Procurement Director - Business Services

Earlier this year, Unilever announced an agreement to combine its Foods business with McCormick & Company, creating a scaled global flavour powerhouse. The proposed combination would bring together iconic Foods brands, including Hellmann’s and Knorr, with McCormick’s portfolio to create a global leader across spices, seasonings, condiments and complementary food categories, supported by strong retail and foodservice platforms. McCormick brings more than 135 years of heritage, a presence in 150+ countries and territories, and a portfolio of trusted brands. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, with completion estimated for mid-2027.

Job Title Business Services Procurement Director

Function Procurement

Scope Global

Country Location and Worksite Details Netherlands – Hofplein 19, Rotterdam

Salary range: €100.800 to € 138.600 gross per year, depending on experience and internal peer positioning.

JOB PURPOSE

This role exists to define and lead the global procurement strategy for Business Services, covering approximately €400+ million in spend across Workforce, HR Services, Workplace & Facilities, and Outsourcing. The role sets portfolio strategies, commercial frameworks, governance and performance expectations for global and regional execution, applying global scale while responding to business, market and regulatory requirements. Working with functional leaders, regional teams and strategic suppliers, the role drives value, service quality, productivity, compliance, risk management, user experience, sustainability and decarbonisation outcomes, enabled by digital procurement, analytics, automation and technology-enabled service delivery.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead, develop and empower a 14-FTE Global Business Services Procurement organisation comprising this Director role, six Managers and seven Assistant Managers, with all six Managers and one Assistant Manager reporting directly to the Director, and responsibility for approximately €400+ million in global spend.

• Define the global procurement strategy, commercial frameworks, governance and performance expectations across Workforce, HR Services, Workplace & Facilities, and Outsourcing for consistent global and regional execution.

• Shape an expertise-driven operating model that challenges demand, simplifies specifications and service models, rationalises supplier panels and promotes preferred buying channels to reduce fragmentation and improve productivity, compliance, adoption and user experience.

• Set strategic-sourcing and commercial-model standards for complex global and regional programmes across BPO, KPO, consulting, professional services, workforce solutions, HR services, workplace, facilities, travel, fleet and outsourced operations, supported by should-cost, lifetime-cost, benchmarking and market-intelligence disciplines.

• Build strategic supplier ecosystems and measurable service-governance frameworks using SLAs, KPIs, service credits, benchmarking, business reviews and continuous-improvement plans to improve value, service quality, innovation, resilience and user experience.

• Govern supplier transitions, mobilisation and service implementation through clear accountabilities, milestones, readiness criteria, knowledge transfer and change management, while managing data-privacy, operational-resilience, regulatory, financial-health and supplier-concentration risks.

• Build and land multi-year value-creation programmes with senior business stakeholders and partner functions, delivering savings, productivity, released capacity, service quality, compliance, working capital, risk reduction, sustainability and decarbonisation outcomes.

• Sponsor digital procurement, e-tendering, analytics, automation and technology-enabled service delivery that improve sourcing productivity, transactional compliance, supplier visibility, governance, adoption and decision quality.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Extensive senior procurement leadership experience across Workforce, HR Services, Workplace & Facilities, Outsourcing or related indirect-service portfolios in large, complex multinational organisations.

• Enterprise leadership mindset, with the ability to set clear priorities, lead through ambiguity and organisational change, balance strategic thinking with execution, and build high-performing teams, capability and succession.

• Demonstrated success defining global sourcing, operating-model and supplier strategies for Business Services and leading complex programmes across multiple geographies, with experience operating at comparable spend and organisational scale.

• Deep commercial expertise in service-cost and should-cost models, strategic sourcing, e-tendering, negotiation, contracting, statements of work, service-level agreements, service credits and benefits realisation.

• Strong understanding of BPO, KPO, professional-services and managed-service delivery models, including supplier transitions, mobilisation, service governance and operational, financial, data-privacy and concentration risk.

• Strong financial and business acumen, external-market orientation, benchmarking capability and executive communication skills, with proven leadership across global, virtual and cross-cultural stakeholder environments.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Relevant postgraduate or professional qualification in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business, Finance or a related discipline.

• Experience leading global change, adoption and operating-model implementation programmes across complex matrix organisations.

• Experience using digital procurement, analytics, automation, e-procurement or e-tendering solutions to improve sourcing, supplier governance, service delivery and decision quality.

We welcome applicants from all walks of life and are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive/succeed. All applicants will receive fair and respectful consideration, and we actively support the growth and development of every employee.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment journey. Should you require additional information or reasonable adjustments to allow you to present your best self during this process, please contact your Talent Partner.