Group Category Manager – Commercial and Industrial

Group Category Manager – Commercial and Industrial Lead the Commercial and Industrial category team in developing and implementing strategies for indirect goods and services. Drive strategic opportunity assessments, category planning, competitive sourcing, supplier performance, and sustainable value creation. Assignment description and main responsibilities Lead the Commercial and Industrial category team through strategic opportunity assessments, category planning, and competitive sourcing activities. Take accountability for category performance and its financial and operational impact on our client´s KPIs. Set, track, and report ambitious targets for cost optimization, supplier performance, and value creation. Influence and align internal and external stakeholders toward common business objectives using fact-based and data-driven recommendations. Lead complex negotiations and internal discussions, ensuring that decisions prioritize business value. Develop category roadmaps and strategies that connect procurement activities with financial outcomes and operational excellence. Build strong relationships with relevant stakeholders, challenge business needs and established ways of working where appropriate, and provide insights to senior leadership. Lead and coach a team of procurement professionals and support recruitment activities when required. Contribute to the transformation of Indirect Procurement toward becoming a valued business partner. Build and maintain relationships within the group to identify and realize potential synergies. Deliveries Category strategies and roadmaps aligned with business and financial objectives. Spend and contract analyses, supplier market assessments, and identified sourcing opportunities. Competitive sourcing activities and negotiations delivering measurable cost optimization and value creation. Defined and monitored targets for supplier performance, category performance, and operational impact. Regular category insights and performance reports for senior leadership. Strong stakeholder and supplier alignment supporting sustainable long-term results. Coaching, direction, and development of the category team. Identified and implemented opportunities for collaboration and synergies with the company group. Competence requirements University degree, preferably a master’s degree in Business Administration, Industrial Engineering and Management, or a comparable field. At least 10 years of relevant professional experience, including at least three years of people leadership experience. Extensive experience in category management and the procurement of indirect products and services within a large enterprise environment. Strong proficiency in category management, procurement, strategic sourcing, and complex negotiations. Strong analytical capability, including experience conducting spend analyses and opportunity assessments. Extensive knowledge of different pricing models and contract structures. Experience developing and implementing strategies in complex organizations with multiple stakeholders. Extensive experience managing suppliers and categories such as inbound and outbound logistics, media, events, content production, MRO, and factory-related items. Fluency in English. Other requirements Ability to identify critical priorities and maintain progress in complex situations. Ability to challenge established approaches and influence decisions through fact-based arguments. Strong stakeholder-management skills across functions, regions, and organizational levels. Confidence in leading demanding negotiations and discussions. Ability to collaborate effectively with Legal, Finance, Compliance, suppliers, and auditors. The team The consultant will lead and coach a category team of procurement professionals and work closely with other Category Managers across the Procurement organization. The role collaborates extensively with internal stakeholders across functions and regions, including management, Legal, Finance, and Compliance. External interfaces include suppliers and auditors. Please note! We offer continuously. That means that we sometimes remove the assignments before deadline. If you are interested we recommend that you apply immediately. PayExpress: We now offer a fast and smooth payment solution, so you don't have to wait through long payment periods. With us, you will receive your payment within 3-5 days after your timesheet has been approved. This benefit is included as standard in almost all our contracts with no extra work on your part. https://knowledge.eworkgroup.com/payexpress-get-paid-within-days-not-months