Head of Direct Procurement

Head of Direct Procurement

Your Manager: Manufacturing Director

Team: Direct Procurement, Manufacturing

Location:  Kilmalid, Dumbarton

Be part of something big

We are Pernod Ricard, a leading company in the global wines and spirits industry with over 19,000 employees globally. We own 16 of the world’s top 100 Spirits Brands and hold one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry with 240 premium brands available in over 160 countries, including: Absolut vodka, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater, Malfy and Monkey 47 gins, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate and Campo Viejo wines.

Here in the UK

In the UK, Pernod Ricard is made up of 4 businesses:

• Chivas Brothers, the largest brand company in the Group, responsible for the production and management of our award-winning Scotch whisky portfolio
• Pernod Ricard UK, which markets, sells and distributes our products in the UK market
• Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail, the global and EMEA home of the group’s duty free, air travel and cruises business.
• The Absolut Group, the brand owner of our global white spirits portfolio, whose Gin brand unit and Business Acceleration team sit in London.

We are an organisation of 2,000 employees in the UK, headquartered in London, in a brand-new office designed with sustainability, ‘conviviality’ and collaboration in mind. We also have offices in Scotland and various distilleries and production sites across the UK from Plymouth to London to Speyside.

Your new team

This position sits in our Chivas Brothers business. At Chivas Brothers, our 1,600-strong team across 27 sites is committed to upholding the heritage of Scotch and ensuring its sustainable future, as well as opening it up to new audiences across the globe.

The scope of Operations stretches from Procurement through conversion (distillation and maturation) and manufacturing (or bottling) to all the downstream Supply Chain activities until the final product is delivered.  In addition, Operations play a very active role in Innovation, Talent Development and Operational Risk Management.

The Manufacturing Direct Procurement team are based in Dumbarton, at our Kilmalid Campus, which produces over 20 million cases of our flagship brands.  The team oversee all aspects of procurement across various spend categories on direct, including Dry Goods, CapEx, MRO, Commodities, Wet Goods & Key Contracts.

Your unique contribution

The Head of Direct Procurement will execute the Chivas Brothers procurement strategy in line with, and leveraging, global strategy for the various spend categories on direct, underpinned by a robust roadmap to deliver against business ambitions delivered through a high performing and dynamic team.

You will have five main areas of responsibility:

• Strategy Development – to develop and implement procurement strategies to maximize value across all direct categories in line with the global procurement strategies, plans and targets, including translating Sustainability & Responsibility (S&R) Global commitments into procurement category objectives and targets.  You will participate in and develop robust road maps and plans to deliver our global and local goals.  You will also deliver value maximisation through Buy Better (leverage Pernod Ricard’s scale & professionalise procurement practices) Spend Better (harmonize policies, processes and manged demand tightly) Track Better (spend performance, compliance, sustainability and diversity).

• People Leadership – to build a team of exceptionally skilled individuals, fostering dynamic career trajectories and a culture of excellence.  You will drive efficiency and effectiveness in Direct spending management to increase Return on Investment (ROI) and optimize the supplier roster.  You will deliver key reporting, provide management with reports as requested.

• Collaboration – to act as key interface between business functions and the global procurement community, delivering aligned direct procurement strategies fit for business growth & meeting our sustainability ambition.  You will collaborate with local / business teams to understand their direct spending needs and align procurement strategies accordingly.

• Operational Execution – to lead direct procurement operations for Chivas Brothers and be an integral part of the Procurement and local Leadership Teams.  You will prioritise initiatives to maximize benefits and monitor category budgets to drive cost optimization, as well as managing risks and sourcing strategies to protect business supply continuity.  You will also manage and optimize the procurement process for direct categories.

• Change & Transformation – to support and lead the procurement transformation, driving transformation workstreams and business alignment, leading and developing the implementation of best practices, procurement tools and processes to deliver World Class Procurement systems.

Who you’ll be working with

Internally, you’ll collaborate with the wider Operations leadership team.  Key stakeholders will be members of the Manufacturing & Production Leadership Team, Chivas Brothers Exec members, the Centre of Excellence, Pernod Ricard Global Procurement network as well as Finance and Supply Chain teams.

Externally, you will collaborate with suppliers and vendors to ensure delivery of services to the highest standard.

Your blend of talent

This position could be right for you if you:

• Are an experienced procurement professional with experience in Strategic Procurement & Supply Chain Management.
• Are a strong, performance driven people leader, with excellent communication skills and experience in change management.
• Have extensive experience in Category management & Supplier Relationship Management.
• Have strong commercial acumen, cost optimisation & extensive negotiation skills.

Our mix of benefits

For your health, we offer private medical insurance, income protection and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme.

Our lifestyle benefits include 25 days’ annual holiday (increasing with length of service up to 27) plus public holidays, your employee pension, share incentive plan, share ownership plan, life assurance and more!

You can access lots of gifts & discounts, including an allowance each year to spend on our brands in our staff shop, our reward & recognition scheme and employee discounts from a range of high street retailers.

We have regular events in our very own office bar, employee-run networks, a culture of flexibility and trust and a variety of tools and resources to help you focus on your wellbeing and mental fitness.

Conviviality: the Pernod Ricard Way

We have our own way of doing things. We call it conviviality! It’s our way of being, and something unique you feel and experience when working for Pernod Ricard.

We’re committed to conviviality, and with this, you’ll be Proud to Belong to our Pernod Ricard family. You’ll be Empowered to Perform, supported to succeed, and acknowledged for the value you bring.

We combine all this with our Commitment to Care: we are unlocking the magic of human connection to transform our industry and make a positive impact on the world though our strong focus on sustainability and responsibility.

We’re committed to diversity and inclusion

People are at the heart of everything we do at Pernod Ricard and are the foundation of our collective spirit as ‘Créateurs de Convivialité’.

We promote diversity and inclusion throughout our business and supply chain. In our teams, we proactively foster a diverse work force and an inclusive culture – an environment where we can truly be ourselves.

We will assess your application for this role based on your skills, experiences and achievements, not your gender, age, ethnic or educational background or any other such factors. Please feel free to leave these off your CV and application form if you so wish.

Similarly, if you would like to discuss opportunities for flexible working or require accommodations or support to complete our application process, please let us know.

Responsible drinking

As ‘Créateurs de convivialité’, we want to turn social interactions into genuine and friendly experiences of sharing and wellbeing.

In our culture, we want to create diverse teams in which our differences contribute to our success. Therefore, all are welcome at Pernod Ricard, regardless of your religious beliefs or personal choices on the consumption of alcohol.

In our business, we work together with industry members, civil society, governments, local authorities and UN bodies to promote responsible drinking.

Closing Date for Applications:

Friday 20th December 2024