Regional Category Manager - Indirect APAC

Novartis; Selangor; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Novartis in Malaysia seeks a senior procurement leader to drive category strategies across global, regional, and country levels. You will translate global directions into actionable sourcing plans, manage supplier performance, and drive value through negotiations and contracts.

You will lead cross-functional teams, oversee budgets, and report on procurement metrics while ensuring compliance and talent development within the function.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of procurement experience.
• Experience in category management.
• Strong negotiations and supplier contracts management.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sub-category procurement strategy translating global strategies into actionable regional, country, or local sourcing plans.
• Lead sourcing initiatives and deliver savings targets for the assigned sub-category through effective procurement planning and execution.
• Support category strategy development through supplier segmentation, identification of key supplier relationships, and business planning activities.
• Manage strategic supplier relationships and ensure supplier performance is monitored through defined KPIs, addressing risks and issues promptly.
• Oversee purchasing decisions at the country level, including supplier selection, timing, and commercial terms where applicable.
• Collect and analyze supplier performance data from divisions, countries, sites, and stakeholders, and deliver Procurement Balanced Scorecard metrics.
• Create, negotiate, review, and implement contracts for the sub-category, ensuring consistent communication and application of contractual agreements.
• Manage budgets, resources, and team performance, including talent development, while ensuring compliance with reporting requirements for product-related incidents.

Skills

Procurement

Job description

Job Description Summary

Lead category initiatives across defined global, regional, or country-level categories, developing and executing sourcing strategies, managing demand and specifications, and driving supplier performance, innovation, and value delivery in alignment with broader category objectives.

Job Description

Major Accountabilities

• Develop and execute sub-category procurement strategy by translating global/category strategies into actionable regional, country, or local sourcing plans.


• Lead sourcing initiatives and deliver savings targets for the assigned sub-category through effective procurement planning and execution.


• Support category strategy development through supplier segmentation, identification of key supplier relationships, and business planning activities.


• Manage strategic supplier relationships and ensure supplier performance is monitored through defined KPIs, addressing risks and issues promptly.


• Oversee purchasing decisions at the country level, including supplier selection, timing, and commercial terms where applicable.


• Collect and analyze supplier performance data from divisions, countries, sites, and stakeholders, and deliver Procurement Balanced Scorecard metrics.


• Create, negotiate, review, and implement contracts for the sub-category, ensuring consistent communication and application of contractual agreements.


• Manage budgets, resources, and team performance, including talent development, while ensuring compliance with reporting requirements for product-related incidents.

Minimum Requirements

• 10+ Years of procurement experience.


• Functional breadth with strong procurement and category management expertise.


• Experience in critical negotiations and supplier contract management.


• Industry and business exposure within complex, multinational environments.


• Cross-cultural experience working with global and regional stakeholders.


• Project management skills with the ability to manage multiple sourcing initiatives simultaneously.


• Operations management and execution experience to drive procurement effectiveness and delivery.


• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills to influence internal and external partners.


• Financial, resource management, customer needs analysis, and negotiation capabilities to support value delivery and business objectives.

Why Novartis

Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients' lives. Ready to create a brighter future together? https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams' representative of the patients and communities we serve.

Skills Desired

Procurement