Procurement Sourcing Category Manager

The Sourcing Manager is responsible for providing the bridge between product and procurement teams managing the communications between local and international stakeholders. The role sits in local/regional teams and owns the process from new ingredient requests through onboarding, and will effectively manage the sourcing of new ingredients into their local market to drive innovation and improve our customer experience. 

Working in collaboration with the Category Managers, you will be responsible for identifying existing cross-market sourcing opportunities to onboard NID SKUs into the portfolio more efficiently. You will work closely with the local Ingredient, Culinary, FSQA and Supply Chain Operations (SCO) teams in your market to facilitate the onboarding of NID SKUs in the portfolio and act as the gatekeeper for all requests ensuring that they don’t add additional complexity to the operation.

As our Sourcing Manager, you’ll be the go-to link between product and procurement, making sure new ingredients find their way into our boxes to delight our customers. You’ll team up with Category Managers and cross-functional colleagues to spot cross-market opportunities, keep processes simple, and make sourcing more efficient. In this collaborative role, you’ll connect with local and international teams, gain visibility across markets, and help shape the future of our delicious portfolio.

The role will report into the International Sourcing Lead, with a dotted line into the local Head of Culinary with regular interactions with international stakeholders and peer Sourcing Managers in other HelloFresh markets.

What You Will Be Doing:

• Leads the project management for new ingredient requests between culinary, product, and procurement teams
• Owns workflow for new ingredient requests, once handed over from product operations them and acts as gatekeeper responsible for ensuring strict adherence to the standardized process ultimately managing the progression and or rejection of all new ingredient requests
• Aligning with the local NID/Ingredient Specialist to ensure all sourcing tasks are completed on time, in line with the critical path. Gatekeeper for all NID requests, ensuring only SKUs that pass Gate 2 (feasibility) progress to Culinary SKU testing
• Reviews all new ingredient requisition proposals in market for completeness before connecting with local suppliers or handing over to category managers for sourcing/tender if multiple markets are involved
• Manages stakeholder engagement and communications between local and international to ensure NID approach consistent with other markets
• Coordinates new developments with category managers, sensory testing mgmt, culinary, FSQA and other markets
• Facilitates speedy SKU onboarding, but also ensures new SKUs creation is coordinated across markets, which includes a review of potential suitable alternative SKUs already available in other markets’/global portfolio 
• Support category managers in cost savings initiatives through improved SKU catalog management and to identify opportunities for SKU consolidation/rationalization or to also source from existing international catalogs
• Support SKU improvement initiatives with culinary and quality teams to tweak specifications or formulations that yield improved ingredient performance

Who You Are:

The ideal candidate for this position will exhibit the following skills and competencies:

• Demonstrable experience (3+ years) in Procurement/Category sourcing
• Ideally a degree in a business or related subject
• Excellent verbal and written communication, collaboration, and self-management skills with a strong focus on teamwork.
• Proficient in English, customer-oriented, and able to interact with business leaders and vendors at a senior level.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills with a focus on continuous process improvement.
• Ability to lead and influence business partners, team members, and other stakeholders, present ideas effectively, and facilitate discussion with multiple inputs.
• Change management, process improvement, and risk assessment skills with experience managing hybrid and flexible delivery-focused teams in a global organisation.
• Creating an environment (culture) that inspires people to generate novel, data based solutions
• Aptitude for establishing and sustaining trusting relationships amongst stakeholders across the organisation in local and international teams
• Ability to leverage insights learned through continuously evolving processes and incorporate them in their way of working
• Effectively manage timelines and myriad stakeholders’ expectations while delivering consistent and valuable results

What you will get in return:

● 70% off HelloFresh or Green Chef boxes
● Company pension scheme
● Gym membership
● Bupa private medical insurance (including dental & family cover options)
● Mental health first aiders and an employee assistance programme
● Dog friendly office!
● Nursery support scheme
● Cycle to work scheme
● Group Life Assurance

Location: The HelloFresh Farm, 60 Worship Street, EC2A 2EZ, London

To be considered for this role, you’ll need to have the independent right to work in the UK, as we're unfortunately unable to provide sponsorship at this time.

Hybrid Working Policy
We offer a hybrid working policy for eligible roles, allowing flexibility to work from home and in the office. For more details on eligibility and how this applies to the role you're applying for, please consult with your recruiter.

Next steps: Your application will be reviewed and if successful, a member of the Talent Acquisition Team will be in touch within 2 weeks.

You are required to cooperate with HelloFresh in all health and safety matters. You are responsible for ensuring you take reasonable care of your own health, and safety as well as others who may be affected by the work activities you undertake. You must report incidents immediately and actively raise health and safety-related concerns to your Line Manager. As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and secure environment, we will process Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks to the successful individual. Failure to disclose relevant information at application or throughout the process could affect your employment with the company. 

If you are currently a HelloFresh employee, please make sure you have discussed your application with your Line Manager.