Procurement Direct Senior Category Manager

Stepan is seeking a Procurement Direct Senior Category Manager to join our Procurement team in Voreppe (38) or Paris. In this role, you will report to the European Procurement Director. You will purchase primarily petrochemical based materials at the lowest total cost of ownership for multiple Stepan European sites, while complying to Business strategy. You will be responsible for a spend of around 100MM$.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic sourcing

• Develop understanding of feedstocks and markets to identify potential new sources meeting Stepan needs; lead qualification of new suppliers to improve supply reliability and leverage prices down.
• Create and implement category sourcing strategies, implement best practices, and drive initiatives to improve supplier quality & service levels while reducing costs
• Work with internal stakeholders / Businesses to communicate raw material trends and to understand Business needs

Negotiation

• Lead supplier agreement negotiations for regional categories managed, execute competitive bids and stakeholder reviews

Supplier management

• Develop supplier relationship at adequate level to ensure productive collaboration and monitor their performance against contract expectations

Processes

• Ensure compliance with regional procurement processes and procedures as well as assisting in the timely execution of procurement-oriented tasks

Qualifications

• Ability to set priorities, and to establish strategies and tactics
• Strongly prefer experience (procurement, commercial) with all/some of the following materials: DEG and other glycols, orthoxylene, phthalic anhydride, adipic acid, HDO and terephthalic acid
• Proven record of negotiation skills, and decision making
• Experience of international trade, and in managing volatile pricing raw materials.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to present information clearly and concisely.
• Strong business acumen
• Fluency in English is mandatory

Education

• Strongly prefer a chemical degree (Chemical Engineer or equivalent) with procurement or commercial experience
• 10 years’ experience in a similar position
• Significant knowledge of chemical industry, esp. raw materials, suppliers, movements