Procurement Operations Specialist -UK

Plan, direct, and monitor all purchasing activities so that the goods, materials, supplies, and services the organisation buys meet its standards of price, quality, timing, and reliability of supply.

About the Role

We're seeking a dedicated Procurement Operations Specialist to join our team, to collaborate with the Procurement category teams on the creation of category strategies and implement relevant global and local procurement activities within all UK sites.

Reporting to the Procurement Operations Manager – UK, you’ll work closely with the Business to support and drive the capital purchasing process, undertaking source-to-contract activity. This role will also be responsible for supporting Procurement services across DS Smith’s UK Packaging, Recycling, and Head Office businesses, including key stakeholders across the group, in all divisions and at all levels of responsibility. A large scope of this role includes CapEx and Post-Production Materials.

Key Responsibilities:

The role ensures the purchase to pay transactional support processes happen in a timely manner in order to support our stakeholders to buy compliantly in close collaboration with shared services. It will also be a collaborative member of the UK team in partnership with other team members across the UK, and be the trusted business partner and primary point of contact for sites/cluster management

Responsibilities include (but not limited):

• Shaping and aligning the Procurement strategy to support the achievement of business goals including growth, innovation, ESG (inc Scope 3) and manufacturing excellence

• Partnering with stakeholders to ensuring the function competitively sources quality products and supplier services whilst maintaining and building strong relationships with strategic suppliers in line with group Innovation, ESG and Diversity, Equality and Inclusion goals

• Partnering differently across the value chain to create innovative business offerings that delight our customers and support business growth

About you

• Degree level or equivalent by experience. Bachelor's degree 

• Strong knowledge and experience in procurement including procurement practices and ways of working

• Experience in developing and successfully implementing 1-3 year regional procurement strategies

• Extensive experience in implementing and managing a range of complex procurement sourcing and contracting negotiations within includes CapEx and Post-Production Materials.

• Demonstrable track record in influencing in a matrix environment.

• Strong analytical and conceptual skills

• Influencing skills with proven track record to convince others through written and spoken communications. Able to deal with resistance

• An individual with the broad business acumen and an ability to interact with general management at a senior level is critical.

• Competent negotiator, capable of delivering great outcomes when leading high value and complex deals.

Benefits

Additional benefits include:

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays

• Discretionary bonus

• Pension scheme

• Life assurance

• Income protection

• Employee assistance program

• Cycle to work scheme

• Shopping discounts

Location: Remote role with occasional travel

About us

We’re DS Smith, the FTSE100 company who are redefining packaging for a changing world. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. Today, we operate in more than 30 different countries, proudly employing over 30,000 people, and supporting customers across sectors like FMCG, industrial, and e-commerce. We deliver on quality, service, innovation, and added value to deliver market-leading sustainable packaging solutions our customers need. Our industry needs to transform, and we’re building the team to drive change across Europe and North America.

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing 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.