CDD - Visual Merchandising Indirect Procurement Manager

About the Role

As a member of the Indirect Procurement team at Estée Lauder Companies, this position belongs to the EUKEM region. You will manage the Collaterals scope, including Visual Merchandising, and drive value, innovation, and sustainability across supplier partnerships. The role focuses on optimizing Collateral needs in the EMEA Region, working closely with Global leads, fostering relationships with key suppliers, and supporting exceptional performance and brand integrity.

Context

Visual Merchandising (VM) in ELC EMEA is complex with multiple brands across markets. It requires strong procurement expertise and a category‑management approach to secure best value while minimizing risk and maximizing opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the regional category strategies, collaborating with the Senior Manager, IP Affiliates, IP global, and stakeholders to increase spend under IP management for each sub‑category in scope, including robust spend and needs analysis.
• Contribute to developing the pipeline of sourcing initiatives and opportunities for sub‑categories regionally and via affiliates, aligned with the overall Category strategy and priorities.
• Track and proactively manage key Cost & Cash Targets throughout the year to ensure the achievement of the targets.
• Execute sourcing activities and negotiations.
• Manage supplier relationships (SRM) for strategic relationships in collaboration with key stakeholders, conducting bi‑annual business reviews and evaluating opportunities & business satisfaction to further develop the category.
• Drive the agenda on Sustainability, Innovation, and Supplier Inclusion & Diversity principles and guidelines related to the responsible sub‑categories.
• Serve as subject‑matter expert, developing expertise in the categories in scope, leveraging external sources, and staying abreast of market, ELC competition, and industry best practice.
• Support the development, implementation, and maintenance of procurement standards (SRM), processes, tools (ELC Marketplace, VCD, Ariba), and policies for both the EMEA region and affiliates.

Category Strategy Development

• Support the Senior Manager of category strategic thinking.
• Drive Visual Merchandising opportunities across EMEA at Regional Office and Affiliate levels, linking with counterparts in other regions to share and benefit from best practice learning.
• Drive key supplier relationship management (SRM), supplier development/integration in EMEA.
• Establish strong relationships with internal stakeholders to ensure early involvement in strategic ideas and anticipation of future requirements and plans, applying Sustainability, Innovation, and Supplier I&D principles and guidelines.

Strategy Implementation & Execution and New Sourcing Activities

• Execute the pipeline or identify new projects sourcing aligned with stakeholders, ensuring business sponsorship.
• Lead the regional requirements sourcing and manage the RFX activity.
• Participate in globally led sourcing activity on behalf of the Region.
• Maintain and improve the preferred vendor list with a focus on managing/reducing the tail of the supplier base.
• Develop and deploy robust contracts, ensuring visibility of the final agreement for stakeholder adoption and rollout.

Category Specific

• Manage the VM pricing exercise so that the ‘offer / bulletin’ is published to affiliates.
• Ensure follow‑up on supplies and services, respecting required deadlines, and provide all necessary information for perfect order follow‑up in SAP and pricing for invoices back to affiliates.

SRM

• Continuously review service delivery to positively impact quality and performance improvements, seeking further value creation and cost optimizations.
• Focus on business continuity, due diligence, market intelligence, and trends, ensuring supplier evolution and alternatives are assessed with the business.
• Continuously monitor and improve existing rate cards (price grids) and the preferred vendor panel.
• Ensure implementation of contractual agreements (MSA/SOW) amendments and adoption by stakeholder groups, including affiliates where applicable.

Cross‑Functional / Individual

• Introduce and/or contribute to cross‑functional projects at Global, Regional Office, and Affiliate levels.
• Introduce and/or participate in continuous improvement of processes and procurement performance.
• Manage internal dashboards (KPI, savings, etc.) and identify upside opportunities, potential risks, and blocking points.
• Manage ad‑hoc projects as agreed with the Executive Director in cases of overcapacity or risk elsewhere in the Indirect Procurement Department.
• Actively participate in training and continuous professional development, ensuring completion of all mandatory trainings.

Qualifications

• Procurement experience, ideally in Indirect Procurement and merchandising.
• Strong category management, negotiation, competitive bidding, cost modelling, benchmarking/should cost/TCO, contractual agreements, and supplier relationship management skills.
• Proven management experience of buyer/trainee resources.
• Excellent collaboration, teamwork, and coordination in a matrix environment with regional stakeholders, affiliates, and global peers.
• Strategic thinking, supporting the Senior Manager in developing and executing the regional category strategy for store design.
• Strong stakeholder relationship management and communication skills, engaging with affiliate procurement and across the organization.
• Robust project management skills with flexibility and capacity to adapt to changing circumstances, managing simultaneous projects efficiently.
• Proactive attitude, initiating ideas and enhancements for category management.
• Excellent Excel, PowerPoint, SAP, and ARIBA skills.
• Strong analytical skills to evaluate RFI/RFP, detailed comparison, and scorecard based on predefined criteria with the business.