Walgreens

Category Manager

Posted on: 25 Mar 2021

Deerfield, IL

Job Description

Job Summary

Executes and implements effective procurement strategies, from initial identification of procurement needs through delivery, for indirect goods and services. Develops short-term and long-term strategies that align with the Company goals for reducing costs and meeting financial expectation, while managing vendor relationships and new product innovation.

Responsible for negotiating, coordinating, and assuring that assigned indirect spend categories and services are purchased at the lowest possible cost. Assesses near-term and long term plans to establish that supplier priorities are balanced with business needs; consults with Sr. Management, and other subject matter experts to develop alternative solutions; advises on options, risks, total cost of ownership, and business impacts.
Provides oversight of work quality and constructive feedback to direct and indirect reports, where applicable.

Job Responsibilities

* Directs and executes strategic sourcing strategies, best practices, and initiatives that support aggressive improvements in supplier quality, total cost effectiveness, enhanced service levels, improved coordination, delivery, pricing, lead-times, payment, risk compliance and other areas as identified.
* Executes category sourcing strategies including development and execution of RFIs and RFPs, documents bid events through correspondence to suppliers; develops selection criteria and drives the selection of suppliers in collaboration with a cross-functional teams; conducts supplier negotiations and ongoing supplier management.
* Actively seeks ways to streamline business processes; researches and provides information on industry category trends and best practices. Provides procurement input to maximize procurement leverage, optimizes project design and minimizes project durations and cost.
* Develops negotiation strategies, gains alignment from stakeholders, leads cross-functional, category-based negotiation teams, and implements appropriate supplier risk analysis. Directly negotiates with suppliers that require a detailed strategic plan and have a direct correlation with Walgreens operational needs and goals.
* Uses current spend information/data and business knowledge to identify sourcing projects for individual subcategories, and develops an overall cost reduction plan. Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of business requirements and category ownership by creating and defending category strategies and decisions with sound analytics. Delegates analytic tasks to key support functions; and synthesizes results.
* Develops supplier score card to measure supplier performance against agreed upon key performance indicators; tracks compliance and supports formal management reporting to director and other members of senior management. Benchmark, track, and analyze annual performance metrics and sourcing trends against budget on a monthly basis to demonstrate continuous improvement and progress against strategic objectives. Implement supplier management programs with key suppliers including metrics, performance goals, and improvement initiatives.
* Monitors supplier performance to ensure that delivery dates and technical and contractual requirements are met. Participates in strategic meetings with suppliers and business leaders to ensure execution of defined strategies. Manages day-to-day on-going category supplier relations and seeks out growth or revision opportunities within supply base. Acts as the internal point of contact for supplier management and complaint resolution; conducts regular supplier meetings and implements improvement strategies with suppliers. Creates, nurtures, and enhances supplier relationships.
* Aggressively manages category performance by adhering to internal Savings goals and reviewing financial models for commodity type items. Ensures spend portfolio for reoccurring managed spend is balanced through coordinated sourcing waves and leveraged with Capital project sourcing activities.
* Drives consolidation of spend and seeks out synergies across Business Units where applicable, by forming and leading cross-functional strategic sourcing teams to develop and implement category/commodity strategies and to drive cost from individual spend sub-categories. Champions weekly category review meetings with cross-functional teams to manage category performance.
* May cultivate team morale, motivation, and loyalty through continuous training and mentorship, setting obtainable performance goals, proving clear communication and constructive feedback.

An Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), a global leader in retail and wholesale pharmacy. As Americas most loved pharmacy, health and beauty company, Walgreens purpose is to champion the health and wellbeing of every community in America. Operating more than 9,000 retail locations across America, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Walgreens is proud to be a neighborhood health destination serving approximately 8 million customers each day. Walgreens pharmacists play a critical role in the U.S. healthcare system by providing a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services. To best meet the needs of customers and patients, Walgreens offers a true omnichannel experience, with platforms bringing together physical and digital, supported by the latest technology to deliver high-quality products and services in local communities nationwide.

Walgreens

Deerfield, IL

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. operates as a pharmacy-led health and wellbeing company. It operates through three segments: Retail Pharmacy USA, Retail Pharmacy International, and Pharmaceutical Wholesale. The Retail Pharmacy USA segment sells prescription drugs and an assortment of retail products, including health, beauty, personal care, consumable, and general merchandise products through its retail drugstores and convenient care clinics. It also provides specialty pharmacy services and mail services; and manages in-store clinics. As of August 31, 2018, this segment operated 9,560 retail stores under the Walgreens and Duane Reade brands in the United States; and 7 specialty pharmacies, as well as approximately 400 in-store clinic locations.

The Retail Pharmacy International segment sells prescription drugs; and health, beauty, personal care, and other consumer products through its pharmacy-led health and beauty stores and optical practices, as well as through boots.com and an integrated mobile application. This segment operated 4,767 retail stores under the Boots, Benavides, and Ahumada in the United Kingdom, Thailand, Norway, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Mexico, and Chile; and 618 optical practices, including 167 on a franchise basis.

The Pharmaceutical Wholesale segment engages in the wholesale and distribution of specialty and generic pharmaceuticals, health and beauty products, and home healthcare supplies and equipment, as well as provides related services to pharmacies and other healthcare providers. This segment operates in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Turkey, Spain, the Netherlands, Egypt, Norway, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania. The company has a strategic partnership with Microsoft Corporation. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. was founded in 1901 and is based in Deerfield, Illinois.

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