Manager - Tea Buying

Function: Commodity Sourcing & Management Organization

Location: Cochin

Reporting To: Associate Director – Tea Buying

At Tata Consumer Products Ltd, we stand #Forbetter – Planet, Sourcing, Nutrition, Communities. And #ForBetter Opportunities …. Here’s an exciting one!

How does this Job align to our Strategy?

At the core of Tata Consumer Products' business approach lie six strategic pillars that serve as the foundation for its growth and success: Strengthening & Accelerating our Core Business, Driving Digital and Innovation, Unlocking Synergies, Creating a Future-Ready Organization, Exploring New Opportunities and Embedding Sustainability.

This job opportunity closely aligns with one of these key strategic pillars, which is Strengthening & Accelerating our Core Business. The role involves implementing and driving tea buying efficiencies for Kolkata PBC. Tasting and grading of tea using in-house language. Buying through different channels of purchase to meet the buying order OTIF Vendor Management, forward contracts, strategic partners management and liaison with the tea trade.

Top dimensions:

Geography: India

Direct reports: NA

Matrix Reports: NA

Type of Role: Individual Contributor

Primary Stakeholders : Finance and Quality Assurance and external vendors and agencies

What are the Key Deliverables in this role?

Financial Outcomes

• Auction Buying – Buying Teas through the Auction Portal. Overseeing Pre/Post Sale work.
• Private Buying -   Ensuring that RMs are secured at best value and to our quality needs through the private channel.
• Buying Decisions – need to actively engage with cluster managers and give inputs on supply scenario, price patterns, etc to help make buying decisions.
• Increase pool of supply:  Actively engage with vendors, aggregators to look for opportunities to increase our pool of offers.

Customer Service/Quality Compliance:

• Tea Tasting – Tasting large numbers of cups per day (both auction and private channels) and grading product using our in-house tasting language.
•   Quality Management - Bring efficiencies in reduce material to material transfer metric against LY and. Manage tasting calibration with the blenders.

Internal Processes

• Forecasting Price & Availability
• Audit compliance: Ensure and drive 100% compliance wrt. IFC/OFIs as required for External/Internal audits.

Innovation and Learning

• Drive Data Analytics: Drive data backed decision making leveraging various dashboards available. Regular analysis of data to drive buying decisions.
• Design Thinking/Problem Solving – Inculcate this aspect in day-to-day work with strong focus on optimizing and innovating our sourcing initiatives.   

What are the Critical success factors for the Role?

• Master’s or bachelor’s degree in finance or food technology
• 7+ years of relevant work experience
• Work experience in large multinationals which deal in commodity sourcing or trading.

What are the Desirable success factors for the Role?

• Good Communication and negotiation skills.
• Familiarity with tea manufacturing, tea buying and blending.
• Good knowledge of tea tasting and grading.
• Analytical and problem-solving abilities.