Commodity Specialist at TFG (The Foschini Group)

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Sourcing 

• You will be required to lead and support strategic sourcing initiatives by providing functional expertise and guidance in tendering processes and the ultimate selection of buying channels within the category/commodity itself. Provide functional expertise to internal stakeholders to ensure that TFG has the right suppliers/vendors for current and future growth. 
• Risk management – evaluate supplier risk, respond with mitigation plans, identify alternative suitable suppliers for comparative pricing. 
• Identify and qualify potential new suppliers and ensure relationships with strategic and key suppliers are transparent and actively managed.
• Cost optimisation: negotiate prices of existing suppliers where applicable to ensure cost efficiencies. 
• Drive and coordinate efforts to provide transparency on and deeper insights into 3rd party spend. 
• Contribute to cross-functional initiatives to optimise TFG spend and knowledge.
• Sustainability: Meeting the needs of business in the most environmentally friendly, socially responsible and ethical way.
• Transformation: Expand opportunities to work with Black Owned, Exempt Micro Enterprises and Qualifying Small Enterprises

Business Partnering and Team 

• Create and maintain close working relationships with internal stakeholders to understand the needs of the organization and the relevant business unit.
• Ensure key supplier relationships are managed and performance is properly monitored by the respective business partner – through the setting of KPIs, monitoring and reviewing performance cross functionally with relevant stakeholders.
• Communicate to relevant internal stakeholders the added value and results that Procurement brings to the organization (incl. monetary and non-monetary benefits). Support departments on large value and high importance procurement initiatives and tenders. Be the main point of contact and drive sourcing events which will run as frequently as the business requires.

Source to Contract and Compliance 

• Ensure contracts with all relevant 3rd Parties are finalized and approved. Ensure supplier management, sourcing guidelines, obligations, and service level agreements are correctly implemented and adhered to. Manage contractual risk, 3rd Party Risk due diligence, and compliance with the relevant suppliers/vendors.
• Develop proactive commodity strategies with advanced knowledge of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). 
• Provide functional expertise and proven track record of implementation of category and commodity strategies.
• Develop required reporting and continuously improve processes where applicable. 
• Engage with key stakeholders to understand internal needs and requirements while conducting research on market intelligence, demand intelligence, supply
• intelligence, and value chain intelligence to enhance commodity outcomes. 
• Negotiate with suppliers to add value within the category and commodity space.
• Drive and manage the procurement process to an agreed contractual solution with internal and external parties such as TFG business unit members, legal representatives, logistics, and other supply chain members.
• Support, manage, and perform Supplier Performance Management activities to ensure consistent and high-quality goods, services, and engagements are managed within the category.
• Conduct tenders/sourcing events using Coupa (the company’s procurement system).
• Approve new suppliers within the category/commodity where applicable. 

Requirements:

• Diploma or Degree in Procurement, Business Administration or other relevant qualification with a proven long-term experience on the job.
• Membership of relevant global and/or professional body, including accreditation, desirable.
• 3-5 years’ experience in a related field, preferably with in-depth knowledge and execution experience of supplier lifecycle management & associated risks and/or procurement processes
• Solid understanding of category management and state of the art “source-to-contract” procurement processes
• 3 years relevant Retail, e-commerce or FMCG industry experience
• Demonstrated experience in continuous improvement and simplification of complex requirements essential.
• Experience in project and process management
• Experience of conducting supplier performance management preferable.
• Demonstrated understanding of the codes of good practice – B-BBEE and evidence of commodity transformation.