, regional, and local considerations are accounted for in supplier relationships.
• Negotiate, create, execute, and manage effective regional contracts with suppliers (where required) to maximize opportunities for Haleon. Ensure regional (and global) considerations are considered in supplier negotiations and contracts.
• Perform regional strategy and