Buyer - Food Ingredients

Louis Dreyfus Company is a leading merchant and processor of agricultural goods. Our activities span the entire value chain from farm to fork, across a broad range of business lines, we leverage our global reach and extensive asset network to serve our customers and consumers around the world.

Structured as a matrix organisation of six geographical regions and ten platforms, Louis Dreyfus Company is active in over 100 countries and employs approximately 18,000 people globally.

Louis Dreyfus Company is looking for a Buyer, Food Ingredients to strengthen their EMEA procurement team.

The Buyer role will be responsible for procurement activities to support the production activities in plant operations within the region with an initial focus on Germany. This role involves managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, and ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality raw materials to meet production demands.

The Buyer will be responsible for the following activities

• Perform Simple and Tactical sourcing : analyze past purchases, support other departments articulating specifications, analyze suppliers market, prepare and issue Request for Quotations / Proposals, analyze offers, negotiate, select suppliers and contract for various spend categories, under the guidance of more senior procurement colleagues.
• Process Purchase Requests to Purchase Orders : convert Purchase Requests submitted by internal requesters into Purchase Orders towards suppliers based on the appropriate terms and conditions as per contracts negotiated by colleagues or to be negotiated by the buying team under guidance. This shall include managing the required master data (material & services, counterparts) and other underlying processes to enable such PR to PO conversion and act as a key users to end users for systems involved (SAP, Ariba, EBX). Such POs may be intercompany.
• Follow up and expedite Purchase Orders : ensure the delivery in time, quality and quantity of the various goods and services ordered which includes, for critical supplies, tracking PO confirmations and shipping notification. A specific attention shall be given to the purchases critical to the plant operations. This shall include some intercompany transactions and physical flows.
• Monitor Buying Chanel compliance : make sure the negotiated contracts / catalogs and T&Cs of such contracts are properly used by LDC on the plants. Monitor any deviation, suggest and implement remediation plans once approved, and report to more senior colleagues appropriately.
• Resolve Purchase Order related issues and support claims management : proactively support any type of issue in conjunction with the purchases in scope. This shall include all natures of claims related to any of the steps of the process, including but not limited to deliveries and invoicing.

In addition, the Buyer will play a key role for Source to Contract and Purchase to Pay processes proper implementation and governance and as part of this role will act as a key user for LDC systems supporting such processes towards the various roles involved in the process on the Wittenberg plant (Requesters, Approvers, Account Payable clerks).

Such systems include SAP S/4Hana (MM), Ariba (SLP, Sourcing, Network) and EBX. LDC will provide initial and ongoing training for the Buyer to master those systems as a (key) user.

As part of the role and within the EMEA procurement team, the Buyer might be required to perform similar activities for other categories and countries / assets within the region or other procurement activities (strategic sourcing or procurement excellence – process & system- related work).

Experience

• >5 years in procurement in large companies with a robust Purchase To Pay (P2P) process,
• Extensive experience of service delivery to internal and external customers, working with ERPs (ideally SAP MM).
• Relevant experience in direct / raw material buying operations including simple / tactical sourcing (including contract negotiation) and PO execution monitoring and troubleshooting.
• Nice to have : experience in agro and food industry, some familiarity with food ingredient production process and related procurement framework and constraints.

Education: Business Administration, a minor in procurement or supply chain management will be a nice to have.

Languages: fluent GERMAN (written and spoken) is a MUSD HAVE, fluent spoken ENGLISH is a must have

Systems: Experience with a P2P system is a must have, Experience with an ERP, ideally SAP (ECC or S/4Hana) is a nice to have, Experience with an eProcurement solution (ideally SAP Ariba) is a nice to have

Other technical and functional skills:

• Solid knowledge on established Procurement / Finance business processes & technologies, P2P process on ERP/SAP, some sourcing skills will be a plus
• Mastering of P2P and ERP usage: Advanced- must become over the time the owner of such process / activities for LDC in the country within and outside the function
• Communication and Collaboration : Advanced - must be able to interact efficiently within various dimensions of the organization, including on remote location
• Procurement and Negotiation skills : Advanced
• Customer focus: Advanced – must be capable to understand the business needs of internal clients, drive understanding and support of Purch Admin process and shared service organization, propose win-win business solutions.
• Process Driven: Advanced - must be able to master P2P process and to improve it when necessary
• Analytical thinking: Intermediate - Must be able to analyze a situation and then identify and evaluate possible solutions (turn complex situations into simple things)
• Team player: Advanced - Has to be able to act collectively and collaboratively
• Auditing awareness & skills: Basic - Needs to be know the existence of the auditing process, and act accordingly.

Diversity & Inclusion

LDC is driven by a set of shared values and high ethical standards, with diversity and inclusion being part of our DNA. LDC is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity, equity and inclusion.

LDC encourages diversity, supports local communities and environmental initiatives. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

Sustainability

Sustainable value is at the heart of our purpose as a company.

We are passionate about creating fair and sustainable value, both for our business and for other value chain stakeholders: our people, our business partners, the communities we touch and the environment around us

What We Offer

We provide a dynamic and stimulating international environment, which will stretch and develop your abilities and channel your skills and expertise with outstanding career development opportunities in one of the largest and most solid private companies in the world.

Our Benefits

• 25 annual paid leave
   
• Flexible working hours
   
• Food vouchers
   
• Transportation allowance
   
• Additional medical & dental insurance
   
• Life insurance
   
• Sports card with 90/10 coverage
   
• Various learning & development opportunities
   
• Yearly performance evaluation plans
   
• Social clubs & Wellbeing initiatives
   
• Team buildings & social events
   
• Employee Referral Program