Specialist, Commercial

At First Quantum, we free the talent of our people by taking a very different approach which is underpinned by a very different, very definite culture – the “First Quantum Way”.

Working with us is not like working anywhere else, which is why we recruit people who will take a bolder, smarter approach to spot opportunities, solve problems and deliver results.

Our culture is all about encouraging you to think independently and to challenge convention to deliver the best result. That’s how we continue to achieve extraordinary things in extraordinary locations.

Job description:

Job title: Specialist Commercial

Site: Kansanshi

Department: Commercial

Section: Contracts

Position reports to: Superintendent, Contracts

Grade: 17

Primary Purpose

The primary responsibility of the Specialist Commercial is to work with the Kansanshi Operations stakeholders to develop a whole of business category strategy for the spend portfolio under management. The Specialist Commercial will be managing both relationships with key Operational sponsors as well as with the senior executives at our supply partners. The Specialist Commercial will be required to put in place plans and solutions to resolve complex supply problems within the portfolio. Will champion innovation, continuous improvement and procurement expertise. Will lead and deliver on the end to end sourcing process, which includes carrying out spend analysis, understanding business risks, managing tenders, negotiating with vendors, drafting supply agreements and driving improved supplier performance.

Key Responsibilities

This position will be required to adhere to all relevant requirements, policies, procedures and legal regulations pertaining to health, safety, environment and quality, as well as finance, human resources, and any other regulations as required by the company and relevant to the level of the role and responsibilities of the function.

Safety:
Maintain the highest standard of health and safety performance by implementing a personal safety plan, exhibiting behaviours consistent with zero tolerance, leading by example with colleagues, team members and suppliers and acting in accordance with Kansanshi Health and Safety policies.

Procurement Strategy Development and Application:

Collaborate with key stakeholders and develop a whole of business category strategy for the spend portfolio
Understand long term Operational requirements
Conduct market research and analysis on the spend category, identify supply market risks
Conduct risk modeling and analysis on category and develop mitigation actions
Implement and execute supply chain and performance improvement
Ensure documentation control of work instructions, forms, procedures, templates etc.
Drive systems & process automation in the Commercial Department, especially the use and adoption of Power BI reports, and an automated Service Request platform that tracks duration at every stage of SRs being processed through to completion. The system must identify the workload of Contracts Officers and highlight SRs that are not being completed within the set times

Supplier evaluation, Selection & Relationship Management:

Identify and develop alternative sourcing opportunities
Conduct supplier analysis and recommendations
Build knowledge on supply and demand by Operational department
Play a lead role in measuring supplier performance and delivering improved outcomes
Supplier data maintenance, data analysis, review and evaluation
Review and draft accurate scopes of work to ensure the relevant terms and conditions are enforceable

Sourcing, Negotiation and Execution:

Negotiating, drafting and recommending agreements with external customers, including price, balancing commercial interests with acceptable commercial and legal risks to the company
Analyze and recommend desired contractual terms based on operational requirements
Leading supplier negotiations, attending meetings, providing information to/from suppliers
Lead negotiations with strategic partners / potential new vendors
Re-evaluate and optimize existing supply agreements
Managing the tender process
Utilising existing contract templates to draft contracts suitable for the spend portfolio
Contract management, implementation and execution
Preparing and keeping under review standard contracts and associated legal documents for all aspects of research and enterprise activity, including commercialization

Service Delivery:

Monitoring contracts' status and expiry dates and ensuring their renewal/ replacement in a timely manner.
Operational and supplier relationship management
Supplier and customer issue resolution
Facilitate operational forecasting and planning
Analyse operational requirements (support the development of Scopes of Work), including technical specifications and risks
Project management and implementation
Providing technical support where and when required
Providing training where needed
Conducting reporting and performance analysis

General:

Alignment of the Commercial function within the broader Kansanshi context
Provision of support, guidance and advice to the management team
Undertake other projects and tasks as allocated by your manager

Typical problems may include:

Gaining support from key stakeholders
Access and accuracy of operational forecasts and historical data
Work through complex supply and project issues in a timely manner that doesn’t affect the achievement of key milestones
Conflict resolution with Operations and Supplier
Understanding Operational business goals and developing a trusted relationship with key stakeholders
Influencing supply markets, assessing supplier performance and management to suppliers to keep aligned with Kansanshi strategy
Reviewing and drafting SoW’s that are sufficiently detailed to accurately describe business requirements and meet commercial objectives (what, when, how, measurement, performance)

Qualifications

All academic qualifications and results must be verified by the Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZAQA).

Bachelor Degree required in a commercial, engineering, quantity surveying or financial discipline

Other Qualifications:

Licenses/Certifications:

Member of statutory body

Language:

Excellent written and spoken English essential

Experience

5 Years Plus

Successful track record in:

Resource Sector, or other asset intensive industry experience
A minimum of 5 years supervising/managing a commercial/contracts team
End to end category management with proven value delivery
Demonstrated ability to influence across a diverse stakeholder base
Strong understanding of procurement fundamentals, successfully delivering large complex projects
Market knowledge, knowledge management; including processes, tools, management and evaluation
Risk management including risk analyses
Tactical and strategic negotiation
Vendor and contract drafting/management
Operating in an international context, including participation in global teams and working with people and organisations in different regions/virtual teams

Behavioural Traits

Personal/Interpersonal

Relationship building
Consulting skills
Ability to work with people at all levels of the organization
Conflict resolution
Logical and structured decision making
Ability to perform under pressure
Adaptability
High quality problem solving ability
Ability to work in virtual teams

Operational Requirements

Technical Skills:

Effective use of Microsoft tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Highly effective written and oral communication skills
Strong commercial acumen and negotiation expertise
Effective time management and personal organisational skills
problem solving, strategic and analytical capability.
Ability to formulate and present compelling strategies and business cases
Ability to achieve outcomes through influence and collaboration with others
Change management
Facilitation and/or training skills

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