Company Description

One brand, many companies, and many, many people – that’s us in a nutshell. Spread all over the world, we have a passion for food and home furnishing and an inspiring shared vision: to create a better everyday life for the many people. This, together with our straightforward business idea, shared values, and a culture based on the spirit of togetherness, guides us in everything we do.

To offer a wide range of food products at prices so low, that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. To meet the needs of our customers we have a unique business model and value chain. It includes product development, design, supply, manufacturing and sales. And of course, it starts and ends with our customers.

Job Description

Category Area Food together with internal and external partners, provides the food sold and served in all IKEA Restaurants, Bistro´s, Swedish Food Markets which 500 million guests are enjoying in globally. In Category Area Food, we lead and execute the global purchasing agenda, material direction, responsible sourcing and the quality compliance agenda for the food range in IKEA. Today we are over 180 colleagues who work globally while being located across Europe, North America, Asia and other regions in order to be close to our supplier partners.

We onboard our suppliers as partners with whom we create long-term relationships. We want them to grow with us and contribute to deliver on healthier and more affordable and sustainable food to the many. All parts of IKEA democratic design are important when developing and supplying our products. IKEA is filled with curious and passionate people getting energy from influencing, interacting, and working together with others, to deliver great business results

As a Business Developer in the Category Area Food, you will be an informal leader of a 3-member micro-team. With a Production Engineer, who takes cares of the production process and quality, and a Supply Planner who handles logistics. Based on the analysis, you will draw up an action plan once a year to reduce production costs and to develop better design for the customers, all within the framework of sustainability and ethical business practices.

You also can expect to:

• Develop partnerships with suppliers – The micro team travels regularly, to solve production issues and to provide suppliers with feedback and help with the implementation of the action plan.
• Create production calculations – Look for cost saving opportunities for both existing and new products.
• Lead operational topics – Communicate with suppliers, the management in team meetings regarding project implementation and data entry.

Qualifications

You are a senior leader who loves to ask “why…” and “what if..” At IKEA, we see things a little differently. We onboard our suppliers as partners with whom we create long-term relationships. We want them to grow with us, become more efficient and achieve affordable sustainability.

A few perks of being one of us:

• We believe in you! You get the privilege and the responsibility to lead a diverse team and world-class suppliers, while finding innovative ways to drive the business for IKEA.
• We trust you! You have the confidence and freedom to lead your team and organize your time. Your well-being is our priority. A variety of rewarding work awaits you, which you will be able to combine alongside your hobbies or family.
• We grow with you! In regular informal talks with your manager, you can explore your development and carrier opportunities, and we will support you on the way. We embrace making mistakes and learning from them. For us, at IKEA, that is the best way forward.

To be successful in this role we see that you:

• You know economics and finance – Understanding of company financials: cash flow, P&L, income statements and cost breakdowns.
• Passion for business and the end goal – Both will come in handy when negotiating with suppliers, where you are to be strict but fair. A solution-oriented person, concentrating on problem-solving regular business issues.
• The art of dealing with people – empathy and great communication skills to coordinate your micro-team. This comes in handy when collaborating with suppliers and stakeholders in the IKEA supply chain.
• Analytical skills - working with numbers, negotiating prices, or setting priorities for your work, in a usually high paced and demanding environment.
• An interest in food production and discovering the latest technologies in food products, both Food Service as well as Consumer Packaged Goods.
• Knowledge of the food industry and strong understanding of the industry standards and its trends. Updating the latest innovations and market developments in the food and beverage sector.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken. You are comfortable in presenting and engaging with stakeholders at all levels.

Additional Information

This position will be based in Bengaluru, India. Traveling is a part of the assignment since our Business Developers need to work closely with our suppliers.

We would love to know more about you and your motivation for this job! Please send us your application in English by 31st Oct. 2023. We don’t accept applications through email.

Please note that we will be interviewing continuously, which means that we may close the application process earlier than stated if we find the right candidates. So, don’t delay, please send us your application today. If you have any questions regarding the position, please contact Hiring Manager/ Dominik Wardak at dominik.wardak@inter.ikea.com . If you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact Recruiter, Huong Le Thi My at huong.lethimy@inter.ikea.com.