Category Specialist

Teknos Oy; Helsinki; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family culture

Innovations focus

Global career

Sustainability

Job summary

Teknos Oy is seeking a Category Specialist to own operational purchasing within your category, partnering with production, planning and suppliers across Denmark, Germany, Finland and Poland.

You will collaborate with the Category Lead Sourcing, drive supplier performance, support ERP transition, and contribute to category strategies while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships.

Qualifications

• Operational or category purchasing experience
• Experience in industrial/manufacturing environment
• Ability to work across countries and cultures
• Experience with ERP transitions or system changes
• Strong stakeholder management skills
• Fluency in Finnish and English

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day purchasing activities within your category, including order handling and supplier communication
• Support local supplier negotiations and contract discussions
• Monitor local supplier performance and drive improvement actions
• Contribute to category strategies and sourcing decisions
• Work cross-functionally with production, planning, quality and finance to resolve issues
• Support master data quality and ERP transition

Skills

Supplier relationship management

Data-driven decision making

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical mindset

Strong communication

Fluent Finnish

Fluent English

Education

Relevant education in supply chain, business, or engineering

Tools

MS Office 365

ERP systems

Job description

Are you a driven procurement professional who enjoys working close to daily operations, building strong supplier relationships and turning data into decisions? Teknos is looking for a Category Specialist to strengthen our purchasing team and support our sites across Denmark, Germany, Finland and Poland.

As Category Specialist, you will take ownership of operational purchasing within your category area, working closely with production, planning and suppliers to ensure reliable, cost-effective and high-quality material flow. You will report to the Category Lead Sourcing and collaborate with colleagues across multiple European sites.

• Manage day-to-day purchasing activities within your category, including order handling, delivery follow-up and supplier communication
• Support and participate in local supplier negotiations and contract discussions
• Monitor local supplier performance (e.g. delivery reliability, price development, quality) and drive improvement actions
• Contribute to category strategies and sourcing decisions in close cooperation with the Category Lead
• Work cross-functionally with production, planning, quality and finance to resolve operational issues
• Support master data quality and process improvements, including in connection with the ongoing ERP transition
• Relevant education within supply chain, business, engineering or similar — or equivalent practical experience
• Experience from operational or category purchasing, ideally in an industrial or manufacturing environment
• Strong communication skills and comfortable working with stakeholders at different levels and across countries
• Structured, analytical approach with good Microsoft Office 365/ERP skills
• Fluent in Finnish and English
• A proactive, solution-oriented mindset and ability to work independently
• A role with real ownership and visibility across an international organization
• Close cooperation with an experienced procurement team and direct sparring with your manager
• The opportunity to influence category strategy and contribute to a major ERP transformation
• We offer, among other things, comprehensive occupational health services, employee discounts on Teknos products, a work environment where well-being is supported by high-quality dining options and a smooth daily routine, as well as the opportunity to work for a financially sound, international family-owned company that puts people and long-term development at the center of everything we do

Should you have any question please contact [e-mail].

What we offer:

• A family working culture
  We are a company known for an open and unique family working culture, where management is easy to approach, employees’ ideas are listened to, and everyone’s contribution is valued. Our people often highlight their supportive colleagues as the best things in their jobs.
• Outstanding solutions and focus on innovations
  Innovating has always been at the heart of our business, driving business development and shaping our mindset. From the very first industry-leading product launched in 1948 to exciting new market opportunities such as barrier coatings for the packaging industry and biobased solutions, we are determined to solve any coating challenge ahead.
• Career in a global, expanding company
  Our ambitious growth targets provide unique opportunities to grow and develop your career in a global, multicultural company, where we all share the same values of persistent, creative, and fair.
• Sustainability and meaningful work
  Our mission is to make the world last longer, and sustainability is a cornerstone of our strategy. We hope that enhancing this mission in everyday work makes work more meaningful to our employees on all levels.

Teknos is a global coatings company with operations in more than 20 countries in Europe and Asia, employing almost 1,400 employees. We are one of the leading suppliers of industrial coatings with a strong position in architectural and retail coatings. The company was established in 1948 and is one of Finland’s largest family-owned businesses. Teknos wants to make the world last longer by providing smart, technically advanced paint and coating solutions to protect and prolong. Always working in close cooperation with our customers and firmly believing that the company’s personnel are vital to its success, Teknos has created a corporate culture that is derived from family values, where each employee is heard and encouraged to take the initiative. Our goal is to make use of the great potential of our excellent personnel in order to create new solutions for our customers.