The Category Manager, Ingredients/Meal, is responsible for developing and executing procurement strategies for Ingredients/Meal categories in alignment with Thai Union's Group Non-Fish strategy. This role involves managing supplier relationships, driving best-in-class procurement standards, and ensuring responsible sourcing practices. The Category Manager will work closely with plant purchasing teams and business units to consolidate demand, optimize sourcing processes, and achieve procurement targets.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Direction:
- Develop and implement procurement strategies for Ingredients/Meal categories, including category management, strategic sourcing, contracting, and supplier management.
- Align procurement strategies with the overall Global Non-Fish strategy.
- Track procurement performance against critical KPIs, generate insights, and propose changes to the Group Non-Fish procurement strategy.
Best-in-Class Procurement Standards and Programs:
- Drive the implementation of Thai Union SOPs for procurement processes, policies, and systems for Ingredients/Meal procurement.
- Recommend adaptations to standards to ensure operational feasibility.
End-to-End Category Management, Strategic Sourcing, and Supplier Management:
- Collaborate with plant purchasing teams and business unit end-users to understand, document, and execute sourcing needs and priorities.
- Consolidate category demand globally/regionally to drive economies of scale and maximize market competition.
- Monitor the supplier pipeline, identify potential suppliers, and issue RFI, RFP, RFQ as appropriate.
- Develop sourcing plans, including timelines and order allocations.
- Gather market intelligence on supply trends, monitor regulatory changes, and adapt sourcing plans accordingly.
- Define comprehensive supplier selection criteria, screen suppliers, and evaluate competitive bids.
- Incorporate procurement standards and specification requirements into audit requirements for suppliers.
- Perform regular evaluations of supplier performance and implement corrective actions to drive improvement.
- Maintain relevant supplier master data.
Contract Management and Governance:
- Translate end-user requirements into contractual KPIs/SLAs.
- Negotiate and customize contracts based on Group-level master templates, consulting with Contract Management and Legal teams as needed.
- Monitor contractual milestones and take appropriate actions (renewal, termination, etc.).
Responsible Sourcing:
- Implement Group Responsible Sourcing policies and standards for Ingredients/Meal procurement.
- Track responsible sourcing KPIs and report performance to the Responsible Sourcing Committee, taking corrective actions as required.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, Business Administration, or related field.
- Proven experience in procurement, category management, and strategic sourcing.
- Strong understanding of procurement processes, policies, and systems.
- Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to analyze market trends and adapt sourcing strategies.
- Knowledge of responsible sourcing practices and standards.
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
- Strong analytical and data management skills.
- Proficiency in procurement software and tools.
- Ability to work collaboratively across teams and business units.
