This is a full-time one-year assignment located in Älmhult.

We are Purchasing Development! We purchase the materials and the production capacity needed to produce both home furnishing products and food. 

In Purchasing Development, our assignment goes hand in hand with the IKEA Business Idea, created 75 years ago, as we are responsible to produce the ‘wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them’. We produce and supply IKEA products and food with affordability, accessibility, sustainability and quality as our main priorities.

In the past year a project has been in place to set up an aligned approach for Responsible Sourcing of Raw Materials across the company. One of the three blocks identified for Responsible Sourcing is Agriculture. Our purpose is to explore how to best secure that our responsible sourcing principles and working methods are applied consistently across the different IKEA businesses, but also to set clear goals and roadmaps together with the categories in order to secure compliance and a coherent verification and risk management working method.

At the moment in Agriculture, we are piloting Responsible Sourcing in a few prioritized raw materials and supply chains across our different businesses. We have split Agriculture in three segments, Annual crops, Perennial crops, and Animal based raw materials.

We are currently looking for one Project Leader for securing responsible sourcing in the pilots that belong to the Animal based segment within Agricultural raw materials.

The purpose of a Project Leader is to hold together material ambitions, goals, working methods and deliverables across categories and geographies. In this role, we expect you to:

• Consolidate the regional mapping & understanding of As-is picture of your prioritized raw material value chains.
• Plan, follow through and execute the pilots identified in your segment together with the working group you will create.
• Develop together with the Resp Sourcing Ag team and your working group a harmonized geographical and materials-based setup for minimum requirements and traceability on selected raw materials.​
• Identify the synergies and opportunities within the different existing solutions, tools and methods currently being used today for compliance and traceability in animal based raw materials in IKEA, but more importantly, propose an approach on how to best work in the future.
• Be an integral part together with the Responsible Sourcing Ag team in creating the journey, requirements, goals and milestones towards Regenerative Agriculture in IKEA.
• Identify potentials to accelerate our journey towards Regenerative Agriculture and use science and research to clarify the role your segment in this journey.

More specifically, your daily tasks will include:

• Lead your segment. Create a strong and motivated working group with IKEA colleagues from relevant business, regions and competences.
• Setup applicable project meetings, secure content, decision-making and follow-up on progress.
• Secure that the framework for responsible sourcing is deployed for your area, and secure common processes across geographies, raw materials and business
• Secure that business and sustainability risks are identified for your segment and priorities are made accordingly.
• In close co-operation with the categories select the partners and set-ups for pilot projects.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the raw materials in your segment, who are the main actors, and market dynamics.

You will work closely together with the other team members within Responsible Sourcing Agriculture, but also with colleagues in Sustainability matrix, Categories, Material & Innovation and in the Purchasing & Logistics areas. You will also be partnering with existing certification programs, industry associations and other organizations applicable for your segment. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to work together with numerous stakeholders throughout the organization connected to Agricultural Raw Materials sourcing: developing close collaboration with Business, Material & Innovation and Sustainability matrix.

Overall, togetherness, leadership and love for challenges are key for this role!

To succeed & shine in this role, we wish that you have:

• Proven successful project management and project leadership experience 
• Proven experience from stakeholder engagement
• Proven experience of driving successful change and realizing business benefits
• Knowledge of Agricultural raw materials from both sustainability and supply chain perspective is a benefit
• Knowledge from innovation, infrastructure development, legislation, advocacy is a benefit
• Have a university degree in business development, innovation &/or sustainability, or relevant working experience
• Broad understanding of relevant aspects of the business, organization and ways of working

Who are you as a person?
As a person you have futuristic outlook and ability to look beyond the obvious! You are ready to stretch boundaries and see your work through a problem-solving lens. You are curious and persistent and have the courage to explore and navigate the unknown. 

Additionally, you are capable to work internally & externally with complex topics and fully understand the total agenda. You have a passion for sustainability and business, and you are strongly interested in leading and implementing change!

Moreover, you possess excellent communication skills that allow you to build strong relationships with numerous stakeholders and you are fluent in written and spoken English.

Overall, you are an energetic, enthusiastic individual with a vision for a better future for the many People AND the Planet! 

Would you like to be a part of this exciting assignment? Please send us your application in English – CV and motivation letter – no later than June 17th, 2022. 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 candidate.

If you have any questions regarding the position, please contact the hiring manager Sourcing Leader Rafael Elizondo at rafael.[email protected]. If you have questions regarding recruitment process, please contact Recruiter Katie Pettersson on +46 702 99 42 48.

We are looking forward to your application!