Senior Buyer ( Farming Operations)

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:

The Senior Buyer (Technical) plays a pivotal role in supporting strategic sourcing initiatives aimed at delivering long-term programs for services and goods categories that align with the business requirements of Farming Operations in South Africa. This role entails leveraging negotiation skills to secure beneficial terms, employing data analytics for strategic decision-making, and ensuring procurement activities are aligned with the company's operational and financial objectives.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to align procurement strategies with business objectives.
• Utilize deep industry knowledge to forecast market trends and assess their potential impact on procurement strategies.
• Lead complex negotiations with vendors, emphasizing total cost of ownership (TCO), innovation, and flexibility.
• Design and implement procurement strategies to mitigate risks, enhance supplier performance, and support sustainability objectives.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and legal departments to ensure contracts comply with regulatory requirements and company policies.
• Act as an escalation point for contractual and performance issues, demonstrating advanced problem-solving skills and effective dispute management.
• Consolidate and analyze global procurement spend data for the preparation of monthly global procurement reporting, utilizing data analytics skills.
• Ensure all administrative and regulatory requirements regarding procurement are met and align with company policies, resolving any potential issues specific to Farming Operations.

Key Results Areas:

• Deliver year-on-year total cost efficiencies through cost, quality, and speed improvements for spend/vendor relationships.
• Ensure internal client satisfaction.
• Create consistent and accurate global reporting data.
• Achieve savings and cost avoidance targets.
• Optimize payment terms and increase contract coverage.
• Improve procurement cycle time.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Commerce Marketing Management, Risk Management, Accounting, or Finance.
• Post-graduate or Master’s degree in related qualifications is advantageous.
• 5-10 years of experience in the Agricultural Industry, with a focus on evaluating different products to select the best options.
• Experience in the grains and oilseed environment is advantageous.
• Experience with SAP/ERP Procurement solutions (S/4HANA MM, Ariba) is beneficial.

Skills:

• Ability to work in a cross-functional international corporate environment.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills with a customer-oriented profile.
• Fluency in Afrikaans and English; knowledge of other European languages is advantageous.
• Strong communication, analytical, and presentation skills.
• Open-minded self-starter with the ability to adapt, improvise, and solve problems.
• Strong negotiation, planning, and organizational skills.
• Ability to initiate action, persuade, influence, adapt to change, and deliver results effectively.