Category manager & Procurement
About The Position
The Category Manager leads procurement activities across assigned spend categories, aligning business objectives with category strategies and building a dependable, resilient, high-performing supplier network. The role spans the full procurement lifecycle, including category management, supplier relationship management, strategic sourcing, contract negotiation and management, and driving innovation across the supply base. The Category Manager is responsible for achieving cost savings and value-creation objectives while identifying and implementing opportunities to improve procurement processes, operational efficiency, and overall business performance.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Minimum 8 years of procurement experience.
- Strong expertise in IT procurement categories and sub-categories.
- Proven experience in category management, category strategy development, and multi-year sourcing planning.
- Strong commercial acumen, including understanding of cost structures, market trends, and risk management.
- Experience in strategic sourcing, supplier management, competitive bidding, and complex contract negotiations.
- Advanced Excel and analytical skills, including spend and supplier performance analysis.
- Knowledge of digital procurement platforms and AI-enabled procurement solutions.
- Strong executive presentation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional sourcing initiatives.
- Effective leadership, influencing, and collaboration capabilities.
- Strong business acumen and ability to align procurement strategies with business needs.
- Ability to influence stakeholders and drive alignment toward shared objectives.
- Strong partnership skills across senior leadership, peers, and business stakeholders.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presenting to executive audiences.
- Demonstrated learning agility and commitment to continuous personal and team development.
Nice To Haves
- MBA or other advanced degree.
- Experience across multiple categories, including IT.
- Proven track record of building teams and guiding organizations through transformational change.
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute category strategies that strengthen supplier performance and create competitive advantage.
- Ensure category strategies support overall business objectives and priorities.
- Achieve cost savings, performance, and innovation goals.
- Build and maintain executive-level relationships with strategic suppliers.
- Leverage market insights and best practices to enhance procurement effectiveness.
- Lead complex negotiations and commercial discussions for assigned categories.
- Champion adoption of digital procurement tools and automation.
- Use procurement systems and analytics to identify opportunities and drive continuous improvement in sourcing and supplier performance.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
