Commodity Risk Director

This role is for a Commodity Risk Director within Unilever Procurement, reporting into Kai Strasse.

About Procurement

Part of the Supply Chain’s family, Procurement is responsible for 44 B Euro of material and services spend globally with more than 50,000 suppliers. Getting the right services and materials, sustainably sourced and ensuring responsible procurement is critical to support our company’s growth objectives. Our teams work closely with other areas of the business to understand requirements, elicit supplier innovation to meet changing consumer needs, and drive financial value for Unilever through competitive buying. We’re at the forefront of digital procurement, bringing new tools and analytics to drive data-based decisions.

Main Job Purpose

• Manage direct and embedded packaging / agricultural commodity price risk as part of the commodity risk management group.
• Lead and own the global packaging risk management portfolio.
• Provide market analysis of various materials.
• Run frequent price and volatility forecasting.
• Implement hedging strategies and execution through use of listed derivatives, OTC products, or proxy hedges in compliance with internal policies and hedge accounting principles.

Key Responsibilities

Conduct fundamental research and analyse trends in and related markets and provide price forecasts for all materials under scope – generate insights from all known sources and communicate to the business and CRM group.

• Formulate and implement a strategy to address the business risk exposure under all aspects of price, duration, and volatility.
• Show diligence in the reporting accuracy of coverage, and work with middle office and operations teams to drive for timely and accurate reports. Challenge the status quo and own your portfolio.
• Lead in the expansion of the portfolio and explore proxy hedging through related commodities.
• Partner with procurement buyers and provide guidance in the physical procurement process, supplier negotiations, and contracting.
• Provide training and support to internal stakeholders and management on packaging markets and risk management strategies.
• Develop a strong industry network with suppliers, traders, and gather intelligence from market reports.
• Engage business stakeholders to communicate the view of CRM and the strategy. Show curiosity to understand the business context in each market and provide relevant solutions.
• Spearhead CRM infrastructure improvement through in-/external project management (reporting, quantitative modelling, consulting, etc.).

Key Challenges

• Relaying complex information on markets, strategy, and price forecasts to key stakeholders in an easy-to-understand format.
• Providing risk management solutions for Unilever’s diverse business needs and risk profiles given the lack of liquid hedging products.
• Searching for opportunities to expand the scope of Commodity Risk Management both in terms of tools used and scope. This will involve a commitment to a high degree of diligence and research.

Professional Skills

• In-depth market knowledge and experience in a range of commodity markets, ideally with a focus on resins, industrial metals, and agriculture.
• Highly numerate with strong excel skills and interest in fundamental and quantitative analysis.
• Clear communication and team leadership skills with ability to condense complex market knowledge into simplistic information.
• High achieving, independent individual with strong problem-solving skills and entrepreneurial spirit.

Experience Required

• University degree in Economics, Finance, Engineering.
• At least 5 years’ experience in Trading, Research, or Procurement.

Travel

Limited travel may be required.