Senior Specialist, Procurement Excellence

Short Intro and About the Job

As a Procurement Excellence senior specialist, you will play a pivotal role in optimizing and enhancing the procurement processes and strategies within the organization. This position reports directly to the CoE Manager and is responsible for creating, implementing, and managing best practices, tools, and resources to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the procurement function. The Procurement Excellence senior specialist will collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to ensure procurement operations align with the organization's objectives.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Main responsibilities

Data & Performance Management: Manage procurement data, KPIs and performance tracking to improve visibility and support business decision-making. Develop and maintain dashboards and reports using tools such as Power BI and Excel. Monitor procurement performance, project progress, savings delivery and relevant market/industry trends. Translate complex data into actionable insights and recommendations for stakeholders. Continuously improve data quality, reporting processes and data visualization methods.

Process Excellence & Governance: Utilize data analytics tools and procurement software for:

• KPI / dashboard management
• SOP・manual・guideline establishment
• Process standardization
• Process simplification
• Reporting automation
• Change management

Procurement Planning & Financial Management: Support quarterly rolling forecasts and annual budget planning for the Procurement function. Track key financial indicators such as inflation, savings and budget performance. Collaborate with Procurement and Finance stakeholders to ensure accurate planning and reporting. Identify risks and opportunities through data analysis and market insights.

Digital Procurement & E-Sourcing: Act as a key point of contact and subject matter support for e-Sourcing activities and tools across Direct and Indirect Procurement. Support buyers in utilizing e-Sourcing platforms and standardized sourcing processes. Drive adoption of digital procurement tools and identify opportunities to improve sourcing efficiency and compliance. Collaborate with global and local stakeholders on e-Sourcing process improvements and implementation.

Raw material delivery management & streamlining: Work with key raw material suppliers & internal operations team streamlining process with innovative solutions to:

• Standardize delivery process
• Visualize delivery OTIF
• Better manage delivery related KPIs
• Promote process automation
• Enable buyers

Continuous Improvement & Project Management: Evaluate, implement, and maintain procurement technology solutions to streamline processes, increase automation, and enhance the overall efficiency of the procurement function. Keep abreast of industry trends and emerging best practices, and recommend innovative solutions such as process automation, data visualization for process improvement, and be the person to initiative and manage the changes you propose.

About You

• University Graduate
• 2-5 years of experience in procurement or supply chain management, with a strong understanding of procurement processes and best practices.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to use data to drive informed decision-making.
• Hands-on & advanced skills in developing and maintaining Power BI dashboards.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Both Japanese & English language (writing & speaking. above TOEIC 800 level)
• Proficiency in procurement software and data analytics tools. [SAP ERP, Zycus eSourcing, and/or Coupa OneBuy experience is a plus]
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel for data analysis and reporting and PowerPoint for effective communication and presentation.

The ideal candidate is a business-oriented data and process improvement professional with a solid understanding of procurement. This role is not intended to be a traditional Buyer position or a purely technical Data Analyst role. The successful candidate should be able to combine data analytics, business insight, process improvement and stakeholder management.

• Culture fit to multinational, diverse, versatile and lean organization
• Action oriented, Self-starter
• Agility to deal with ambiguity without micro-management from seniors
• Self-awareness and quick reflection to development
• Strong personal responsibility and level of ownership to achieve department & company objectives by prioritizing and leading action plan
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with cross-functional teams and external suppliers.

About Us, We offer and What's next

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

Dedicated to bringing health through food to as many people as possible, Danone is a leading global food & beverage company built on four businesses: Essential Dairy and Plant-Based Products, Waters, Early Life Nutrition and Medical Nutrition.

At Danone, we aim to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices, in line with our vision - Danone, One Planet. One Health - which reflects a strong belief that the health of people and the health of the planet are interconnected. We deliberately concentrate on high-growth and health-focused categories, and commit to operating in an efficient, sustainable and responsible manner.

Check out the link below to find out more about Danone in Japan.

http://www.danone.co.jp/