Strategic Category & Procurement Specialist

Novartis; Selangor; On-site; MYR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Novartis in Malaysia is seeking a Category Management professional to support the development and execution of category strategies and sourcing plans aligned to business objectives. You will drive supplier performance, conduct market and spend analyses, and collaborate with internal stakeholders to optimize procurement outcomes across regions and functions.

This role requires strong procurement process understanding and proven experience in multinational settings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Proven experience operating within complex, multinational organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across regions, functions, and cultures.
• Minimum 2+ years of experience in procurement execution, strategic sourcing, and process improvement initiatives.
• Background in direct and/or indirect procurement, preferably within the pharmaceutical, healthcare, or regulated industries.
• Strong understanding of category management, supplier negotiations, contract management, and procurement processes.
• Experience managing supplier relationships and delivering measurable savings and value outcomes.
• Hands-on experience with Procurement systems. Fluency in English; Mandarin language skills are considered an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and execution of category strategies and sourcing plans aligned to business objectives.
• Implement sourcing initiatives and procurement activities to achieve category goals and operational requirements.
• Drive cost savings, value creation, and supplier performance improvement initiatives.
• Conduct market intelligence, supplier analysis, and spend analysis to support category decision-making.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate category-related risks while ensuring business continuity.
• Manage contract lifecycle activities, including contract execution, compliance, and documentation.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and suppliers to optimize procurement outcomes and service levels.
• Ensure adherence to procurement policies, processes, and best practices across category activities.

Skills

Category management

Supplier negotiations

Contract management

Procurement systems

Spend analysis

Market intelligence

Vendor management

Cost savings

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Procurement

Tools

Procurement systems

Job description

Novartis in Malaysia is seeking a Category Management professional to support the development and execution of category strategies and sourcing plans aligned to business objectives. You will drive supplier performance, conduct market and spend analyses, and collaborate with internal stakeholders to optimize procurement outcomes across regions and functions.

This role requires strong procurement process understanding and proven experience in multinational settings.