Indirect Materials Manager – T&E & Marketing

Zeppelin International AG; Steinhausen; On-site; CHF 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Zeppelin International AG in Steinhausen, Switzerland, seeks a Category Manager for Indirect Materials & Services with a Travel, Entertainment & Marketing focus. You will lead global sourcing strategies, supplier management, contract negotiations, and cost-optimization initiatives to support business goals.

The ideal candidate holds a Bachelor's or Master's degree, has 5+ years in strategic procurement, fluent English and German, and strong negotiation and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Qualifications

• A degree (Bachelor’s or Master’s) in Business, Engineering, Economics or equivalent qualification.
• 5+ years of experience in strategic or project-specific procurement.
• Strong negotiation skills, analytical abilities, and cost/risk management expertise.
• Service‑oriented mindset and ability to work as a strategic procurement professional in a cross-functional org.
• Understanding technical requirements, project workflows, agile methods, and knowledge of contract law.
• Resilience, initiative, and willingness to take responsibility in a dynamic, global environment.
• Fluency in English and German; additional languages a plus.
• Willingness to travel.

Responsibilities

• Establish and manage supplier relationships for favorable terms and supply stability.
• Develop and implement sustainable category strategies to optimize quality, cost, and availability.
• Conduct market analyses to identify potential suppliers and technologies.
• Redesign and implement strategic supplier management.
• Design forecasting systems for suppliers based on S&OP processes.
• Prepare RFPs, compare bids, negotiate prices and terms, and draft framework agreements.
• Draft and negotiate contracts with attorneys.
• Establish sourcing specifications and KPI-based risk management for the category.
• Coordinate interfaces between Procurement, Master Data, Operations Planning, Product Management, Engineering, Logistics, Quality, and Finance.

Skills

Category management

Procurement strategy

Negotiation

Supplier management

Market analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

S&OP knowledge

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s in Business/Engineering/Economics

Job description

Zeppelin International AG in Steinhausen, Switzerland, seeks a Category Manager for Indirect Materials & Services with a Travel, Entertainment & Marketing focus. You will lead global sourcing strategies, supplier management, contract negotiations, and cost-optimization initiatives to support business goals.

The ideal candidate holds a Bachelor's or Master's degree, has 5+ years in strategic procurement, fluent English and German, and strong negotiation and cross-functional collaboration skills.