Procurement Category Manager

Blackbook Recruitment; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackbook Recruitment’s client, a well-established manufacturing business, seeks a Procurement Category Manager to own packaging and commodity spend, driving strategy, sourcing and supplier relationships across Australia.

Reporting to the procurement leadership, you will collaborate with stakeholders across Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Finance and Product Development to deliver cost savings, risk management and continuous improvement in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in procurement, category management or strategic sourcing.
• Direct procurement focus, especially packaging and commodities.
• Experience negotiating supplier agreements.
• Ability to translate market movements into procurement strategies.
• Strong stakeholder management at operational and executive levels.
• Analytics, commercial acumen and problem-solving capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies across packaging, direct spend and commodity-based procurement.
• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives and commercial negotiations to deliver value.
• Monitor market trends, pricing movements and supply risks to provide insights and recommendations.
• Build strong supplier partnerships focused on performance, innovation, risk mitigation and continuous improvement.
• Drive cost optimisation while maintaining product quality, service levels and supply continuity.
• Manage contract negotiations and supplier performance frameworks to support objectives.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders on new product initiatives and supply chain improvements.
• Identify opportunities to improve procurement processes and supplier effectiveness.
• Support business planning with market intelligence and spend analysis.

Education

Tertiary qualifications in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business, Commerce or a related discipline

Job description

Our client is a well-established manufacturing business with a strong market presence across Australia. Operating within a dynamic and fast-paced environment, they are committed to delivering high-quality products, driving innovation and building strategic supplier partnerships that support long-term growth. Due to ongoing investment within their procurement function, they are seeking an experienced Procurement Category Manager to take ownership of a portfolio spanning direct materials, packaging and commodity-driven spend categories.

The Role

Reporting into the Procurement leadership team, this role will lead the development and execution of category strategies across a diverse spend portfolio, with a particular focus on packaging, indirect services and commodity markets. You will play a critical role in managing supplier relationships, navigating market volatility and delivering commercial outcomes that support both operational performance and business growth.

Working closely with stakeholders across Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Finance, Commercial and Product Development, you will provide strategic procurement leadership while ensuring a resilient and cost-effective supply base.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing and implementing category strategies across direct spend categories, including packaging, indirect services and commodity-based procurement.
• Leading strategic sourcing initiatives and commercial negotiations to deliver sustainable value and competitive advantage.
• Monitoring market trends, pricing movements and supply risks to provide timely commercial insights and procurement recommendations.
• Building strong supplier partnerships focused on performance, innovation, risk mitigation and continuous improvement.
• Driving cost optimisation initiatives while maintaining product quality, service levels and supply continuity.
• Managing contract negotiations and supplier performance frameworks to support strategic business objectives.
• Partnering with cross-functional stakeholders on new product initiatives, operational projects and supply chain improvements.
• Identifying opportunities to improve procurement processes, supplier effectiveness and overall category performance.
• Supporting business planning activities through market intelligence, spend analysis and procurement reporting.

Your Background

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Proven procurement, category management or strategic sourcing experience within Pharmaceuticals, FMCG, consumer products or a similar manufacturing environment.
• Strong exposure to direct procurement categories, particularly packaging, commodities, indirect services or other commodity-linked spend.
• Demonstrated experience managing supplier negotiations, sourcing projects and complex commercial agreements.
• An understanding of commodity markets and the ability to translate market movements into procurement strategies and business insights.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and partner with both operational and executive-level teams.
• Excellent analytical, commercial and problem-solving capabilities.
• Experience operating within a complex manufacturing or supply chain environment.
• Tertiary qualifications in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business, Commerce or a related discipline.

What's on Offer

This is an outstanding opportunity to join a business where procurement is viewed as a strategic function and where you'll have the opportunity to influence key sourcing decisions across high-value, business-critical categories.

The position offers:

• Ownership of strategically important direct procurement categories.
• Exposure to commodity markets and large-scale supplier partnerships.
• Significant stakeholder engagement across operations, commercial and leadership teams.
• The opportunity to shape category strategies and drive measurable commercial outcomes.
• A collaborative culture with strong career development opportunities.