Title:  Director non-Production, Category Management Procurement

Working at West means having an opportunity to work by the side of our patients and customers, our global team members and the communities in which we operate – which all help contribute to a Healthier World.

At West, we are by the side of patients. The work we do impacts patients’ lives each and every day – our products are a critical part of healthcare delivery and we are proud of the role we play to improve patient health. We work by the side of our team members. We come together as one global team to deliver for our customers and help them address their challenges. We are a diverse, close-knit community of professionals, where everyone has a voice and opportunity to learn and grow through mutual trust and respect. With a 95 year plus history, we have a track record for success, which includes reported sales of $2.14B in 2020. We serve by the side of our community. Giving back is in our DNA—our team members across more than 50 sites globally are involved with hundreds of charities that have special meaning to them through our West Without Borders team member-led giving program.

Job Summary:

In this role, you will be accountable for all external “production” related categories, along the related “program management”, globally. In congress with the Sr. Dir, Category Management, Procurement, responsible and accountable for developing, implementing, and sustaining Production Procurement plans and strategies globally. Directly and through teams you will drive the agreed annual procurement initiatives to successful execution and will assure achieving given targets in particular risk mitigation and cost savings. You will act foremost as the upstream and downstream communicator translating enterprise targets into Category Management priorities.  You will partner with the Director(s) Procurement Operations and Director Non-Production Category Management as to vet and decide for what activities may fall into each function plus to collaborate on continuous supply assurance. In this capacity, you will have the opportunity to further transform new market trends, potential sources and future technologies into solutions previously unknown to West.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establish Production Category Procurement strategy and lead the individual production category managers, helping them to be successful delivering their current objectives, plus to provide Mid-term outlook and vision. Form and maintain a corps spirit for them to mutually enrich each other. Assure their skill set is permanently challenged and training offered, both mentally and professionally.
• Build and keep up a trustful and fruitful relationship with cross functional peers. Align cross functional targets as to balance resources helping both, Procurement´s and other functions target to be achieved.
• Assure that all Procurement related targets, mainly focused on risk mitigation and cost savings are delivered on time and in full.
• Drive the annual materials budget process along with periodic price variance measures.
• Apply highest standards for supplier quality performance striving to enforce West´s zero defect aspiration by means of performance meetings, audits and continuous improvement programs.
• Keep our supplier community accountable for compliance and ethical behavior reflecting West´s “business partner code of conduct”.
• Balance the supplier base adjusted per category as to either consolidate or to expend the number of suppliers as deemed adequate to run most efficient and effective our categories.

• Set up category management routines as to balance rigger process discipline e.g. in regards meeting cadence, use of templates, documents and nerve center vs. necessary flexibility as to stay agile responding short-term demands.
• As the ruling principle keep up the spirit, thus offer internal and external training, to apply global category management:

• Identification of opportunities by means of profile and segment categorization, spend analysis, opportunity assessment and stakeholder mapping, finding and implementing strategic sourcing solutions previously unknown to West, or previously known but not actioned.
• Performing Needs and Situation Analysis by researching market trends and assessing supplier capabilities, while fully understanding and having a deep knowledge of the global landscape of the category in terms of supplier base, technologies, competitive environment, market trends and cost drivers.

• Develop sourcing options by assessing the market, supplier and West positioning, determination of the go-to-market strategy, and developing a business case.
• Perform strategic sourcing by launching activities for the category strategy and execution of the strategic sourcing project. Create detailed project and negotiation plans, project executive summaries and a high-level implementation plan. Negotiate contracts with suppliers, while fully understanding and negotiating the structure and terms of common contracts and business models in the category.
• Implement and sustain through the execution of the implementation strategy, supplier performance management, continuous improvement and savings documentation. Perform supplier relationship management to ensure continuous improvement and innovation, best in class pricing, product and service quality, continuity of goods and services, and alignment with internal stakeholders and company strategies.

Basic Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in a Business or Technical curriculum, or equivalent
• A minimum of 10 years of progressive business experience in sourcing/supplier/category management or related functions.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Master’s degree in a Business or Technical curriculum, or equivalent.
• Proven experience in SAP (MM) and MS Office
• Excellent analytical, interpersonal, team leadership, negotiation and project management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to executive basic competencies associated with the role:

• Broad supplier and contract management experience.
• Ability to work with senior leadership teams at manufacturing sites and global headquarters.
• Excellent influencing, change management, and negotiation skills.
• Present and advocate sourcing cases to a variety of audiences with self-confidence.
• Ability to respectfully communicate to and challenge senior leadership.
• Openness for new initiatives, fast learner, proactive.
• Track record of leading teams and building effective working relationships both internally and externally.
• Excellent presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Results orientation.
• Excellent analytical capabilities.
• Self-starter and independent worker.

• Able to comply with the company’s safety policy at all times
• Able to comply with the company’s quality policy at all times.
• Supply Chain or Procurement Certifications.

• Ability to perform under pressure
• Experience in managing cross-functional projects.
• Extensive experience in SAP (MM) and MS Office.
• Proficiency in one additional language.

Travel Requirements:

• Must be able to travel up to 20% of the time

Physical and Mental Requirements:

• Sedentary - exerting up to 10lbs/4kgs of force occasionally, and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to life, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.  Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.

West is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.  If you have a special need that requires accommodation in order to apply to West, please send an email to Apply.Accommodation@westpharma.com.  Where permitted by law, an offer of employment with West Pharmaceutical Services, or any of its subsidiary or affiliate companies, is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of background screening and/or a pre-employment drug screening.