Fixed Term Contract until April 2027
Are you an experienced sourcing or category professional with expertise in packaging, print and POS? We're looking for a Category Specialist to join our European Sourcing team fixed term basis and help deliver commercial value, supplier innovation, and sustainable sourcing solutions for some of the world's leading brands.
TMS Global, part of DS Smith, is a global leader in sustainable packaging and retail solutions. Operating in 97 markets with a team of 300+ across APAC, LATAM, EMEA and North America, we partner with leading global brands to deliver innovative print, packaging, and display solutions.
As Category Specialist, you'll be the category expert for print, packaging and POS, responsible for identifying sourcing opportunities, developing supplier partnerships, and driving commercial value across the European region. Working closely with client-facing teams, suppliers, and internal stakeholders, you'll identify and deliver opportunities to improve cost, quality, performance, and supply chain resilience while supporting contractual commitments and driving overall supply base effectiveness.
Key Responsibilities:
- Partner with the Global Category Lead to develop, implement, and continuously evolve the category sourcing strategy
- Build, manage, and strengthen supplier relationships
- Lead value delivery initiatives and competitive sourcing activities aligned to supplier and spend segmentation
- Deliver measurable cost savings through negotiation, total cost of ownership initiatives, and commercial strategy optimisation
- Support client-facing teams to maximise gross profit margins
- Monitor market trends, supplier developments, and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for innovation and value creation.
- Provide category and product expertise to internal stakeholders
- Regularly benchmark and review the supplier base to ensure alignment with internal and client requirements
- Support tenders and RFQs for new business and contract renewals
- Ensure data integrity, auditability, and accurate tracking of savings in line with commercial strategy
- Work with Sourcing Operations to resolve supplier performance issues and escalations
- Identify and mitigate supply risks, ensuring continuity and resilience
About You
This role would suit someone who thrives in a fast-paced, matrix environment and enjoys collaborating across teams and geographies. You’ll bring strong analytical capability, attention to detail, and a proactive, solutions-focused mindset.
The ideal candidate will have experience in the following areas:
- A background in FMCG, Manufacturing or Packaging. Experience of Print or POS would be desirable.
- Proven experience managing supplier relationships, leading commercial negotiations, driving quality performance, and resolving supplier issues.
- Proven experience managing internal and external stakeholders
- Demonstrated success delivering commercial value through cost reduction, supplier optimisation, and category management initiatives.
- Strong project management capability
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel
If this role sounds like an exciting opportunity and you believe you have the skills and experience to succeed, we'd love to hear from you.
“To achieve our aim of being among the most successful, sustainable and responsible companies in the world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.”
Skills Required
- Experience as a sourcing or category management professional (print, packaging, POS focus)
- Background in FMCG, Manufacturing or Packaging
- Proven supplier relationship management and commercial negotiation experience
- Proven experience delivering cost reductions, supplier optimisation and commercial value
- Experience supporting tenders and RFQs for new business and contract renewals
- Strong project management capability
- Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel
- Experience with Print or POS
- Ability to manage internal and external stakeholders across geographies
DS Smith Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about DS Smith and has not been reviewed or approved by DS Smith.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered okay to good across many roles, with some plants indicating competitive or above‑market hourly rates for operators and similar positions. This supports a broadly fair perception of base pay even as experiences vary by site.
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Healthcare Strength — U.S. offerings include day‑one medical/vision and dental, employer HSA contributions, and 100% company‑paid life and short/long‑term disability, alongside an EAP. Some role descriptions also highlight mental‑health and fertility options.
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Retirement Support — Packages commonly reference a 401(k) with company match and, in some locations, pension eligibility or company‑funded retirement contributions. This positions retirement benefits as a meaningful component of total rewards.
DS Smith Insights
What We Do
DS Smith provides innovative packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services with a commitment to sustainability and a circular economy. Our core purpose is to Redefine Packaging for a Changing World, and our expert teams work closely with like-minded partners to incorporate renewable resources for products that minimize our environmental impact, reduce complexity and increase profitability through supply chain optimization
