Procurement Commercial Finance Partner

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas, and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.

Procurement Commercial Finance Partner

To business partner with the Procurement function to support the commercial performance and maximise the value creation. In addition, the role will support the functions financial performance, through the provision of high-quality financial planning, forecasting, budgeting and analysis.

The Procurement Commercial Finance Partner reports to the Procurement Finance Business Partner within the Procurement Function.

The Procurement Finance team fulfil the following key responsibilities:

• Partnering with the category, sub regional and wider finance business teams to optimise commercial outcomes and provide insight on potential financial risks.

• To drive greater financial rigor across all procurement commercial decision making.

• Lead the budget setting process for EMEA cost movement assumptions & the procurement financial targets.

• Deliver accurate financial reporting over procurement savings through the maintenance and administration of the savings tool ‘Provalido’.

• To manage the Procurement functional cost centre and ensure it is compliant with all accounting, tax, and control requirements.

The Procurement finance team forms part of the EMEA Procurement Function, which is accountable for:

• Shaping and aligning the Procurement strategy to support the achievement of business goals including growth, ESG (inc. Scope 3) and manufacturing excellence

• Partnering with stakeholders to ensuring the function competitively sources quality products and supplier services whilst maintaining and building strong relationships with strategic suppliers in line with group Innovation, ESG and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals

• Partnering differently across the value chain to create innovative business offerings that delight our customers and support business growth.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities

Strategy and Vision:

• Provide strong business partnering with the procurement function and the wider business.

• Support all aspects of governance, savings reporting, budgeting, and forecasting.

• Build partnerships and maintain strong relationships - demonstrate an ability to listen, interpret, influence, negotiate and challenge.

Value Creation & Performance Insights:

• Challenge Procurement stakeholders to improve financial, commercial and operational performance and respond quickly and effectively to any problems or adverse trends.

• Support Category teams and sub-regional Procurement teams in identification of value creation opportunities through providing commercial, operational and financial challenge and insights.

• Drafting monthly forecast assumptions for key procurement categories, including understanding, and communicating the impact on wider Group financials, identifying risks and opportunities.

• Support the budgeting, forecasting, and planning processes for Procurement.

• Support the preparation of monthly reports for the Procurement Leadership Team and wider stakeholder meetings.

  • Monthly savings performance and pipeline vs. budget

  • Category performance and market development

  • Working capital performance

  • Non-financial measure

• Support the reduction working capital across the business, ensuring the execution of plans to deliver agreed targets from a procurement perspective.

• Support tight financial control over the Group Procurement Financial budget and the savings reporting tool, to ensure it is compliant with all internal control requirements.

Project Delivery, Business Partnering and Communication

• Builds partnerships and maintains strong relationships with the ability to listen, interpret, influence, negotiate, inspire, and challenge.

• Interpret and succinctly communicate insights and findings from analysis and test and learn opportunities to optimise business processes.

• Identify and share improved ways of working to increase output and process simplification.

About you

• Ability to work collaboratively across teams

• Effective communication skills at all levels of an organisation

• Sound finance background

• Advanced Excel skills and PPT skills, able to draw conclusions and influence decisions

• Sound analytical skills, with the ability to add actionable insight to data

• Problem-solving focus

• Result-oriented, having a track record of high performance and examples of delivering results

• Graduate calibre

• 3+ years of proven experience in accounting in a matrix multinational environment

• Qualified or Part Qualified ACCA / ACA / CIMA

“To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.”