What you'll do
- Develop and implement a Shipping Purchasing Strategy aligned with global plans
- Deliver planned savings and sustainability targets for the Shipping Category region
- Ensure complete overview of bulk shipping, stevedoring, and barging activities to design strategy
- Identify and manage cost savings and improvement projects until completion and validation
- Create alignment across the Global Shipping Purchasing team on methodology and best practices
- Build and maintain a network with key stakeholders in Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, and Purchasing
- Manage performance assessment processes and report results periodically
- Support and challenge internal stakeholders, define goals, and provide support for improvement projects
- Establish detailed SLAs with internal shipping operations for operational cooperation
- Build relationships with ship owners and industry bodies, and manage supplier relationships
- Monitor market evolution in Bulk Shipping Industry and report relevant information
- Support commercial teams with cost indications and opportunities for shipments
- Maintain and update financial and performance data records, including indexes and demurrages
- Promote and contribute to automation and AI tool usage in the category
Key requirements
- 5+ years' experience
- Supply Chain Management and Bulk Shipping Industry Knowledge
- Strategic Purchasing and Contract Negotiation skills
- Sustainability Targets Management and Performance Assessment capabilities
- Stakeholder Management and Supplier Relationship Management
- Financial and Performance Data Management
- Project Management and use of Automation and AI Tools
- English Fluency and Multi-language Capability
- Knowledge of Bulk Shipping Regulations and Communication Skills
- Supply Chain Management / International Business and Economicspreferred
About the job
With a global spend of 80M€ the bulk shipping category is an important purchasing area at Imerys. The Bulk Shipping Category Manager is responsible for strategic purchasing of bulk, breakbulk, stevedoring and barging transportation for inbound & outbound flows. The role will oversee the purchasing process methodology, best practices, sourcing strategy and associated KPIs management. An operational responsibility is part of the role, in particular the chartering
process and follow up of shipments.
Responsibilities
Within the team develop and implement a Shipping Purchasing Strategy for your area of responsibility and aligned to the global plans, that best serves Imerys global needs for short and long term
Deliver the planned savings for the Shipping Category region as well as the sustainability targets
Ensure to have a full and complete overview of Categories activities (bulk shipping, stevedoring, related activities, barging) enabling the function to design the required strategy and to approach the market as one unified and strong shipper with a sustainable objective and cost savings
Identify, quantify and pursue opportunities for cost savings or other improvements and manage them on a project basis until completion and validation of the captured savings
Contribute to create alignment across the Global Shipping Purchasing team suggesting common methodology, sharing best practices and secure continuity
Build a network with key stakeholders in Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Purchasing and actively work on alignment between the different contributors
Manage a common process of performance assessment for the category and report results periodically
Be a supportive but also challenging business partner and source of related knowledge for Imerys internal stakeholders, define common goals and provide and seek support for improvement projects
Setup a process of establishing detailed and tailor made SLA’s with the Imerys internal shipping operations defining the applicable way of cooperation on operational level
Actively build on relationships and be the Imerys representative with ship owners or shipping industry bodies and maintain a supplier relationship management process
Follow Market Evolution on different sub categories in the Bulk Shipping Industry and be able to report relevant information to key stakeholders
Support commercial teams by providing cost indications or ad-hoc opportunities for potential shipments
Maintain and update records containing financial and performance data, indexes, demurrages etc.
Be a promotor and active contributor in bringing the Category to a higher level on automation and usage of tools, in particular by exploring opportunities in AI that could help the team
Qualifications
Master or Bachelor in Supply Chain or International Business Economics
Solid relevant experience in Supply Chain, in particular Sea Freight and related activities in an international business environment (5 year +)
Fluent in English
Conversant in French, German, Italian or any other European language is a plus
Knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics
Demonstrated ability to develop relationships & influence key decision makers internally & externally, regionally and globally
Proven experience in planning and leading complex negotiations
Highly motivated & results focused with the ability to act with a high sense of urgency
Ability to operate and execute effectively in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities and challenging deadlines
Thorough knowledge of the regulations, formalities and processes of the Bulk Shipping Category
Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
Thorough knowledge and experience in the usage of tools and AI



