Procurement Director - Capex/MRO & Utilities

Title : Procurement Director – Capex, MRO & Utilities
Function: Supply Chain - Procurement

Reporting into: Corina Cioranu
Location: UK, PSL or Kingston
Work level: 3X

ALL ABOUT YOU

Please apply via this portal as e-mail applications may not be processed.

By applying for this vacancy, you are confirming that you have made your Line Manager aware of your application and that you are at a point in your career with Unilever where it is appropriate for you to be applying for other positions.  

Should you require additional information or reasonable adjustments to allow you to present your best self during this process, please contact your Talent Partner Kelly Bishop on kelly.bishop@unilever.com 

What we offer

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, including about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (unilever.com).

About the role :
The Procurement Director – Capex, MRO & Utilities is accountable for shaping and delivering Unilever’s global procurement strategy across Capital Expenditure (Capex), Maintenance, Repair & Operations (MRO) and Utilities, managing a spend base of approximately €2.0bn across 4 Business Groups and all regions and leading a global team of 45+ individuals based in 15+ countries.

The role maximises value creation, ensures capital efficiency, enables operational continuity, and accelerates decarbonisation in Unilever’s manufacturing sites, while building strategic supplier partnerships and future‑fit procurement capabilities aligned to Unilever’s long‑term growth and sustainability agenda.

He/she will increase effectiveness and efficiency of Capex, MRO & Utilities sourcing by creating an expertise-driven model, streamlining accountabilities, building capabilities, developing market alternatives, decreasing fragmentation and leveraging knowledge, relationships, technology and data, and delivering on best practices across markets.

Key Accountabilities:

1. Strategy & Value Creation
• Define and execute the global Capex, MRO & Utilities procurement strategy, aligned to Unilever’s Business Group priorities and long term capital plans.
• Deliver best in class financial outcomes, including buying productivity, savings, cash unlock and inflation mitigation across all portfolios; scale low-cost sourcing solution and supplier base across various markets.
• Lead Portfolio based sourcing models, balancing global scale with regional and BU responsiveness.
2. Capital Project Execution
• Act as a strategic partner to Engineering and Supply Chain, enabling efficient project delivery and operational continuity through robust sourcing and governance.
• Govern sourcing models across projects, strategic spend, commoditised technology and high transaction buying, including third-party enabled processes and automation.
• Ensure end to end capital value optimisation, from early project shaping to execution and lifecycle cost management.
3. Utilities & Decarbonisation Leadership
• Own the Utilities procurement and decarbonisation agenda, including renewable electricity, PPAs, biomass, energy partnerships and sustainability linked sourcing models.
• Leverage Capex and Utilities levers to support Unilever’s Climate and Scope 3 decarbonisation goals, integrating carbon intelligence into sourcing decisions.
• Build strategic partnerships to enable new technologies, green energy solutions and long term resilience.
4. Supplier Strategy & Partnerships
• Develop and manage strategic supplier ecosystems, including OEMs, EPCs, utilities providers and technology partners, to drive innovation, cost, service and sustainability outcomes.
• Move beyond transactional buying to outcome based and partnership led commercial models, particularly for complex and evolving technologies.
• Bring the best of supplier-led innovations in technology and decarbonization and develop new vendors in line with Unilever’s strategic business needs.
5. Operating Model, Digital & Transformation
• Lead a global, multi regional procurement organisation, integrating portfolio, and BU based teams into a single, high performing operating model
• Champion digital procurement tools, analytics and Agentic AI automation, in conjunction with GBS/ GDT addressing sourcing processes, category workbenches and cockpit reporting
• Drive continuous improvement in process, governance, capability and productivity.
6. People & Leadership
• Build, lead and develop a high engagement, diverse global team, creating strong succession pipelines and future Capex Category and Climate leaders
• Set clear performance expectations and foster a culture of ownership, collaboration and innovation across regions and portfolios.

Experience Required:
Profile
• Extensive senior procurement leadership experience across Capex, MRO and/or Utilities, ideally in large, complex manufacturing environments
• Proven track record of €100m+ value delivery, capital efficiency and cash impact at scale [Capex & Ut...elebration | PowerPoint]
• Strong experience in portfolio based sourcing models, supplier partnerships and digital procurement
• Deep commercial acumen combined with sustainability and decarbonisation understanding
• Ability to lead global, multicultural teams and operate effectively at executive and Board interface level

Key requirements
• Strategic Thinking & Systems Perspective - Able to connect capital, utilities, sustainability and operational priorities into a coherent, long‑term value agenda while managing complexity across regions and portfolios.
• Commercial Judgement & Decision Making - Demonstrates strong commercial rigour, balancing cost, risk, speed, quality and sustainability to make sound decisions in high‑value and high‑impact contexts.
• Influencing & Stakeholder Leadership - Builds trust and credibility with senior leaders across Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance and Sustainability; able to influence without authority in a global matrix.
• Collaboration & Partnership Mindset - Works effectively across Business Groups, regions and suppliers, fostering partnerships that deliver shared value and innovation beyond traditional sourcing.
• Change Leadership & Pragmatic Transformation - Leads change with clarity and pace, simplifying processes and operating models while bringing teams and stakeholders along the journey.
• People Leadership & Talent Development - Cares deeply about people, role‑models inclusive leadership, and invests in developing future procurement and climate leaders with clear accountability and empowerment.
• Learning Agility & Curiosity - Stays curious about new technologies, energy solutions and procurement models; continuously adapts approach in a fast‑evolving external environment.
• Resilience & Ownership - Demonstrates personal resilience, accountability and composure when managing ambiguity, pressure and competing priorities at scale.

Travel:
International travel required 20% time.

Interfaces:
Internal:
• BG CPSOs & Engineering Teams
• BU SC Leadership & SU Directors
• Procurement Leadership Teams
• Procurement Sustainability Teams
• GBS Supplier Operations
• Procurement Finance
• Legal teams
External:
• Third Party Service Partners
• Suppliers

Relocation to the UK

Please be aware if you are applying for this role from outside the UK, if successful, your application will be treated as a self-initiated Change Location Outside of Country (CLOC) transfer. This means any relocation costs must be self-funded with the potential to reclaim some specific pre-approved expenses up to £5,000. Please speak to your Talent Partner if you have any questions.