Assistant Procurement Manager – ODM Buying

Job Title: Assistant Procurement Manager – ODM Buying

Work Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra

About Unilever

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world.

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

Category or Function Introduction

B&W contributes to ~20% of HUL’s turnover, with 500+ suppliers closely partnering the business to drive its service and growth. Traditionally, Unilever’s R&D has been a front-runner in developing high-performing formulations, supported by our vast network of RPM suppliers and manufactured in Unilever’s own factories or collaborative manufacturers with specialized capabilities. With the advent of international beauty companies into India and D2C reach through social media, we are seeing an emergence of Original Design Manufacturers (ODM) who invest in identifying trends, build stellar products & offer it as a white label product. These manufacturers are a key component of future growth potential and agile innovations. Today, the ODM ecosystem contributes to INR 100Cr+ in annual incremental turnover from 50+ innovations for HUL B&W with a spend base of INR ~80Cr and is growing rapidly. In this role, you will be responsible for facilitating operational procurement of this entire network of ODMs in HUL B&W business group.

ABOUT PROCUREMENT

Part of the Supply Chain’s family, Procurement is responsible for over 30B Euro of material and services spend globally with more than 70,000 suppliers. Getting the right materials, sustainably sourced and ensuring responsible procurement is critical to ensuring our brands with purpose grow. Our teams work closely with the business to understand brand needs, bring supplier innovation to meet changing consumer needs and drive financial value for Unilever through competitive buying. We’re at the forefront of digital procurement, bringing new tools and analytics to drive data-based calls.

With over 1400 employees globally, build a network of thousands of suppliers, more than 1.5 million smallholder farmers who in turn support communities of over 7 million people. Our strategy is ‘Procurement with Purpose’ and focuses on buying responsibly, buying better and growing together with partners around the world and we have an ambition that is based on three key drivers: Being Purpose-Led, Value-led and Future-Fit.

Our teams work closely with the business to understand procurement needs and drive financial value for Unilever through competitive buying. We’re at the forefront of digital procurement, bringing new tools and analytics to drive data-based calls.

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for all procurement-related network management activities for on-time & in-full launches planned under all Shop & Deploy (ODM) projects across B&W categories & brands

• Develop network plans and roadmaps in alignment with Unilever’s business goals. Take part in the Network launches, making sure 80% of deliveries occur in a timely manner

• Regularly engage with suppliers to track the status of materials & services; Identify potential roadblocks or delays and escalate them promptly to ensure resolution without impacting project timelines

• Collaborate with factory & suppliers to ensure material connectivity for new launch production as per expected timelines; Specific focus on Agile networks to launch express innovations

• Identify and build supplier ecosystem who can support category strategy including onboarding, contracting & commercialization

• Lead onboarding of new vendors – registration, compliance, audits, contracting

• Expert business partnering & stakeholder management skills.

• Collaborate closely with the strategic lead to ensure operational alignment with broader procurement goals.

• Own ODM contract templates and execution to cover all risks & requirements

Stakeholders:

• Brand Innovations team

• Innovations network planners

• R&D

• Supply Planners

• Factories

Professional skills required:

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with owner’s mindset

• Problem-solving skills to address and resolve operational issues while maintaining attention to details

• Negotiation & communication skills

• Understanding of supply chain processes, procurement workflows and cost formats

• Basic financial acumen for understanding business cases & reporting

• Working with MS Excel & PowerPoint. PowerBI (added advantage.)

Background/experience required:

• University degree (MBA preferred)

• 5+ years of previous supply chain/procurement experience in FMCG

D&I statement:

Equal Opportunity Employer: Unilever is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. 

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

Interested folks please share your resume on - pog-fatema.khilawala@unilever.com