Category Director, Asia

Sun Life Financial; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Sun Life Financial Asia is seeking a Director-level Asia Category Strategy lead in Hong Kong. You will own major procurement categories, collaborate with the global Category Management organization, and drive value through strategy alignment and robust spend analytics.

The role requires strong leadership, advanced negotiation skills, and a track record of delivering cost savings across cross-border spend. You will mentor teams and influence senior stakeholders to adopt strategic category

Qualifications

• 7+ years of procurement or supply chain experience.
• Experience in global markets; Hong Kong and Marketing/Branding category is a plus.
• Proven ability to design and execute category plans and savings initiatives.
• Strong leadership with influencing and change-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead Asia category strategy and manage major categories across Asia.
• Build alignment with global Category Management and secure executive buy-in.
• Oversee annual category plans, spend analyses, and pipeline execution.
• Mentor junior team members and manage RFx, budgets, and reports.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Sourcing

Category planning

Spend analyses

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA or advanced degree in procurement

Job description

You are as unique as your background, experience and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do.At Sun Life, we're driven by our Purpose: helping our Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. Our values shape how we work: caring, authentic, bold, inspiring, and impactful.When you join Sun Life, you'll work with passionate colleagues and empowering leaders who support your growth and celebrate your contributions, so you can make a meaningful difference in our Clients' lives.Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities around the world.Job Description:The Role | Asia Category Strategy DirectorLocation: Hong KongWhy We Have This RoleThe Global Procurement team is undergoing a major transformation to enhance our operating model by adopting industry best practices and optimizing third-party spending. As we implement these changes, exciting opportunities have emerged to join our global category management team at the Director level based in Asia. The Director of Asia Category Strategy is responsible for moving upstream procurmenet from transaction execution to enterprise value enablement. The role will focus on developing and executing category strategies aligned to Sun Life’s enterprise goals, manage complex regional spend portfolio, and drive total cost of ownership (TCO) reductions through category strategy levers.How You’ll Find SuccessApplying in-depth knowledge of procurement best practices consistently across the entire spending portfolio.Identifying and addressing global business needs within a complex organizational landscape.Collaborating effectively across all executive levels and partnering with business units and functional teams.Actively listening to stakeholder feedback and addressing concerns related to user experience and program operations.Using strong influencing skills to ensure leaders across Sun Life understand procurements role and the value createdDemonstrating effective people leadership by creating an environment where teams feel inspired, supported, and motivated.How You’ll GrowLead with InfluenceStrengthen your leadership skills to inspire and motivate your team, achieving outstanding results together.Self StarterShowing proactive leadership ability within a new team including an ability to innovate and develop solutions to complex business requirementsExpand Your HorizonsExperience diverse work cultures and global business practices to broaden your perspective.Become a Strategic PartnerBuild strong relationships with senior leaders and contribute to Sun Life's success.Make a Lasting ImpactCreate positive change and shape the future of work for Sun Life employees worldwide.What you will doBe an independent leader managing major categories in Asia, responsible for delivery on category strategies and mentoring team membersResponsible for connecting with the global Category Management organization to ensure strategy alignment, and building a trust-based collaboration with stakeholders in Asia to execute Asia category strategyBuild strong relationships with Asia senior leaders to secure buy-in and raise awareness of strategic category initiatives.Directly manage and guide Sourcing (Renewal) team and junior team members to ensure alignment with the category plan.Utilize internal and external resources to remain informed about industry and category developments.Apply competitive commercial strategies to optimize savings and enhance business value, including identifying and onboarding new vendors.Build and implement annual category plans to strategically manage related spending, including pipeline planning and execution.Conduct regular spend analyses to uncover trends and opportunities across categories, subcategories, business units, and geographies.Manage all procurement-related documentation, such as RFx, project budgets, and status reports.Provide mentorship and clear guidance to junior team members, fostering their professional growth.What We’re looking For On Your Resume7+ years of experience in Procurement or Supply Chain.Experience in global markets, specifically Hong Kong and/or Marketing/Branding category is a plusProven expertise in designing and implementing category planning and savings initiatives.Strong leadership skills with the ability to influence teams and stakeholders effectively.Demonstrated success in managing complex projects, including stakeholder engagement and change management.Experience in developing and executing global category strategies.Proven track record of delivering category savings through sourcing, demand management, and policy compliance.Advanced negotiation skills.Bachelor’s degree preferred; MBA, JD, or advanced degree in a procurement-related field is highly desirable.Fluency in both written and spoken English , Cantonese and Mandarin is a plusAt Sun Life, we’re driven by our Purpose: to help Clients build lifetime financial security and lead healthier lives. Across Asia, we cultivate a High-Performance, Caring Culture that empowers our people to achieve outstanding results, embrace continuous growth, and create meaningful impact. We succeed together by fostering an inclusive environment where wellbeing, collaboration, and accountability are equally valued.Job Category:ProcurementPosting End Date:05/11/2026