Join us as Procurement Manager Global HR Services!

Function: Supply Chain, Procurement

Scope: Global

Location: Warsaw, Poland

About Procurement

Part of the Supply Chain family, Procurement is responsible for over 40B Euro of material and services spend globally with more than 60,000 suppliers. Getting the right services and materials, sustainably sourced and ensuring responsible procurement is critical to ensuring our brands with purpose grow. Our teams work closely with the business to understand stakeholders needs, bring innovation to meet changing consumer, employees, and customers needs, and drive financial value for Unilever through competitive buying. We are at the forefront of digital procurement, bringing new tools and analytics to drive data‑based decisions.

ABOUT Business Services (BS)

Business Services, Unilever’s Business Services Procurement team, is responsible for Unilever’s sourcing and supplier strategy and execution for all third‑party spend across Business Services, and IT, supporting the business requirements of Brands, Business Groups, Business Units and functions to drive growth through strategic supplier management, cost and value management, sustainability, and innovation, aligned with Unilever’s Compass. The team manages an annual spend of ~3.5B Euro with a supplier base of about 25,000.

The Business Services portfolio covers an array of various services of Workplace Travel, Fleet, Waste management, Workforce Management, HR Services, Outsourcing which includes services related to our offices and supply chain sites with cost‑effective solutions that excite our employees and do so safely and sustainably.

Within BS, the Senior Procurement Manager – Global HR Services will be responsible and manage the global spend of the HR Services commodity which consists of Learning & Development, Global Mobility & Relocation, Payroll, HR Benefits & Reward as well as Global Health & Wellbeing. This role comes with one direct report and manages an annual spend of over €300m globally.

This role is responsible for supporting the sourcing strategy development, implementation, and procurement across all of the Purchase Classes detailed above, many of which entail cooperation with Strategic Suppliers and require partnering with Senior Stakeholders, aiming to bring significant commercial leverage. You will be leading projects and programs independently or under the supervision of the Global Procurement Director – Business Services.

CPM (Collaborative Procurement Model) Projects are to be executed across the Portfolio. Activities such as tail spend & non‑preferred supplier deactivation, building catalogue compliance for all active & preferred suppliers, middle tier spend supplier management with preferred suppliers, leading Partner Managed Portfolios, establishment of effective ways of working, vendor rationalisation and effective cost savings need to be implemented. The successful candidate will develop and execute category strategies to optimise spend, supplier relationships and value delivery across assigned portfolios. This role will lead strategic sourcing initiatives, analyse market trends, and collaborate with cross‑functional teams to drive business objectives and continuous improvement.

About The Role

This role requires working closely with Senior Strategic business stakeholders, Local Procurement teams and the Leadership team. The role will increase effectiveness in procurement engagement in business partnering by creating an expertise‑driven model, streamlining accountabilities, building capabilities, and leveraging knowledge, relationships, and business strategies across markets. The role will foster and build a culture of collaboration and agility within the market procurement teams, Suppliers and senior stakeholder. It will ensure close alignment with the category strategy by defining and utilizing a robust support network for the whole team and providing clarity on the ways of working and roles and responsibilities.

Job Purpose

Find your purpose at Unilever. You will lead innovations, big and small, that will make our business win and grow. You will learn from brilliant business leaders and colleagues in a truly global and diverse culture to ultimately become a better you. If you are:

• Strategic, systemic thinking & entrepreneurial to push the teams 3 steps ahead towards excellence.
• A team player and leader who cares deeply ready to bring the best out of people and high on influencing skills.
• A forward‑looking challenger then this role is just for you.
• You need to fully understand the wider business context and you are emotionally intelligent to motivate peers to deliver our targets while focusing on what counts.
• You are a team player within the Business Services team ready to support the Programs and strategies being implemented helping Unilever to Deliver with Excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Understand the business needs related to functional areas of spend in HR Services and bring deep expertise and insights across the value chain and supply base to translate the business requirements into effective future‑fit procurement strategies.
• Connect category strategy development & execution aligned to Unilever strategies and principles.
• Deliver transformational sourcing strategies, operating models, and supplier relationships to deliver optimal value and compliance and redefine our procurement approach to HR Services including a focus on Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing strategies.
• Work with senior stakeholders to deliver complex globally led projects across multiple geographies.
• Deliver against financial targets and other KPIs (including value delivery) as per business plan objectives.
• Be a central team player for HR Services by translating strategies to executable projects within the markets.
• Lead Supplier relationships.
• Ensure Portfolio fundamentals (i.e., data consistency, data insights, recurring stakeholder communications, contracts, etc.) are all put in place.
• Future proof the portfolio by driving digital approaches, while building technology enablers to help manage selected portfolio and scope.
• Lead internal performance management and reporting including creation and stewardship of relevant key performance indicators.
• Occasional local, regional or international travel might be required (10%).

Required Qualifications

• Min 7‑10 years of strategic procurement experience, including proven and deep experience in procuring Business Services or related field in indirect procurement portfolios.
• Strategic sourcing, portfolio strategy expertise, with experience in managing complex portfolio/category, at global or multi‑regional level.
• Expert in negotiation and contracting.
• Experience in strategic supplier relationship management.
• Experience on large‑scale project management.
• Demonstrated and proven leadership capabilities to lead a virtual global team.
• Understanding of supply market, value chain, and FMCG knowledge. Knowledge of Finance, Consulting & wider Business Services in addition to other business services portfolios is a strong plus.
• Experience in shaping and leading transformational business process reengineering, with experience driving Change Management initiatives.
• Experience in working successfully in virtual team environments.
• Excellent skill in Excel (V‑lookup, pivot tables), PPT and Power BI.
• Knowledge of Unilever business systems is a plus i.e., Velocity, Coupa, CLM, RPP, SRS, Cash, SAP and Aravo etc.
• Excellent analytical and story‑telling skills to respond to multiple market/portfolio specific characteristics and influence change remotely.
• Fluent in English.

Skills

• Ability to work under pressure and in a complex global environment balancing a broad spectrum of stakeholder requirements.
• Comfortable working in conditions of ambiguity and leading through change.
• Able to create and drive adoption and execution of a shared vision and strategy for change.
• Ability to interact with senior stakeholders cross effectively and efficiently functionally (including Business Services Procurement, HR, Finance, Legal, etc.) to understand their needs and deliver effective balanced solutions.
• Delivers change whilst managing the interface between “day to day” and improvement projects.
• Passion for continuous improvement.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including creation and delivery of effective presentations.
• High financial and business acumen.
• Strong in selling ideas and concepts.
• Inspiring, motivational, and accountable people leader, able to lead remote and cross‑cultural teams and connect people and ideas.
• Strong in project and time management for complex global projects.
• Stakeholder management and people skills.
• Passion and practical creativity.
• Tenacious and resilient in the pursuit of challenging goals.

OUR OFFER

• Competitive annual bonus
• Company car or car allowance
• Participation in a dedicated company shares program
• A learning‑focused environment supporting your personal and professional development
• Private medical care (Medicover)
• Retirement package
• Private life insurance (Unum)
• Sports and wellness package (Benefit Systems)
• Two additional vacation days
• Access to the Unilever employee shop
• Access to Legimi (e‑book platform)
• Psychological support via the EAP platform

…and many more benefits!

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life! This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.