Procurement Sr. Specialist - Professional Services at Kimberly-Clark Corporation in neenah, Wisconsin

Job Description:

Procurement Sr. Specialist - Professional Services

Job Description

Job Summary:

At Kimberly-Clark we spend hundreds of millions of dollars with suppliers every year. Our sourcing team ensures we have strong relationships with internal stakeholders so that we understand the business needs and develop effective category sourcing strategies that drive value, so that Kimberly-Clark can continue to invest in innovative new products and customer relationships.

The Procurement Senior Specialist is responsible for leading commodity sourcing for assigned category/categories in support of KCNA to achieve variable cost productivity, working capital, and business financial goals. Develop and follow a robust category strategy. Lead the supplier selection, development, and overall supplier management, including managing the entire contract life cycle from request for proposal (RFP) to supplier exit utilizing a structured strategic sourcing process.

Customers and Customer Expectations:

Broad base of customers that could include: Global Procurement team, business management, finance, A/P, receiving, ITS, transportation, operations, R&D, internal control, marketing, planning, engineering, staff locations, mill sites or other personnel involved in the implementation of business strategies where sourcing plays a role.  

Customer Expectations:

• Fully knowledgeable in the Professional Services Commodity.




• Develops robust strategies based on this knowledge.




• Serve as a thought leader to the rest of the organization for the strategic sourcing of the category.




• Be available as a resource for global counterparts.




• Provide timely execution of earlier supplier selection into the product development cycle.




• Procure assigned services which provide the best overall value to KC.




• Develop pricing agreements and systems contracts with suppliers.




• Knowledgeable of market conditions for goods/services purchases.




• Work in conjunction with business units and suppliers to identify continuous improvement opportunities as services are strategically sourced.




• Lead formal supplier performance management reviews, where applicable.




• Communication of category strategy and status to senior management to ensure alignment.




• Manage through a commodity, service or inventory crisis.

Scope:

The incumbent typically reports to a Director or a Manager within Procurement and is responsible for managing assigned commodities, suppliers, and purchases to meet customer needs. Utilizing a structured sourcing process you will handle medium to high dollar category sourcing and contract negotiations. In other cases, you will dissect the requirements communicated by the business and express the elements in familiar “category” terms so we can benefit from the value available in a competitive marketplace.

Dimensions:

• Regional and/or Global annual purchases across multiple business units.




• Value of purchases up to $100 million.

Responsibilities:

• Develops a thorough strategic plan to drive value for their category based on an understanding of business unit needs, the supply market, spend baseline and evolution and benchmarking. Effectively document, communicate and gain buy-in for the strategy.




• Research, select, develop and maintain adequate sources of supply to ensure that the requirements of the category are met with the optimum quality, service and cost to use.




• Ability to successfully reach business objectives through supplier negotiations. Analyzes market and supply dynamics related to supplier proposals to develop a matrix of negotiation scenarios. Engages business leaders to align on acceptable negotiation outcomes.  Develops counterarguments, opening positions, and plan for executing negotiations.




• Leads the development of risk analyses, assessments and mitigation plans for their category. Manage our supplier network for assigned commodities to provide sufficient materials and services to meet our highest short-range requirements, protect against temporary supply interruptions and provide for our long-range growth needs.  Develop and execute a plan to quickly and effectively manage a supply interruption. 




• Interacts with business units to develop, engage and lead supplier relationships for extracting the greatest value in cost, security of supply, risk management, sustainability and innovation. Manage the ongoing performance of our suppliers including objective setting and supplier evaluations where warranted.




• Comprehend and provide constructive input on legal contract documents related to purchasing terms, conditions, indemnification, intellectual property ownership, etc.




• Knowledgeable about the markets and how they affect price, availability, or supply chain logistics. Will use specific market analysis to predict behavior and supply risks to the organization. Will adjust strategy to minimize effect of market change.  May provide market analysis to customers and advice to others within procurement.




• Forecast timely price and availability information on assigned commodities for the various consuming businesses and communicate this information to appropriate personnel in the company so it is properly integrated into business strategy and decision-making.




• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of corporate policies and procedures, as well as related governmental laws and regulations to ensure purchasing activities are conducted within the parameters of each.




• Contribute to an environment in which all team members are respected regardless of their individual differences and are motivated to improve both their individual and team contributions to achieve desired business results.




• Communicate fully with superiors, subordinates and others who have need to know.  Be informative without being obtrusive or vexatious. Communicate in a way that is timely, yet prompt; complete, yet concise; candid, yet accurate; and clear, yet responsive

Qualifications:

• A Bachelor's degree in business, engineering or related discipline.




• 5-10 years of relevant experience and a subject matter expert in an applicable category to achieve business needs.




• Mill/ staff experience with multiple sectors/ businesses. 




• Operates with limited business direction.  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience or relevant industry knowledge in the professional services category.




• Experience in procuring services.




• Strong quantitative and data analysis skills.




• Strong project management and process improvement skills.




• Strong communication and presentation skills.




• Strong interpersonal skills.




• Problem solving experience in reducing total costs and improving processes.




• Six Sigma and Lean training.




• Purchasing system experience (e.g. Ariba, SAP, Oracle).

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people - nearly a quarter of the world's population - trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene, and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds No.1 or No. 2 share positions in more than 80 countries. With more than 140 years of history of innovation, we believe in recruiting the best people and empowering them do their best work.  If fresh thinking and a passion to win inspire you, come Unleash Your Power at Kimberly-Clark. 

For Kimberly-Clark to grow and prosper, we must be an inclusive organization that applies the diverse experiences and passions of its team members to brands that make life better for people all around the world.  We actively seek to build a workforce that reflects the experiences of our consumers.  When you bring your original thinking to Kimberly-Clark, you fuel the continued success of our enterprise. We are a committed equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position.

This position may require a post-offer/pre-hire Physical Abilities Test (PAT) to confirm that individuals are able to perform the essential functions of the job.

K-C requires that an employee have authorization to work in the country in which the role is based.  In the event an applicant does not have current work authorization, K-C will determine, in its sole discretion, whether to sponsor an individual for work authorization.  However, based on immigration requirements, not all roles are suitable for sponsorship. This position is subject to drug and alcohol testing, including pre-employment testing.

Global VISA and Relocation Specifications:

This role is available for local candidates already authorized to work in the role’s country only. K-C will not provide relocation support for this role.

Primary Location

USA-WI-Neenah

Additional Locations

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time

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