Wipes External Manufacturing & Supply Chain Lead in Tadworth

Join the team behind iconic brands like Huggies®, Kleenex®, Andrex®, Scott®, Kotex®, Poise®, and Kimberly-Clark Professional®. At Kimberly-Clark, it’s all here for you—innovation, growth, and the chance to make a real impact. You were made to create Better Care for a Better World: as a person, you’re a problem-solver – a connector – someone who thrives on creating order from complexity and driving continuous improvement. You see the big picture while mastering the details, ensuring that every product, process, and partnership flows with precision and purpose. You live your life in alignment with the highest values of integrity, efficiency, and collaboration, always working to turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s success stories. In this role, you’ll help us deliver better care for billions of people around the world.

This role is critical in enabling and advancing the global supply chain’s strategic use of External Manufacturing for Kimberly‑Clark’s consumer businesses, with end‑to‑end leadership of the external manufacturing network for the Moist Wipes platform. The role directly manages 5–15 external manufacturers and an annual spend of $20–50m, building strong strategic partnerships to ensure cost, quality, service, and sustainability objectives are consistently met. The role leads end-to-end supply chain programs across planning, procurement, third-party manufacturing, logistics, regulatory and quality, working with both existing and new partners. In partnership with Procurement, Planning, Marketing, Quality/Regulatory and R&E, it sets sourcing and capability strategies, oversees commercialization and qualification, and drives supplier performance, risk mitigation, capacity and asset decisions to enable launches and product improvements.

In one of our Supply Chain roles, you’ll focus on winning with consumers and the market, while putting safety, mutual respect, and human dignity at the center.

This role will be responsible for but not limited to:

• Align supply implications with business-unit strategy by partnering cross-functionally and reviewing regional/global innovation plans.
• Define sourcing strategies with Procurement, supporting tenders and make-vs-buy decisions using supplier capability and capacity insight.
• Partner with R&E to build and manage the new-product plan, including timelines and key milestones.
• Influence senior leaders and deliver clear, concise verbal and written updates and reviews.
• Lead cross-functional teams through accountability forums to align stakeholders and drive outcomes.
• Identify key supply and delivery risks early and implement mitigation plans.
• Ensure CFI-compliant asset placement and manage tooling write-offs.
• Coordinate commercialization with Planning/Marketing by managing inventory pre-builds and transitions while minimizing write-offs.
• Qualify suppliers and products with Quality/Regulatory, ensuring social/quality compliance and IQ/OQ/PQ readiness.
• Manage suppliers across cost, performance and capacity (including equipment strategy) while partnering with Procurement on category strategy.

To succeed in this role, you will need the following experience/qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering / Science / Supply Chain / Operations Management
• 10+ years combined experience across supply chain, R&E, operations/manufacturing
• Expert project management experience driving complex projects engaging multiple internal and external functional teams to successful completion
• Strong, influential communication skills in English (written and spoken)
• Differentiating Skills
• Direct manufacturing or supply chain experience with externally produced finished goods
• External supplier management experience
• PMP Certification
• Certified in Lean Six Sigma methodologies

This role will be required to travel up to 20% regionally & internationally without supervision.

Total Benefits: We believe that our employees are our greatest asset, and we're committed to providing them with the resources they need to be successful. If you're looking for a rewarding career with a company that cares about its employees, then Kimberly-Clark is the place for you.

• Market-leading pension contribution.
• Bonus scheme.
• Flexible Savings and spending accounts to maximise health care options and stretch pounds when caring for yourself or dependents.
• Private Medical Insurance, great support for good health with medical, dental, and vision coverage options.
• Diverse income protection insurance options to protect yourself and your family in case of illness, injury, or other unexpected events.
• Additional programs and support to continue your education, adopt a child, relocate, or even find temporary childcare.

Flex That Works at Kimberly-Clark: We believe great work happens when people come together with purpose. That’s why we offer a flexible work model that blends remote work with intentional in-person collaboration — helping you connect, grow, and innovate while maintaining the balance you value.

To Be Considered: Click the Apply button and complete the online application process. A member of our recruiting team will review your application and follow up if you seem like a great fit for this role.

For Kimberly-Clark to grow and prosper, we must be an inclusive organization that applies the diverse experiences and passions of its team members to brands that make life better for people all around the world, which is why we seek to build a workforce that encompasses the experiences of our consumers.

When you bring your original thinking to Kimberly-Clark, you fuel the continued success of our enterprise. We are a committed equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position. Employment is subject to verification of local policies. This role is available for local candidates already authorised to work in the role’s country only. Kimberly-Clark will not provide relocation support for this role.