Senior Manager/ Manager - AMEA Packaging

About Danone Group

‘Bringing Health through Food to as Many people as Possible’

Danone is a global leader in food and beverages, focusing on Essential Dairy and Plant-based products, Waters, and Specialized Nutrition. Our mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible by creating nutritious products, raising awareness about healthy eating and drinking habits, and conducting our business sustainably.

Danone’s dual focus on commercial performance and societal responsibility, combined with an ongoing commitment to innovation and the strengthening of its health-oriented brands, has resulted in strong performance worldwide. With nearly 90,000 employees and products sold in over 120 markets, Danone has generated more than €27 billion in sales annually.

Job Summary

AMEA, which stands for Asia, Middle East, and Africa, has expanded over the past 2 years to include Turkey, CIS, and Iran. The Cycle & Procurement (C&P) team operates in 19 countries within the AMEA region, supporting 3 core businesses: Water, Specialized Nutrition, and Dairy. Each sub-region features distinct operating models, processes, and varying levels of system maturity. AMEA is a key growth driver for Danone, offering numerous expansion opportunities. The procurement function is vital in promoting cost efficiency, managing cash flow, and ensuring service quality, while maintaining sustainability in all supplier interactions.

The incumbment will act as the central point of contact for all packaging-related procurement initiatives across AMEA business units (500m€ spend). This role will align regional packaging strategies with global and local objectives, drive supplier development, ensure business continuity, enable cost savings, and support innovation in packaging materials (plastic, paper, flexibles, metal, etc.).

Job Role and Responsibilities

Strategic Procurement Support

• Act as the single point of contact for packaging procurement across all AMEA countries
• Align regional packaging strategies with global category strategy and local business needs
• Drive implementation of cost optimization initiatives including should-cost modeling, eAuctions, design-to-value (DTV), and localization

Supplier Management & Development

• Support scouting and onboarding of alternate/qualified packaging suppliers
• Develop supplier relationship management (SRM) frameworks for key packaging vendors
• Monitor supplier performance, compliance, and innovation potential

Business Continuity & Risk Management

• Identify packaging material risk hotspots (geo-political, regulatory, supplier dependency)
• Develop alternate sourcing strategies for critical packaging materials
• Partner with local CBUs to build inventory norms and continuity plans

Project & Governance Support

• Track and report pipeline of packaging productivity and sourcing projects across AMEA CBUs
• Drive monthly governance calls and dashboards for regional packaging procurement
• Ensure timely execution and escalation of packaging-related initiatives

Analytics & Market Intelligence

• Conduct packaging cost benchmarking across regions
• Monitor regional resin and paper price trends and support CBUs with insights
• Provide fact-based inputs for negotiations and sourcing decisions

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Collaborate with regional and central category buying teams
• Act as procurement partner for regional innovation and packaging redesign programs for cross functional collaboration at region level
• Support regulatory compliance in coordination with local quality and legal teams

Job Specification

Educational Qualification and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering / Packaging Technology / Supply Chain; MBA preferred
• 7–10 years of experience in procurement, with at least 3 years of dedicated packaging sourcing experience in FMCG, food, beverage, or healthcare sectors
• Prior experience working in FMCG, food, beverage, or healthcare sectors is preferred
• Exposure to AMEA markets or multi-country sourcing is highly desirable

Skills & Competencies

To be successful in this role, you will need

• Strong knowledge of packaging materials (plastics, laminates, paper, resin, etc.)
• Project management and stakeholder engagement skills
• Data analysis, costing, and negotiation skills
• Excellent communication and cross-cultural collaboration abilities
• Ability to work independently across time zones and complex matrix environments