Operations Manager, Procurement - Diageo

Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Guinness, Harp, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Baileys, Captain Morgan and Malta Guinness.

Africa represents Diageo’s largest group of emerging markets in terms of net sales and employs over 5,300 people (one in four of Diageo’s total workforce worldwide) in its businesses in Africa and many more indirectly through the production, distribution and promotion of its brands. Today, while Guinness remains at the heart of our business, being brewed in over 20 countries and exported to many others, our range of brands and geographic reach has expanded and our supply presence has grown to support it.

Diageo Global Procurement is accountable for the Procurement of Supply, Marketing and Indirect goods and services with a total global spend of circa £5bn. Our aim is to be renowned as an exceptionally agile, value driven function which works as fully integrated business partners regularly beating our own high expectations and those of our stakeholders. Procurement will boldly drive improved operating margin and competitive advantage by leading cost-consciousness and best-in-class procurement through a high performing organisation.  We will enable brand growth and best use of our A&P resources by leveraging supplier capabilities and external innovation. We are committed to Assure, Protect and Create Value for Diageo.

Diageo Global Procurement has implemented a new global model, operating as One Procurement Community (OPC), with a series of defined Global and Market decision rights. The Market Procurement teams will focus on brilliant execution of the Global led strategies developed by the Global Procurement teams, as well as leading the sourcing for categories defined as local sourced.

Financial

Responsible for all Procurement controlled spend within Guinness Ghana . Annual procurement spend is approximately hundred million Great British Pounds (£100m) across all categories of spend in the Demand, Indirects and Supply areas (including Capex).

This role holder is expected to deliver significant profit growth and added value to the business through improved procurement practices, strategic sourcing and development of the current supply base, and new suppliers, while maintaining existing service and quality parameters.

Market Complexity

The Ghana  Procurement team manages approx. £143m of external spend with approx. 338 active suppliers across Supply, Demand and Indirects categories of spend and is a significant contributor of value to Africa  business performance, targeted to deliver year on year cost savings of between 3-5% of total spend.

However there are a number of challenges including:

• Strategic Category management and innovative procurement techniques in general are not widely known due to an immature, but rapidly developing supply base
• reliance on imports which makes cost management a challenge
• Infrastructure of the country is still developing and in many cases the supply base is non optimal due to excessive fragmentation

Diageo Global Procurement is a truly global team. The role holder will be required to work closely with colleagues from countries all around the world and with stakeholders at all levels within the markets. The ability to build strong relationships and influence remotely and inter culturally is key to success in this role.

Leadership Responsibilities

Management of 9 direct reports

Management and leadership of Procurement teams responsible for two (2)  production sites and all areas of spend.

Embedding world-class procurement best practices and processes.

Influencing key stakeholders, leadership teams and suppliers, across all markets, to enable implementation of best-in-class procurement processes and practices that deliver sustainable value for our business.

High performance coaching, building local teams and development of the Procurement function to world class standards.

Live the Diageo Leadership Standards detailed below:

Win through Execution – Lead bold execution in a fast moving world

• Act like owners of Diageo by holding self and others to account for highest standards
• Scan the environment constantly and adapt plans with pace
• Inject a restlessness to win and unlock capacity to decide and act quickly
• Demand brilliant execution to ensure we always win at the point of purchase

Shape the Future – Create focus and ownership for shaping Diageo’s future ambition

• Enable others to imagine the future and be brave to act boldly now
• Set context and empower people to experiment and unlock opportunities for growth
• Demand diverse external perspectives and trends that create impetus for change
• Insist on sufficient data and insights that quickly move us to action

Inspire through Purpose – Amplify our purpose internally and externally

• Create meaning, pride and belief for others through Diageo’s purpose
• Inspire teams to take entrepreneurial risks; encourage and recognise learning
• Build trust and respect in Diageo through open and honest relationships
• Celebrate frequently the impact of living our purpose

Invest in Talent – Harness the full extent of Diageo’s talent and diversity

• Take bold bets on talent underpinned by rigorous assessment
• Build and coach diverse teams to unlock performance and growth
• Create an inclusive environment where everyone can be at their best
• Instill agility and resilience in our teams

Purpose of Role

To own and develop the Procurement strategies for all the categories in Guinness Ghana taking into account the specific market dynamics and business requirements.

