- This role leads the procurement and commercial management of third-party manufacturing units (TPOs), ensuring secure, competitive, and compliant supply aligned to business growth plans. The mandate spans contracting, should-cost analytics, cost optimization, supplier performance management, and long-term capacity planning.

- The role also anchors the end-to-end onboarding of new third-party units, from capability assessment and due diligence to contracting, rate finalization, and operational readiness. It supports innovation, renovation, and supply resilience initiatives, while delivering flat or near flat inflation outcomes through disciplined negotiations and productivity levers.

Decision-Making Authority:

Decisions Expected:

- Approve day-to-day operational decisions related to supplier performance, issue resolution, and contract compliance

- Finalize should-cost assessments and commercial analyses for internal alignment

- Close tactical negotiations within agreed governance guardrails

Recommendations Expected:

- Annual inflation revisions and bottling rate changes

- Long-term contracting strategy, capacity creation, and supplier footprint

- New vendor onboarding based on capability, cost, and risk assessments

- Productivity programs and cost-improvement initiatives

Financial Accountability:

- Influences a significant portion of third-party manufacturing cost base

- Responsible for delivering annual savings, productivity improvements, and inflation control

- Ensures robustness of commercial models impacting annual budgets and long-term plans

- No direct P&L ownership; high indirect impact on total conversion cost

Market & Functional Complexity:

- Operates across a diverse third-party network with varying capabilities, costs, and regulatory environments

- High interdependence with Planning, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, Legal, and S&OP

- Manages a business-critical category with sensitivity to service, quality, compliance, and inflation

- Balances short-term operational continuity with long-term capacity and footprint strategy

Leadership Responsibilities:

- Leads cross-functional teams to land contracts, resolve issues, and drive supplier performance

- Influences external manufacturing partners and senior stakeholders without direct authority

- Drives governance through structured Supplier Performance Management (SPM) forums

- Coaches suppliers and internal teams on commercial discipline, capability uplift, and compliance

- Role-models data-driven decision making, negotiation rigor, and relationship management

Top Accountabilities:

Cost Management & Commercial Strategy:

- Build and govern should-cost and zero-based costing frameworks

- Lead annual inflation and rate negotiations to ensure cost stability

- Drive cost reduction across conversion, utilities, labour, and overheads

- Unlock productivity via scale consolidation, co-location, localization, and process efficiency

- Create long-term commercial strategies ensuring predictable cost structures

Contracting & Supply Security:

- Lead end-to-end contracting cycles: RFPs, rate modelling, negotiations, legal alignment, and execution

- Ensure adherence to service, quality, EHS, and compliance commitments

- Partner with Planning and Manufacturing to build multi-year supply and capacity scenarios

Knowledge & Skills:

- Strong commercial judgment and negotiation capability

- Advanced analytical thinking and financial modelling

- Deep understanding of should-cost drivers in manufacturing operations

- Ability to influence without authority

- Supplier relationship and risk management

- Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-paced environments