Central Procurement Manager

Refresco is a global bottling company behind many leading retailers and A-brand beverages. Since its launch just over 20 years ago, the Dutch company has become the undisputed bottling market leader in Europe and North America. And their Central Procurement Manager will oversee the entire end-to-end procurement process for their Juices category.

About Refresco

Many major international FMCG brands count on Refresco to bottle their soft drink brands each year. The Dutch company has achieved significant success since they were founded twenty-three years ago. In 2022, KKR acquired a majority stake in Refresco, to leverage their next growth phase. Currently, they have seventy-four factories located on three continents. And each year, they bottle billions of liters of major soft drink brands worldwide.

Refresco is a highly decentralized organization. Their headquarters are based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, with about 150 employees from thirty different nationalities. Worldwide, Refresco employs more than 12,000 employees. The company’s culture is based on its trust in the strength of its experienced local teams. They are accountable for their own budgets, while maintaining the strategy set by the global head office in Rotterdam. Fostering synergy across the different teams is part of the company’s culture and strategy.

Their ongoing growth will impact all levels of the organization. This creates an entrepreneurial and ambitious group of people. They initiate developments and inspire each other to make an impact. Their enthusiasm reflects Refresco’s emphasis on personal growth and development.

Global Procurement Central Procurement leverages their global scale to optimize stock and delivery management, and ensures the highest quality, quantity, and pricing in the market. The team of forty-five is split into four different categories, each led by a Head of Procurement. The Juices team has a yearly spend of 700 million euros in citrus, tropicals, fruit blends, apple, stone fruits, grapes, and vegetables. Their team of fourteen include: four CPMs, two Team Coordinators, and eight Contract Officers. It is highly diverse and international, and team members’ skills and knowledge complement each other to successfully drive challenging objectives. They will soon be joined by the new Central Procurement Manager.

Job description: Central Procurement Manager

Refresco recently developed a three-year, continuous improvement strategy for Central Procurement, outlining key areas such as cost reduction, sustainability, business development, and risk management. The Central Procurement Manager will ensure their  activities in the Juices category are effective, efficient, reach set targets in the three-year plan, and align with the organization’s mission and values.

Reporting to the Head of Procurement, the Central Procurement Manager will develop procurement strategies, manage supplier relationships, and negotiate long-term contracts to ensure the organization produces high-quality juices at competitive prices. They will follow supply and demand in relevant markets and industries across the value chain. And they will identify market trends and opportunities that may impact purchasing of goods and services, indicate risks that may influence the availability and price movements of products, and assess the potential consequences.

Data management
Data analysis is also an important aspect of the role. The Central Procurement Manager will analyze procurement data and identify areas for improvement in the process to increase efficiencies and reduce costs, as well as analyze different markets, export volumes, and global production. To achieve this, the Central Procurement Manager should have strong analytical skills and be confident working with data.

In terms of stakeholder management, this role  will have regular communication with stakeholders and maintain alignment for strategic and tactical procurement issues. They also deliver information on suppliers, market developments, and procurement agreements to Group Director Purchasing, BU Purchasing Managers, BU Management Team Members, and Executive Board members.

Suppliers in the tropical Juices category are located worldwide, often in Spanish-speaking countries. Spanish language skills and knowledge of South- and Central American culture would be an advantage as the the Manager will visit suppliers in Peru, Brazil, and Costa Rica, as well as in Thailand and India. 

“Refresco is an incredible organization to join. We have made significant strides in recent years, but we are just getting started. Our goal is to double the company within the next four years. The Central Procurement Manager is essential in helping us achieve our targets and aspirations.” – Tom Vermaesen, Head of Procurement of Refresco 

The Central Procurement Manager for Juices is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned professional with a strategic mindset, stakeholder management skills, and a track record of delivering results. This role will join a dynamic, international team, and have the opportunity to make a real impact on the procurement activities for the Juices subcategory at Refresco.

Interested?

Refresco is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.
To express your interest, please contact Vivian Linker at vivian.linker@topofminds.com.