The Senior Manager of Global Procurement Category Management serves in a dual role as a strategic procurement leader and team manager. He or she is responsible for the direct management of certain high-impact global categories while leading a team of Sourcing Managers to achieve the company’s procurement objectives.

This position is responsible for both the performance of its procurement categories and the overall results of its team, ensuring consistent execution of global strategies, high supplier performance, and the achievement of cost, quality, and service objectives.

He plays a key role in the development of the Procurement function while retaining operational responsibility for strategic categories that are essential to the business.

In an international, matrix-based industrial environment, he works closely with the Engineering, Operations, Planning, and Finance teams to ensure the continuity of supply while promoting standardization, improving supplier performance, and creating long-term value.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Cost reduction and avoidance (amounts and percentages) across direct raw material categories.
• On-Time Delivery (OTD) Rate and Supplier Quality Performance.
• Volume of strategic expenditures under management and contractual coverage rate.
• Continuity of supply.
• Contribution to improving working capital requirements (inventory, payment terms).
• Team skill development and collective performance.

Main Responsibilities

Strategic Category Management

• Define and implement global procurement strategies for the direct raw material categories assigned to him or her.
• Oversee the entire sourcing process: requests for proposals (RFx), negotiations, and supplier selection.
• Generate measurable gains in cost reduction, cost avoidance, and value engineering.
• Monitor trends in the commodities markets and develop strategies to control costs and mitigate supply risks.
• Develop and manage strategic relationships with suppliers in their respective categories.

Category Strategy Leadership

• Provide guidance, leadership, and support to the Sourcing Managers responsible for other categories.
• Ensure the consistency and quality of category strategies, sourcing approaches, and supplier management practices.
• Review and challenge category plans to ensure they are aligned with the company's financial and operational objectives.

Team Management and Development

• Lead, support, and develop a global team of Category Managers and Procurement Analysts.
• Set clear performance goals that cover both individual responsibilities and team results.
• Strengthen the team's skills in strategic sourcing, analysis, and supplier management.
• Develop a culture of accountability, collaboration, and performance.

Supplier Strategy and Executive Relations

• Manage relationships with strategic suppliers at the executive level, both for one’s own categories and those managed by one’s team.
• Implement supplier governance models that include performance reviews and innovation initiatives.
• Oversee supplier risk management and business continuity plans for the entire category portfolio.

Cross-functional collaboration

• Work in partnership with the Engineering teams on product qualification, specification optimization, value engineering, and "should-cost" models.
• Collaborate with the SIOP and Integrated Planning teams to ensure a balance between supply and demand.
• Work with local procurement teams to ensure that global strategies are properly implemented at the various sites.

Cost Leadership and Value Creation

• Achieve cost-reduction targets for their categories while ensuring that the team’s overall cost and productivity goals are met.
• Identify and implement opportunities for value engineering and supplier innovation.
• Anticipate trends in the commodities markets and develop strategies for controlling costs over the medium and long term.

Procurement and Governance Excellence

• Ensure compliance with global procurement policies, contracts, and responsible procurement requirements.
• Promote the standardization of procurement processes, tools, and data across different regions and business units.
• Support initiatives to digitize procurement (e-sourcing, analytics tools, ERP)