Requisition ID: 12327
Who We Are
At Suntory Beverage & Food, we're inspired by our purpose to Inspire the Brilliance of Life . We believe in creating rich experiences for people while living in harmony with nature.
As Global Procurement CoE Head, you'll have the opportunity to influence procurement on a global scale, drive meaningful transformation and help build a procurement function that sets the standard for excellence throughout the industry.
If you're ready to lead the next chapter of procurement transformation, we'd love to hear from you.
About You
As the Head of Global Procurement Transformation and COE you are the person people call when they know change is needed, but nobody has yet created a practical route to get there.
You have built, led or significantly shaped Procurement Centres of Excellence, transformation offices or enterprise improvement programmes. You know how to take a broad strategic ambition and translate it into clear priorities, governance, operating frameworks and measurable outcomes.
You thrive in organisations that are complex, multinational and evolving. Rather than imposing a central playbook, you understand how to influence across regions, cultures and business units to create alignment and momentum.
You are comfortable operating as a trusted adviser and constructive challenger to senior leaders. You know when to push back, how to prioritise competing demands and how to ensure the organisation focuses on what will make the biggest difference.
Importantly, you balance strategic thinking with delivery discipline. You are equally comfortable discussing long-term procurement strategy with executives as you are creating the governance, cadence and accountability needed to make transformation happen.
You are intellectually curious, externally connected and passionate about bringing new ideas, market insights and best practices into the organisation in a way that is practical and relevant.
This role could be based in London, Amsterdam or Singapore. You should already have full right to work for the location you are applying to.
About Your Role
As our Global Procurement CoE Head , you will lead the strategy, development and evolution of Suntory's Global Procurement Centre of Excellence.
Reporting to the Global Head of Procurement, you'll define the vision, operating model and roadmap that enables procurement to become a more efficient, data-driven and high-performing function across the organisation.
In your first 6 months, you will:
Establish credibility with Global Procurement, Digital & IT and key regional stakeholders.
Create visibility and alignment around priorities across capability, sustainability and digital procurement.
Introduce clear governance, prioritisation frameworks and an operating rhythm for delivery.
Bring structure and momentum to a procurement transformation agenda that spans multiple regions and levels of maturity.
Within 18 months, you will:
Be recognised as the architect and orchestrator of our Global Procurement CoE.
Have created a sustainable framework that enables procurement transformation to progress independently of individual leaders.
Help the function move from a traditional cost-control mindset towards a strategic enterprise business partner model.
Enable procurement leaders to focus on strategic direction while the CoE provides the structure, insight and execution discipline to deliver change.
What's in it for you
This is an opportunity to build something truly transformational.
You'll join a global organisation with ambitious growth plans and the opportunity to influence procurement strategy across multiple regions, functions and markets.
You'll benefit from:
A senior global leadership role with significant strategic visibility.
The opportunity to shape and lead the future Procurement Centre of Excellence.
Exposure to executive stakeholders and global decision-making.
The chance to lead large-scale transformation across processes, systems, data, analytics and sustainability.
The ability to drive innovative digital and AI-enabled solutions that improve business performance.
The opportunity to influence procurement capability across an international organisation.
A collaborative, values-led culture focused on innovation, continuous improvement and sustainable growth.
Access to global career development opportunities within one of the world's leading beverage companies.
At Suntory, you'll be empowered to challenge conventional thinking, drive meaningful change and leave a lasting legacy on the procurement function.
What You need to be successful
This role is not about being the best negotiator, the strongest category leader or the most experienced buyer.
We are looking for someone who has successfully helped organisations improve procurement maturity, capability and effectiveness through structured transformation.
You will likely bring:
Proven Procurement Transformation Experience
You have built or led procurement transformation programmes, Centres of Excellence, operating model redesigns or enterprise improvement initiatives.
You can demonstrate how you have translated strategic ambition into practical delivery plans, governance frameworks, prioritised roadmaps and measurable outcomes.
Experience in Complex Global Organisations
You have operated in decentralised multinational environments where influence matters more than authority.
You understand how to create alignment across functions, geographies and leadership teams without relying on a purely centralised mandate.
Procurement CoE and Maturity Expertise
You understand procurement maturity journeys and know what it takes to move a function from developing capability to becoming a high-performing strategic partner.
You bring experience across process excellence, governance, capability building, digital enablement, analytics and procurement operating models.
Executive Stakeholder Management
You are comfortable operating alongside senior leaders and executive stakeholders.
You build trusted relationships quickly, challenge constructively and bring clarity when priorities compete for attention. You know how to influence without creating friction.
Digital and Data-Enabled Thinking
You understand how procurement technology, analytics, automation and insights can improve decision-making and performance.
You do not need to be a technical expert, but you must know how to leverage digital capabilities to drive business outcomes.
External Mindset
You actively leverage external networks, benchmarking and market insights.
You bring fresh perspectives, challenge outdated thinking and help ensure procurement continues to evolve rather than relying on historical ways of working.
What We Are Not Looking For
To ensure applicants can self-select appropriately, we'd encourage candidates to consider the following carefully.
This role is unlikely to be the right fit if you are:
Primarily a category management leader or procurement buyer looking for your first Centre of Excellence leadership role.
A procurement project manager who has delivered programmes but has not shaped strategy, operating models or governance.
Most successful in highly centralised organisations where standards are simply deployed globally.
Focused mainly on sourcing, supplier negotiations or commercial delivery rather than transformation and capability building.
Looking for a role with a large operational team and direct ownership of buying activity.
Uncomfortable constructively challenging senior stakeholders or influencing without formal authority.
Our DEI Commitment
At Suntory, we recognize that diverse knowledge, perspectives, and backgrounds contribute to our collective success. We are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all individuals can bring their whole selves to work every day, regardless of race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity, or differing abilities, age, or any other protected characteristic.
Our recruitment and selection processes are designed to highlight what Suntory offers as an employer while allowing candidates to share their unique skills and experiences. We understand that career trajectories vary, and if you believe your experience/background can benefit our team, we encourage you to apply. We endeavor to make our interview process as inclusive as possible and offer reasonable accommodations as needed. Together, we can cultivate a workplace where everyone can thrive and propel our mission of Growing for Good.
