1,575 jobs for "Continuous Improvement Leader"

Regional Procurement Specialist- Raw Materials

Position Type: 5 Months Contract

Location: Scotland

Purpose of the Role:

An exceptional opportunity for an ambitious and high-performing professional to shape Diageo's spirits supply chain whilst creating value and assuring quality across a strategically important raw materials category.

This pivotal role offers significant exposure to senior leaders across Procurement, Supply and Manufacturing, providing a unique platform for career progression and impact.

As a Regional Procurement Specialist - Raw Materials, you will be instrumental in managing raw material supply chains that support spirits production, driving strategic sourcing initiatives that deliver substantial value, mitigate risk and ensure resilient supply. You will work closely with manufacturing sites, suppliers and business stakeholders to ensure future requirements are reflected in category strategies and implementation plans.

You will be at the forefront of delivering change across Supply Categories through supplier qualification, business continuity planning, sustainability initiatives, security-of-supply programmes and strategic supplier management. This role will play a key part in enabling Diageo to deliver its growth ambitions while maintaining industry-leading standards of quality, sustainability and performance.

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Sourcing & Category Leadership

• Develop and implement comprehensive procurement implementation plans and contribute towards the development of global and regional procurement strategies for raw materials.

• Proactively identify opportunities for productivity improvements and significant cost savings using internal and external market insights.

• Manage critical raw material supply chains and ensure successful execution against sourcing strategies and supplier commitments.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance value delivery, competitiveness and business performance.

• Support category governance, supplier segmentation and strategic planning activities.

Sustainability & Supply Chain Transformation

• Work closely with Sustainability teams and Global Procurement colleagues to support regenerative agriculture, decarbonisation and responsible sourcing programmes.

• Drive supplier engagement initiatives that improve environmental performance and support Diageo's sustainability ambitions.

• Ensure sustainability considerations are embedded into sourcing decisions, supplier evaluations and category strategies.

• Support delivery of long-term supply chain resilience initiatives.

Cross-Functional & Senior Stakeholder Partnering

• Build and sustain strong, influential relationships with key partners across Planning, Sustainability, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality and Legal teams.

• Drive the strategic integration of Procurement initiatives within the business, ensuring alignment to operational and commercial priorities.

• Effectively navigate complex stakeholder relationships and gain buy-in for strategic and tactical initiatives.

• Develop and present clear, compelling business cases to support sourcing decisions, investments and supplier strategies.

Commercial & Financial Foresight

• Utilise strong analytical skills, including advanced cost modelling, forecasting and market intelligence, to develop best-in-class sourcing and negotiation strategies.

• Lead commercial negotiations with suppliers to secure optimal commercial outcomes whilst maintaining strong strategic relationships.

• Monitor market trends, supply dynamics and commodity risks to inform decision-making.

• Ensure strong financial awareness and understanding to deliver sustainable end-to-end value.

Supplier & Risk Management

• Develop resilient supply chains through proactive supplier performance management, contract management and risk mitigation.

• Lead business continuity planning and risk assessment activities to strengthen supply security.

• Hold suppliers accountable for commitments, innovation, service levels and sustainability objectives.

• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, ensuring robust contingency plans are in place for critical materials and suppliers.

• Foster strong supplier partnerships that encourage continuous improvement and value creation.

Project Support & Process Optimisation

• Support technical, innovation and operational excellence projects associated with new technologies, raw materials and supply chain transformation.

• Collaborate closely with project teams to ensure successful delivery against Procurement and business objectives.

• Leverage analytics tools, dashboards and procurement systems to generate insights and improve decision-making.

• Drive process optimisation and standardisation across procurement activities.

• Champion the use of digital tools and data-led approaches to improve procurement effectiveness.

Qualifications and Experience Required:

Proactive & Results-Oriented

A highly proactive and results-focused individual with a proven ability to generate insights, influence decision-making and identify opportunities that create value.

Strategic Expertise

Experience developing and delivering successful strategies within a complex organisation and demonstrating ownership of key business priorities.

Analytical Acumen

Strong analytical capability with experience in data analytics, cost modelling, financial analysis and market assessment to support sourcing decisions and negotiation strategies.

Commercial & Negotiation Capability

Strong commercial judgement and negotiation skills with a proven track record of delivering value through supplier and stakeholder engagement.

Manufacturing & Operational Understanding

Experience within manufacturing, operations, agricultural supply chains, ingredient procurement or related supply chain environments, providing valuable insight into production requirements and operational constraints.

Exceptional Stakeholder Engagement

Excellent communication, interpersonal and influencing skills, with a demonstrated ability to build strong relationships and align diverse stakeholders across all levels of the organisation.

Supplier Relationship Management

Demonstrated ability to establish productive supplier partnerships, drive accountability and deliver continuous improvement through collaboration and challenge.

Project Collaboration

Proven ability to collaborate effectively on cross-functional initiatives and support successful project execution aligned with Procurement and business strategies.

Flexible Working Statement:

Flexibility is key to our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you, so that you're supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one.

Rewards & Benefits Statement:

We recognise and value performance, offering our people a highly competitive Rewards and Benefits package including:

Diversity statement:

Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this.

We embrace diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you'll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You'll be part of and help build and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences, mindsets, and more.

Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to new heights and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world.

Feel inspired? Then this may be the opportunity for you.

About Diageo

With over 200 brands, from Johnnie Walker to Casamigos to Bulleit, sold in more than 180 countries, we’re the world’s leading premium drinks company.

Size: 10,000+ employees
Industry: Food & Beverage

View company profile