Sr. Category Specialist

Job Description

Majid Al Futtaim invites you to join us in our quest to create great moments for everyone, everyday! We are the leading shopping mall, residential communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, serving over 560 million visitors a year. For the past two decades, we have shaped the consumer landscape across the region, transforming the way people shop, live and play, while maintaining a strong sustainability track record and the largest mall in the world to attain LEED Gold EBOM Certification. We have over 40,000 team members in 15 international markets representing over 100 nationalities – all keeping the customer at the heart of everything we do. If you enjoy being BOLD, PASSIONATE and TOGETHER, then Majid Al Futtaim is the destination for you.

Role Details – Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Works in close collaboration internal business stakeholders to gather requirements for sourcing activities while meeting cost savings initiatives.
• Support cost-savings initiatives as established by function lead to ensure cost optimization opportunities are being met while ensuring continuous improvement.
• Provide strategic inputs and supply market information to guide business decisions and act as a conduit for procurement activities
• Coordinate negotiations, contract development, contract implementation, and supplier contract compliance
• Develop, implement, and report to stakeholders meaningful KPIs that accurately demonstrate performance
• Lead the suppliers and stakeholders of the supply chain through effective engagement and communication by delivering supplier awareness programs.
• Adhere to procurement processes and protocol and apply appropriate solutions for issues for stakeholders.
• Manage complex sourcing, contracting, and supply management activities for assigned categories through a defined sourcing methodology (RFx)
• Gather complex data, draws insights, and executes data analysis for sourcing initiatives
• Conduct category-specific market research, uses insights to provide supplier market intelligence, and realize identified savings opportunities
• Ensures an ongoing review of cos analysis is conducting to support sourcing initiatives for respective vertical.
• Continuously build and maintains key stakeholder relationships both internal and external.
• Become the subject matter expert in terms of developing a strong understanding of descriptions of the product and service offerings, and capabilities and strengths/weakness of current suppliers
• Work in close collaboration with Legal, Finance, and other business functions to obtain needed support, meet overall business objectives, SLA’s to mitigate any risk to the business and their operations.
• Conduct ongoing reviews to ensure suppliers are performing to contracted obligations and service levels are being met.
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Job Dimension – (E.g. Revenue & Budget size, Sales Volume etc.)

Executing and managing RFx (tender, proposals, quotations, e-auctions, negotiations, RFIs, EOIs) from 100,000 AED to 15,000,000 AED

Other Context (if applicable):

Role is essential for the transformation journey of GS Procurement and delivering the day to day category sourcing operations

Functional/Technical Competencies:

• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills to determine product needs and to create constructive relationships with vendors.
• Project management: Be able to multiple projects at one time. The ability to plan, delegate and evaluate progress toward goals is necessary for managing these projects.
• Negotiation: Negotiating vendor contracts and strong understanding price points and be able to negotiate effectively.
• Problem-solving: Ability to resolve issues of a product or service that don’t meet the quality standards or does not meet business objectives of the respective OpCo.
• Operational experience in working on SAP Ariba, e-Rfx and digital skills

Personal Characteristics and Required Background:

Skillset (job specific technical skills and behavioral competencies needed)

• Working knowledge of Procurement and Contract Management related software a plus.
• In-depth understanding and practiced best-in-class procurement processes, systems and practices
• Knowledge of contract terms and conditions and in country laws and regulations
• Must be capable of assessing legal and business risk when making decisions concerning contractual commitments.
• Customer focused & takes time to understand the needs of the business
• Partnering, influencing and negotiation skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English (Arabic Preferred, but not mandatory)

Minimum experience

• Min 6 years of experience in a related/similar senior Procurement position in Marketing Procurement
• Min 12 years of overall experience in Procurement
• Experience in a large indirect and direct Procurement organization dealing with multiple contract types covering Marketing and digital Marketing services
• Experience in Procurement sourcing and oversight for all procurement RFX process for smooth delivery of operations to procurement category managers

Minimum Qualifications/education

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, finance, or in a related field, based on the categories managed and a professional Procurement qualification (e.g. MCIPS).