Business Developer

The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. A big mission which requires people with big passion. Come join us in this journey and let’s make the world better together!
Welcome to Category Area Wood, the home of five wood related categories. With about 300 co-workers and 200 suppliers and partners across the world, we can proudly say that we love wood and using wood smartly. Each day, we drive the IKEA wood business with great passion and ambition. Together, we create a strong wood supply chain for more sustainable and affordable IKEA products for the many.
Category Foil on Board is responsible for supplying and developing materials and techniques for foil-based furniture applied on different board materials. We build strong business ownership together with supplier, constantly seeking solutions and exploring our industry/market. We aim to build professional and long-term relationship with both our suppliers as well as internal stakeholders through IKEA way of doing business.
YOUR OPPORTUNITY
At IKEA, we see things a little differently. We onboard our suppliers as partners with whom we create long-term relationships. We aim to become more efficient and achieve lower prices but most importantly we want our suppliers to grow with us!
A few perks of joining the IKEA team:
• You can take responsibility, find your way, innovate, and drive business in the IKEA environment
• Use opportunities for learning and growth working closely with suppliers! You will have the opportunity to travel and meet with various manufacturing companies, obtain a better understanding of new and different technologies, and be introduced to people from different cultures.
Job Description
In accordance with the business plan, the Business Developer develops and implements common action plans together with team members and internal stakeholders. This role delivers excellent performance in running operations and in building professional long-term business development. The Business Developer identifies and acts on new purchasing possibilities to secure an optimal sourcing set-up.
More specifically, your tasks in this role will be the following:
• To work with suppliers and continuously increase the competitiveness and to lower the costs of IKEA products.
• To have an overall responsible for supplier performance and within that develop and implement action plans together with suppliers.
• Contribute to Strategic development of the supplier base in line with Category strategy.
• Transfer Category Business Plan to operational action plans.
• Negotiate with suppliers according to IKEA values and guidelines; build effective and actively maintain relation with suppliers.
• Evaluate and develop existing production capacities.
• Cooperate in the product life cycle process.Build effective and actively maintain relation with suppliers.
• Responsible that supplier meets social, environmental standards.
• To lead supplier in the lead of implementation of IKEA sustainability strategy at supplier side according to agreed roadmap
• To be professionally challenge suppliers to constantly improve all aspects of supplier performance according to supplier action plan
• To Lead Supplier Development Process (SDP) identification process to create and implement action plans together with suppliers which delivers to Category Plan
• To pro-actively work together with HFBs (Home Furnishing Businesses) to integrate opportunities and act on deviations to Sourcing Assignment
The position normally includes travelling.
You would be part of Purchasing and Logistics Area North which belongs to IKEA Purchasing Services (Sweden) AB. You would be reporting to Yin Chen, Business Development Manager, Category Area Wood.
Qualifications
To shine in this role, we hope to see that you check the following boxes:
• You have a good knowledge in material (preferably wood) and production including cost of production.
• You use analytical skills that are necessary for working with numbers, when negotiating prices, or when setting priorities for your work, which is usually high paced and demanding.
• You have 5 years experience in economics, finance or purchasing– understanding of a company’s financials like cash-flow, P&L, income statement etc. Able to work with cost breakdown, the price is alpha and omega for us.
• You are strong negotiator, communicator and have strong analytical skill
• You are a team player! You will often lead projects but should encourage and value input from your team members and stakeholders.
• You can transfer the big picture into concrete actions and learn fast.
• You are self-driven and have an entrepreneurship thinking
• You are passionate for the improvement and making a difference
• You have strong leadership capability by working together with team member towards business development and supplier management
• You act as an ambassador of IKEA values and a Role Model for Fact-based Business Leadership
Additional information
Does this sound like you? Yes? Then, why not apply?
Thank you for reading this far. We believe that your value is greater and more important than just your CV. So if you like the idea of working at IKEA, please feel free to write to us and let's meet. Please submit your CV and cover letter in English latest by 8th May 2022.
This position is based in Älmhult, Sweden, an inspirational working environment, based on creativity and innovation, which gives you the opportunity to work and interact with people from all around the world. Älmhult has excellent commuting possibilities with hourly trains to Malmö, Lund and Växjö, and an IKEA shuttle bus running back and forth to Helsingborg two times a day.
If you have any questions about the recruitment process please contact Annette Scheér, People and Culture Recruiter, at annette.scheer@inter.ikea.com, any questions about the position contact Business Development Manager Yin Chen at yin.chen1@inter.ikea.com