Senior Category Manager

Senior Category Manager hos Hitachi Energy Sweden AB The Opportunity As Category Manager, you will lead the development and execution of category strategies for High Voltage Breakers supporting HVDC projects worldwide. The role offers a unique combination of strategic sourcing, market engagement, supplier relationship management, tender support, technology understanding, and business development. Working at the interface between Supply Chain, Sales, Engineering, Project Execution, and Technology Development, you will help ensure that category strategies support both immediate project needs and long-term business objectives. You will be the key driver of the category roadmap, translating market intelligence, supplier capabilities, and business requirements into actionable strategies that strengthen competitiveness, ensure supply security, and support business growth. The role requires strong communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills to align diverse stakeholders, manage complex business situations, and drive decisions that create measurable business value and outcomes. How You'll Make an Impact Develop and implement category strategies aligned with business growth, technology, roadmaps, and market developments. Develop and maintain a long-term category roadmap, ensuring alignment with business priorities and future market needs. Build and manage supplier relationships to secure capacity, innovation, quality, and competitiveness. Support commercial and tendering activities through market intelligence, cost analysis, supplier insights, and sourcing strategies. Drive market intelligence activities, including supplier analysis, technology trends, capacity outlook, competitive dynamics, and cost drivers to support strategic decision making. Drive early supplier involvement and leverage supplier expertise to support technology and business objectives. Lead supplier negotiations, contract management activities, and business reviews to maximize value creation. Identify and execute cost optimization, localization, and supply chain improvement initiatives. Monitor market trends, emerging technologies, competitive developments, and supply chain risks to support informed business decisions. Translate market trends, supplier capabilities, and business needs into actionable category plans. Influence and align stakeholders across Sales, Engineering, Project Management, Operations, and SCM to support business objectives and successful project execution. Lead and navigate complex business challenges while driving accountability, progress, and measurable business outcomes. Drive supplier performance improvement initiatives related to quality, delivery reliability, sustainability, innovation, and operational excellence. Contribute to successful HVDC project execution through effective supply chain planning and supplier engagement. Live Hitachi Energy's core values of safety, integrity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Your Background Bachelor's degree in Engineering (preferable), Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or related technical field. Several years of experience in one or more of the following areas are required: Supply chain management (Strategic sourcing, Category management) High-voltage products and systems (key differentiator) Technical sales Product management Bid and proposal management Understanding project environments, industrial markets, customer requirements, technology trends, and commercial drivers. Ability to influence stakeholders across functions and organizational levels. Experience managing supplier relationships, commercial negotiations, contracts, and business performance. Proven experience developing category strategies, roadmaps, and long-term supplier strategies. Strong market intelligence and analytical capabilities with the ability to convert insights into business actions and sourcing strategies. Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills, with the ability to build alignment and drive decisions in a complex global environment. Ability to translate technical and business requirements into practical strategies and decisions. Analytical mindset combined with effective communication and stakeholder management skills. Experience working in an international and multicultural environment. SAP knowledge and proficiency in digital tools and data-driven decision making are advantages. Strong result-oriented with a demonstrated ability to create value, drive execution, and deliver measurable business outcomes. A collaborative, curious, and proactive attitude with a passion for continuous improvement and business growth. Fluency in English, written and spoken. More About Us ​ We believe great work thrives in an environment where people feel genuinely supported and fairly rewarded. Our benefits are designed to create real value for every individual – fueling engagement, performance, and growth. By prioritizing wellbeing, we build a workplace where personal and organizational success grows together. ​ Our benefits offering for our roles generally includes: ​ Collective agreement, occupational pension & possibility of salary exchange to pension (for ITP1 and ITP2) ​ Group life insurance and additional insurance. ​ Flex-time and shortening of working hours in time bank​ Hybrid work & allowances for setting up a workplace at home (in agreement with line manager) ​ Health care and wellness allowance ​ Health insurance incl. dental, spectacles & contact lenses allowance (employee pay 140 sek/month via salary deduction) ​ Psychological support program ​ Supplementary compensation for parental leave ​ Various trainings and education supporting employee development ​ Internal career possibilities both within Sweden and globally ​ Employee Benefit Portal with thousands of discounts and perks ​ The benefits listed above are an excerpt only and may vary depending on job grade, location and contract type. Eligibility is subjec