Highlights of Category Manager of Marketing and Indirect Position

A program to transform the Marketing Supply and Logistics Procurement and Supply Chain Management (PSCM) capability is now under development, combining early improvements in the way that we work and deliver value, with progressive change over the next 18 months to fully deliver on aggressive savings targets. The intent is to establish PSCM as a collaborative business partner, where marketing and technical experts and our business partners work hand in hand with procurement professionals to deliver competitive sourcing decisions and a significant improvement in third party spend and productivity/utilization. This will be achieved through improvements within procurement and within the business line teams, where the sourcing need is initiated through activities in capital projects, turnarounds, and routine maintenance.

The Marketing and Indirect Category Manager Role is a member of the US MS&L Procurement Leadership Team, and with have one direct report. This member will be required to contribute to the strategic transformation and leadership of the broader US MS&L team, while collaborating with marketing/indirect business leadership to drive procurement value across the businesses.

The Category Management role focuses on fully understanding the supply market for the Marketing sector. This includes understanding the demand for the goods/services required in that sector, and the development/implementation of the appropriate procurement and supply chain management (PSCM) strategies to optimally match supply and demand. This strategic approach is typically managed across assets, geographical and organizational boundaries.

Key Responsibilities of Category Manager of Marketing and Indirect Position

The Marketing and Indirect CM has direct responsibility and accountability for the procurement strategies for all associated MS&L 3rd party marketing spend, is accountable for ensuring that the market sector strategies are aligned with the SPU/BU business requirements, supply chain strategies and that value is added / optimized, while interfacing with the broader global marketing market sector team. The strategies developed will reflect the multi-functional, multi-business perspectives and varying market dynamics.

Key Accountabilities:

• Accountable for procurement strategies and tactics for a focused product or service area, ensuring business requirements are fulfilled and value is optimized across multiple businesses. Also accountable for the overall development and implementation of sourcing strategies and supply market intelligence in their area of responsibility.
• Establishes and communicates vision and strategic direction for assigned market subsector(s) aligned to the PSCM agenda
• Removes roadblocks to enable the delivery of the market sub­sector strategies within the PSCM agenda
• Coordinates the procurement of one or more defined product or service areas
• Delivers robust cost management and mitigates business risk via rigorous contract management control
• Develops and leads cross functional teams in commodity strategy development, supplier sourcing, and supplier negotiations
• Captures, shares and applies lessons learned and best practices
• Develops and manages supplier relationships for strategic and key suppliers
• Establishes measures to monitor and ensure continuous improvement of supplier performance
• Employs financial analysis and economic modeling skills to evaluate supplier proposal pricing and develop flexible contractual pricing models which accommodate inflation, currency, scope changes, and other areas of risk mitigation and cost control
• Is accountable for the accuracy of the data relating to the market sub­sector
• Uses knowledge of commercial contract law to guide the development and assessment of pertinent contractual terms and conditions
• Analyses and assists in the development of specifications and statements of work
• Builds and maintains profiles of supply market and key suppliers (includes both current and potential suppliers)
• Actively tracks the supply market to take advantage of the prevailing opportunities in the marketplace
• Proactively explores the wider supply and industry markets to identify opportunities that BP can leverage for great benefit delivery or to mitigate supply risk e.g. Technology developments, acquisition impacts
• Identifies, implements and realizes value through effective ”strategic cost management” utilizing best in class methods (e.g. should cost) and tools (e.g. e-auctions)
• Builds and nurtures both internal and external relationships
• Provides information and counsel to senior management on market trends, commodity cost drivers and cost control strategies.
• Responsible for employee development, performance management and career guidance
• Champions HSSE
• Promotes compliance with BP’s code of conduct, ensuring by personal example and coaching that BP staff understand and practice ethical business behavior, and using reasonable care to monitor suppliers and contractors working for BP to ensure they work in a manner consistent with the code
• Undertakes due diligence in mitigating all external supply risk from supplier selection through to contract execution
• Provide support and direction to the sites on process safety and risk management related issues.

Essential Criteria & Qualifications:

• English – Fluent
• Bachelors Degree
• At least 5 years experience in Procurement or Supply Chain Management
• Significant experience across relevant procurement categories (marketing and indirect)
• Experienced in creating and articulating sourcing strategies that supports BU specific business requirements, but at the same time challenges status quo while leveraging BP’s scale and spending power
• 5 years of Project Management experience working in multi-functional teams
• Strong influencing and team building skills, with an ability to build consensus and engagement with key stakeholders at all levels and across organizational boundaries
• Ability to grow quickly into the position, provide immediate contribution and work with ambiguous situations and time lines
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills
• Capable of engaging and influencing through effective communication up, down and across the organization
• Ability to manage multiple / conflicting priorities with a strong track record of delivery
• Proactively takes initiative
• Exhibits flexibility and adaptability in handling change
• Strong impact, high level interpersonal and communication skills, with a proven capability to make contributions to teams and initiatives
• All candidates will undergo a technical capability assessment, and are required to meet the requisite technical competency levels across the following categories:
  • Market sector strategy development & application
  • Demand management
  • Sourcing
  • Supply chain risk management
  • Contract execution and management
  • Supplier performance management
  • Materials management
  • Project Management Skills
  • Negotiating and Influencing Strategy
  • Financial Skills

Desirable Criteria & Qualifications:

• Masters Degree in associated discipline
• Professional Accreditation (APICS / ISM)
• Knowledge of relevant supply markets
• Market sector strategy development & application
• Demand management
• Supply chain risk management
• Contract execution and management
• Supplier performance management

About the Author:

The Teldar Group is an Executive Search and Recruiting Firm specializing in placing professionals in Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Purchasing, Logistics and Supply Chain positions.

All entries by Teldar Group