Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity to join our busy and driven procurement department here at MSC Cruises supporting our existing fleet and our new buildings & dry docks. As the Procurement Category Specialist you will be responsible for supporting and executing source-to-contract Procurement strategies for technical goods and services, ensuring the best possible commercial solutions with a focus on quality, on time delivery, cost and sustainability.

The Procurement Category Specialist is responsible for the procurement of technical goods and services including; technical catering equipment, machinery and engine. The position will also be supported by the buying (P2P) team in Sorrento as well as subject matter experts in the Technical departments in the UK head office.

This is an office based role, working from our UK Technical Head office in West London 5 days a week.

• Minimum 3 years experience within a similar technical Procurement \/ buying role is essential.
• Solid experience and understanding of commercial procurement deals and not just sourcing.
• Experience managing multiple categories with a focus on technical procurement including; , technical catering equipment, machinery and engine parts.
• Experience in managing high value contract spend (circa €50m).
• Bachelors degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration (additional professional certificate is considered as a plus).
• A detailed understanding of business requirements and the capability to ensure these are adequately provided for in the overall sourcing strategy.
• An understanding and demonstrable experience of end-to-end sourcing and supplier management processes together with an ability to identify and capture incremental value in an operational working environment.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills.
• Experienced user of IT Systems (MMS \/ Navision experience is preferred).
• International trading awareness and management, such as import \/ export management, INCOterms etc.
• PC literacy with proficient knowledge of Microsoft Excel, such as vlookup, pivot tables etc· Ability to travel overseas as required.
• Executing the procurement process for technical goods and services for new vessel development as well as existing fleet operational enhancements.
• Execute strategic and tactical sourcing activity, including supporting further implementation of the e-procurement initiative through utilising the MSC Procurement E-Platform (PEP) for RFQ activity.
• Focused improvement of supply chains including preferential delivery terms and strategic stock positioning as required.
• Support the development of sub-category plans across Technical, identifying short-, medium- and long-term Procurement strategies.
• Report procurement project activity, ensuring clear visibility of status and milestones.
• Analysing spend data through dashboard reporting.
• Supplier and supply chain development, through SRM initiatives, ensuring best practice solutions on an ongoing basis.
• Liaising with the regional Procurement teams in Miami and Shanghai, to ensure alignment in procurement strategy and delivery.
• Negotiating with external providers to obtain the most cost-effective agreement for products and services on time and to the agreed specification.
• Supporting market research and supplier evaluation to identify best suited products and suppliers in terms of value, delivery schedules and quality.
• Ensure that the import and export of all products is in line with customs regulations and local laws and procedures.
• Report on current and future category spend patterns as well as monitoring the market and benchmarking costs.
• The Procurement Category Specialist may be required to work on additional procurement projects and tasks that may fall outside of this scope.

VISA REQUIREMENTS (if any)

• Existing Right to work in the UK is essential.

Part of the MSC Group, MSC Cruises is the market leader in the Mediterranean, South Africa and South America, and sails year-round in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Its seasonal itineraries cover northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, South America, southern Africa, and the Persian/Arabian Gulf. MSC Cruises was born in the Mediterranean, and draws inspiration from this heritage to create a unique experience for holidaymakers worldwide. As a result of a euro 6.5 billions investment programme launched in 2003, MSC Cruises’ fleet comprises 13 state-of-the-art cruise ships belonging to four different classes: Lirica, Musica, Fantasia and Meraviglia. The fleet’s average age is 7 years, the youngest in the industry. In 2014, MSC Cruises launched a euro 9 billion, 10 year investment plan to support the second phase of its growth through the order of up to 11 next generation mega cruise ships. As a result, MSC Cruises’ fleet will double by 2026, while the passenger capacity will triple to reach five million passengers per year. MSC Cruises is the first cruise company to develop an investment plan of this length and magnitude. MSC Cruises feels a deep responsibility for the environments in which it operates, and was the first company ever to earn the Bureau Veritas “7 Golden Pearls” for superior management and environmental stewardship. In 2009, MSC Cruises began an enduring partnership with UNICEF to support various programmes assisting children worldwide.