Compass Group
DIRECTOR OF CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT
Compass Group, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, 28202
Job Summary
The primary duty of this position is a leadership role to drive development and implementation of the day-to-day execution of assigned categories and business plans to provide flexibility, responsive, and innovative strategies for growth. This role leads a team to develop category strategy or category member strategy in partnership with some of the largest suppliers in the industry to deliver financial results across a broad range of channels and clients by applying procurement expertise including negotiation, budgeting, and forecasting, aligning customer needs with program opportunities, fostering supplier relationships, and engaging in cross-functional resources to deliver strategies for growth. Responsibilities: Achieve annual financial targets and take ownership for budget setting, ongoing management, and monthly re-forecasting of income at a detailed supplier level for team. Develop an end-to-end category strategy, mapping out the current landscape and defining an improvement plan for the near, mid, and long-term to stimulate interest from and engagement with stakeholders. Deliver procurement activities, including enabling the business to self-serve Post Contract Management (PCM), KPI & SLA development and tracking, stakeholder engagement, communications, risk, and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) including business reviews and scorecards. Develop and maintain senior stakeholder business relationship to build and win internal and external support for the benefit of the business. Engage leaders to gain insights and perspective. Personally develops, leads, and manages larger sub-categories. Proactively execute cost reduction initiatives and create new value for customers with differing needs. Maintain a robust understanding of markets and commodity dynamics and present opportunities to derive new commercial advantage and mitigate risks. Collaborate with Distribution to maximize availability of products and propose the most effective route to market. Leverage market insights and data to ensure competitive market pricing/cost/value/innovation. Create, prioritize, and plan a pipeline of opportunities to deliver the saving objectives. Work effectively in a rapidly changing environment, spearheading new tools and processes to bring pragmatic solutions. Drive continuous improvement through contract optimization, joint business planning, business adoption, and technology enhancements. Requirements: Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required; MBA preferred. Minimum of 7 years' experience in procurement or category development & 5 years' experience leading a team of direct reports Superior presentation and influencing skills with an ability to liaise at all levels. Exceptional customer service and client relationship management A leader in cross-functional collaboration; leveraging category management, sourcing, distribution, and consumer insights to build unrivalled client value. Proven record in developing strategic business plans and managing cross-functional projects. Strong business acumen and analytical mind. Ability to negotiate and build relationships at senior levels. High proficiency level with MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Travel up to 20% annually. Associates at Foodbuy are offered many fantastic benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, paid parental leave, holiday time off, personal leave, associate shopping program, health and wellness programs, discount marketplace, identity theft protection, pet insurance, commuter benefits, employee assistance program, and flexible spending accounts (FSAs). Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed remotely, click here for paid time off benefits information.
The primary duty of this position is a leadership role to drive development and implementation of the day-to-day execution of assigned categories and business plans to provide flexibility, responsive, and innovative strategies for growth. This role leads a team to develop category strategy or category member strategy in partnership with some of the largest suppliers in the industry to deliver financial results across a broad range of channels and clients by applying procurement expertise including negotiation, budgeting, and forecasting, aligning customer needs with program opportunities, fostering supplier relationships, and engaging in cross-functional resources to deliver strategies for growth. Responsibilities: Achieve annual financial targets and take ownership for budget setting, ongoing management, and monthly re-forecasting of income at a detailed supplier level for team. Develop an end-to-end category strategy, mapping out the current landscape and defining an improvement plan for the near, mid, and long-term to stimulate interest from and engagement with stakeholders. Deliver procurement activities, including enabling the business to self-serve Post Contract Management (PCM), KPI & SLA development and tracking, stakeholder engagement, communications, risk, and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) including business reviews and scorecards. Develop and maintain senior stakeholder business relationship to build and win internal and external support for the benefit of the business. Engage leaders to gain insights and perspective. Personally develops, leads, and manages larger sub-categories. Proactively execute cost reduction initiatives and create new value for customers with differing needs. Maintain a robust understanding of markets and commodity dynamics and present opportunities to derive new commercial advantage and mitigate risks. Collaborate with Distribution to maximize availability of products and propose the most effective route to market. Leverage market insights and data to ensure competitive market pricing/cost/value/innovation. Create, prioritize, and plan a pipeline of opportunities to deliver the saving objectives. Work effectively in a rapidly changing environment, spearheading new tools and processes to bring pragmatic solutions. Drive continuous improvement through contract optimization, joint business planning, business adoption, and technology enhancements. Requirements: Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required; MBA preferred. Minimum of 7 years' experience in procurement or category development & 5 years' experience leading a team of direct reports Superior presentation and influencing skills with an ability to liaise at all levels. Exceptional customer service and client relationship management A leader in cross-functional collaboration; leveraging category management, sourcing, distribution, and consumer insights to build unrivalled client value. Proven record in developing strategic business plans and managing cross-functional projects. Strong business acumen and analytical mind. Ability to negotiate and build relationships at senior levels. High proficiency level with MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Travel up to 20% annually. Associates at Foodbuy are offered many fantastic benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, paid parental leave, holiday time off, personal leave, associate shopping program, health and wellness programs, discount marketplace, identity theft protection, pet insurance, commuter benefits, employee assistance program, and flexible spending accounts (FSAs). Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed remotely, click here for paid time off benefits information.