MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:
Products:
61 Research markets to source and develop new products and vendors for group and banners under Kingfisher own brands (OEB), ensuring legal, Kingfisher and customer requirements & briefs are met under the guidance and in supporting/following up with Product leads/Banner marketing managers’ leadership and managements.

Purchasing:
61 Lead activity planning and reporting (regular updates and ad hoc requests).
61 Ensure the team deliver negotiation of excellent cost prices for new briefs/products aiming to achieving cost reduction KPI against existing/alternative sources of supply (e.g. agents & importers).
61 Instill the expectation (within the team and the vendor base) of negotiating cost price reductions per annum KPI on existing ranged & repeat items. Limit or prevent cost price increase.
61 Negotiate the most favorable buying terms and ensure all commercial agreements are clearly documented in VBAs (KIPL).
61 Ensure project CPAs are created, managed, communicated, and maintained. And manage CPA’s regularly meetings and TCs with related group and banners’ counter parties.
61 In conjunction with the wider category teams, ensure projects and orders are managed through to completion, achieving the agreed quality levels, delivered on-time and in the full quantities ordered, as per team KPIs.

Vendor Management:
61 Ensure smooth relations with customers, particularly taking responsibility for overseeing that buying trip arrangements meet expectations.
61 Minimize the use of agents by identifying direct factory /vendor sources of supply.
61 Monitor, measure and develop the capabilities of the vendor base by developing and implementing vendor-specific strategies.
61 Ensure operational review meetings are taking place with key vendors, particularly poor performance.

People:
61 Manage and develop the Sourcing team within category including objective setting, performance management (regular 1:1 meetings, quarterly reviews, and annual appraisal), training and development as well as recruitment.
61 Ensure close cooperation among “Diamond team” (Sourcing, QA, SC, NPD, MEX, CSR, Pkg’g AW/IM, and Structural Pkg’g teams) from brief and onwards.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:
61 5 to 10 years in related industry, good understanding of European market requirements and trends, key players/brands, experience in working directly with Asian factories.
61 At least 3 years management experience.
61 Excellent negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills PC skills such as MS words, excel, PowerPoint, a track record of project management and people development, well-familiar with and in good executing of all operational systems (including Apex, CPC, VPC, KIPL etc process). Capability of DIY retailer business understanding, including range structure, hierarchy building up and development would be a plus.
61 Trading, DIY retailer buying office experience preferable. Asian sourcing experience, DIY product knowledge as an advantage.
61 Fluent, both written and verbally, in English & Mandarin, French is a definite advantage.