Sourcing Specialist

**Company presentation**
A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in **75 countries** with approximately 66,400 employees and serves more than 3.8 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902.

Air Liquide’s ambition is to be a leader in its industry, deliver long term performance and contribute to sustainability - with a strong commitment to climate change and energy transition at the heart of its strategy.

**Entity and activity description**
Air Liquide has been supplying industrial gases and services for all Industries, Healthcare, Food and Beverages, and Fabrication in accordance with the top international quality standards in the Southern Africa region for more than 50 years. Our mission is to support country development through continuous improvement and solutions centered on technological innovation.

**Responsibilities**
The Sourcing Specialist is responsible for the sourcing strategy of equipment/materials/services in the specified local category. Jointly with the Operations, the Sourcing Specialist has the responsibility to prepare the Annual Sourcing Strategy/Plan, based on business objectives and the need to improve safety, quality, reliability, on-time Delivery, competitiveness or reduce risks related to product supply. Sourcing Specialist is in charge of overseeing local category management and ensures central-local collaboration in Coordinated/Enforced categories.

The sourcing plan shall primarily focus on supplier qualification (new or extension), frame agreement, co-development, alliances, early partnering on key projects. The Sourcing Specialist focuses on identifying and partnering « Best Class » suppliers, offering innovative technology solutions at a competitive price. The Sourcing Specialist is accountable for the supplier market analysis, besides their responsibilities to deploy the sourcing strategy on key categories, thus improving safety, quality, reliability, on-time delivery, competitiveness or reduce risks related to product supply. The Sourcing Specialist is expected to negotiate frame contracts for local suppliers and manage strategic relationships
- Manage local spend in the category
- Perform rigorous analysis on local category cost base and suppliers to ensure delivery of spend and efficiency targets
- Ensure supply to the business and execution of local procurement
- Own, manage and negotiate local supplier relationships and take sourcing decisions
- Manage local supplier performance (performance to SLAs, continuous improvement - cost and innovation)
- Stay abreast of market conditions and trends (including global pricing benchmarks) to inform strategy and ensure supply continuity
- Define and implement a local category strategy if required
- Implement best practice category management techniques
- Implement standards, processes and tools consistent with overall procurement function
- Comply with overall procurement spend and preferred supplier policies, and monitor compliance of business end users
- Participate in the local and central skill development plan activities

**Requirements** Education**
- Education: Bachelor's degree in business/finance/economics
- Relevant certification (e.g. CPM) advisable

**Experience**
- 5-7 years of managerial experience in procurement, preferably with in-depth knowledge of category management
- Worked for Multinational Companies

**Knowledge and Know-how specific to the job**
- Be Act Engage
- Category & Sourcing Strategy (Must have)
- Category & Market Expertise (Must have)
- Supplier Selection, Qualification & Relationship (Must have)
- Negotiations & Contract Knowledge (Must have)
- Performance & Process Management (Data, KPI & Digital Tools) (Must have)
- Planification & Expediting (Good to have)
- Financial Analysis (Transversal) (Should have)
- Project Management (Transversal) (Must have)
- Data analysis

**Additional information**
Air Liquide embraces diversity and is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer committed to the achievement and maintenance of equal representation (gender, race and people living with disability) in its workforce profile. Skills development remains our key driver in up skilling the workforce. Appointments will be made based on performance and in line with the company’s employment equity plan and skills development objectives.

Job Reference: AE00207