VMO Governance Manager

About Unilever 

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Persil, Dove, Knorr, Domestos, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Wall’s, PG Tips, Marmite, and Lynx. Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’. 

Purpose  

Business Context 

MBS manages spends more than €11B each year with external vendors, and the quality and value of vendor services are critical to the success of Unilever. 

The Vendor Management Office (VMO) is an agile, cross-functional organisation that will transform the way that GDT and GBS manages suppliers and the value we gain from our supplier spend. The VMO will: 

• Coordinate the change to a new proactive operating model, building collaboration across functions to maximize value from our supplier spend. 

• Be the engine that amplifies delivery of value from a new Collaborative Procurement Model that plans supplier decisions much further ahead, across whole areas of spend rather than individual contracts, and ensures best alignment with our business strategies. 

• Assure the performance and compliance of suppliers and will ensure that we have the right data to deliver ever more value year on year. 

• Provide end-to-end orchestration, and governance of vendor management activities across GDT and GBS. 

Objectives 

Supplier base segmentation aligned with business strategies. 

Robust Supplier Governance Model implementation to maximize the value from GDT and GBS supplier base. 

Driving governance maturity and standardisation across supplier tiers 

Key Accountabilities 

Develop and orchestrate the supplier governance model across all supplier tiers to ensure alignment with business strategies and value maximisation. 

End-to-end orchestration of Diamond governance, SBR activation, and senior stakeholder alignment across MBS portfolios 

Develop & maintain an up-to-date Suppliers Governance meetings calendar and Dashboard per supplier segment. 

Develop & maintain a per governance, a supplier document repository with minutes of meetings, action trackers and artifacts 

Ensure Diamond governances are strategic and aligned with business and supplier strategy 

Work with the VMO leads to hold business stakeholders and suppliers accountable for their actions post governance meetings. 

Develop a clear Escalation process as part of the governance model. 

Support MBS and business to create and update strategic business plan for key suppliers 

About You 

A results-driven, business focused leader with a passion for working strategically and collaboratively 

At least 8 years’ experience in supplier management in a global organisation, with a strong track record of delivering programs of strategic change. 

Proven governance leadership across a complex stakeholder landscape, with a demonstrated ability to drive improvement in maturity over time. 

Deep understanding of vendor performance and relationship management. 

Experience in effectively leading and developing specialist teams. 

A strong team player, with the ability to grow effective relationships across a complex organisation. 

Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) for interaction with C-level executives. 

Attention to detail, supported by sound financial and analytical understanding. 

Knowledge of FMCG and Supply Chain processes an advantage. 

Behaviours 

• Care Deeply - Has emotional intelligence to challenge with positive tension, yet openness to take feedback, and drive performance with care.  This role is exposed to tremendous and varying pressure as it links directly to human behavioural change, the incumbent has an emotional intelligence and toughness and creates an atmosphere of psychological safety for the challenges to be addresses in a mature and factual way 

• Focus on What Counts – Generates intensity and focus to motivate people to deliver fewer, bigger things to conclusion with speed and agility. Prioritize ruthlessly, say ‘No’ as often as ;yes’, own outcomes from the ITIB, without diluting support, be able to triage new asks . Ensure Programme Leads speak with same voice and are empowered to make choices 

• Stay Three Steps Ahead – Think Big, simplify and commit to making it happen and leading, shaping and disruptive thinking 

• Deliver with Excellence – Takes personal responsibility and accountability for developing breakthrough solutions and pride in execution 

Interfaces 

This role is an individual contributor, responsible for end-to-end orchestration of Supplier Governance and Relationship process, ensuring delivery of Unilever and supplier activities to drive value.  

Required : Bachelor’s Degree 

 Preferred: Masters or Advanced Business Degree 

Professional Certifications in process improvement, Agile