Category Manager-Specialty Materials

Nouryon; Navi Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Nouryon is seeking a Category Manager, Specialty Materials, to develop and execute sourcing strategies across regional procurement. You will manage a sizable annual spend, lead supplier negotiations, and build strategic supplier partnerships to enhance value and resilience.

We value strong analytical and negotiation skills, experience with direct materials, and the ability to collaborate across functions in a global context.

Qualifications

• Strong negotiation, supplier relationship management, and contract management capabilities.
• Experience leading cross-functional sourcing initiatives and continuous improvement projects.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Knowledge of value chain analysis and total cost of ownership methodologies.
• Understanding of regional chemical market dynamics and procurement processes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute procurement strategies for Specialty Materials categories with significant annual spend.
• Apply market intelligence to identify opportunities for cost optimization and value creation.
• Partner with Business Line, Operations, Technology, and Supply Chain to translate requirements into sourcing strategies.
• Lead supplier selection, negotiations, and contract management to drive sustainable value.
• Build strategic relationships with key suppliers for long-term partnerships.
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks and develop contingency plans.

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, Chemistry, or related discipline

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

At Nouryon, our global team takes positive action every day to reach higher goals collectively and individually. We create innovative and sustainable solutions for our customers to answer society's needs today and in the future.

We are looking for team members who bring ideas forward, champion others, and work together to do better. Does that sound like you?

We are looking for a Category Manager, Specialty Materials who can develop and execute category strategies, drive value creation, strengthen supplier partnerships, and ensure a resilient and competitive supply base while supporting business objectives across the region.

In your future role as Category Manager, you will:

• Develop and execute procurement strategies for Specialty Materials categories, managing an annual spend of approximately USD 30-50 million.


• Apply value chain analysis and market intelligence to identify opportunities for cost optimization, supply security, and value creation.


• Partner closely with Business Line, Operations, Technology, and Supply Chain stakeholders to understand business requirements and translate them into effective sourcing strategies.


• Lead supplier selection, commercial negotiations, and contract management activities to achieve sustainable business value.


• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers, ensuring long‑term partnerships that support business growth and innovation.


• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and identify opportunities to optimize total cost of ownership across the supply base.


• Monitor supplier performance and implement corrective actions where necessary to ensure quality, service, and delivery expectations are met.


• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including supply continuity, price volatility, capacity constraints, and supplier dependency risks.


• Develop and execute contingency plans to support business resilience and uninterrupted supply.


• Monitor market dynamics, industry developments, and supplier landscapes to support strategic decision-making and category planning.


• Collaborate with regional and global procurement teams to leverage best practices, synergies, and strategic sourcing opportunities.


• Support procurement excellence initiatives and contribute to regional and local continuous improvement projects.

You will have the opportunity to work with stakeholders across all levels of the organization, including Procurement, Business Leadership, Manufacturing Sites, Supply Chain teams, and strategic suppliers. In addition, you will play a key role in driving procurement performance and supporting the company's growth and sustainability ambitions.

You will be part of an international procurement organization and report to the Regional Procurement Manager.

Great if you have

• Strong understanding of chemical industry supply markets and procurement best practices.


• Experience developing and implementing category strategies in direct materials procurement.


• Knowledge of value chain analysis and total cost of ownership methodologies.


• Strong negotiation, supplier relationship management, and contract management capabilities.


• Experience working in a global or regional procurement environment.


• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.


• Ability to identify and mitigate commercial and supply chain risks.


• Experience leading cross-functional sourcing initiatives and continuous improvement projects.

We believe you are

• Commercially minded and results-oriented.


• Strategic and analytical with strong problem-solving capabilities.


• Skilled at building relationships and influencing stakeholders.


• Proactive and capable of driving initiatives independently.


• Collaborative and able to work effectively across functions, cultures, and geographies.


• Resilient and comfortable working in a dynamic and changing business environment.

We believe you bring

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, Chemistry, or a related discipline.


• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement.


• Experience within the chemical industry, manufacturing, or related industrial sectors is preferred.


• Good understanding of regional chemical market dynamics and procurement processes.


• Proven experience in supplier negotiations and contract management.


• Strong analytical and financial acumen with the ability to assess value creation opportunities.


• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.


• Professional proficiency in English; additional language skills are considered an advantage.

We offer you

At Nouryon, we not only offer an exciting role and great colleagues, but also benefits in addition to your salary.

Are you passionate about sustainability, innovation, safety, and collaboration? Do you want to grow together with a company that is forward-looking and continuously improving how it works? Our employees have ideas on how to build a sustainable future and the drive and passion to realize them. If that describes you, we will gladly make way for your ambitions. From day one, we support your personal growth through challenging positions and comprehensive learning and development opportunities in a dynamic, international, diverse, and proactive working environment.

Good to know

This is a permanent full-time position supporting the regional procurement organization. Occasional travel may be required to support supplier engagement, business stakeholders, strategic sourcing projects, and procurement initiatives.