To deliver maximum benefit and significant profit growth for Guinness Ghana within Supply, Demand and Indirects categories of spend (minimum 3% year-on-year cost savings), through leadership, design and implementation of innovative and forward thinking category strategies, whilst maintaining rigorous standards of risk management, ethics and compliance to all key Diageo policies at all times.

To contribute to the development of total business agenda for the various sub-markets  in  Africa CoE, global procurement function.

To continue on the journey of step changing procurement activities from transactional to a strategic, category management based function.

Top 3-5 Accountabilities

• Develop and deliver procurement strategies forGuinness Ghana , in line with business and  African CoE  Procurement strategies.
• Protect our brands and businesses through effective management of risk, compliance, sustainability and governance, and ensure all sourcing activities within Guinness Ghana are consistent with Diageo Purchasing Standards, business strategies and related policies.
• Deliver minimum savings of 3% per annum on total procurement controlled spend net of inflation.
• Improve and maintain quality and service levels to all stakeholders within Guinness Ghana .
• Manage, develop and coach all reports to build a high performing team recognized for their exceptional contribution to the overall business agenda within and outside of the markets.

Qualifications and Experience Required

ESSENTIAL

• Minimum ten (10) years procurement experience in a multi-national FMCG environment
• Excellent knowledge of world-class procurement systems, processes and practices
• Strong commercial acumen with significant evidence of savings/value delivery and the ability to contribute to the wider business agenda outside of immediate functional responsibilities
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, both verbal and written, with ability to readily engage and influence a wide range of colleagues and senior stakeholders
• Exceptional leadership skills and a proven track record in building and maintaining high performing teams in culturally sensitive environments
• Inter-cultural sensitivity and ability to ‘flex’ approach to meet the needs of a diverse community
• Able to deal with ambiguity, and manage multiple relationships in a matrix environment, with ability to take criticism and learn from feedback
• Ability to operate and lead teams across multi sites
• Ability to anticipate and plan effectively, monitoring and measuring progress in a timely fashion
• Proven track record of delivery in challenging and complex business environments

DESIRABLE

• Previous experience of working in developing economies would be an advantage
• Prior SAP experience or similar Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems
• Knowledge of Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) business processes
• Full understanding of Import/Export constraints, duties and taxation in the ARM-West markets.

Barriers to Success in Role

• Ineffective communication skills and/or inability to present output clearly and cogently

• Inability to challenge the status quo and/or influence peers and senior stakeholders

• Inability to think strategically

• Lack of general commercial awareness

• Lack of initiative and/or personal mental resilience in challenging working environments

• Inability to coach and develop effective teams across multi sites

• Insufficient process/functional knowledge and inability to embed new processes and ways of working in developing and complex markets

• Unable to self-motivate and effectively manage/prioritize own workload

• Unable to forge the strong working relationships needed inside and outside the team

Flexible Working options

The role will be based in Accra, Ghana with requirements for national, regional-hub and international travel.

Relationships

• Guinness Ghana Executive Management Teams
• Plant Manager, Kaasi
• Plant Manager, Achimota
• Supply and demand  team colleagues,
• Diageo Global Procurement team colleagues
• Strategic Suppliers  and Key Suppliers

Skills/Knowledge

• Good knowledge of procurement processes and systems including contract development, value creation activities, supplier relationship management, governance, risk management and compliance
• Able to understand strategic thinking and break it down into practical and deliverable projects
• Critical thinker who can deliver solutions and drive improvement by measuring, managing and reporting on assigned spend categories and suppliers. Focused on execution and results
• Excellent general communication skills
• Ability to engage and influence a whole range of senior stakeholders
• Motivated and a self-starter with an ability to multi-task and function in a fast paced, deadline driven environment