Associate Director Procurement Business Partnering & Category Management

Randstad - Netherlands; Diemen; On-site; EUR 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fixed salary with variable pay

Employee share purchase plan

Flexible working culture

Job summary

Randstad is seeking an Associate Director – Procurement Business Partnering & Category Management to lead agile sourcing, strategic demand management, and high‑level business partnering from our Diemen HQ. This role focuses on value creation and total cost of ownership across IT, Marketing, HR, Mobility, and Professional Services, not tactical purchasing.

The position operates within a centralized COE, partnering across a global matrix, and requires executive presence and sophisticated

Qualifications

• Executive presence and strategic influence required.
• Advanced negotiation and cost modeling experience.
• Strong ability to tell data-driven stories to senior leadership.
• Experience operating in a centralized COE or agile tribe/squad model.

Responsibilities

• Act as trusted strategic advisor to senior leaders across Finance, IT, Legal, HR, and Marketing.
• Lead agile sourcing and high-impact execution across indirect spend domains.
• Manage Tier‑1 supplier relationships and drive value through QBRs and steering committees.
• Collaborate with global frameworks and transfer final contracts for execution.

Skills

Executive presence

Advanced negotiation

TCO modeling

Data-driven storytelling

Agile COE experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Supply Chain/Economics

MBA or procurement certification preferred

Job description

Job Description Role Title: Associate Director – Procurement Business Partnering & Category Management

Role Summary Randstad is hiring an Associate Director – Procurement Business Partnering & Category Management to lead agile sourcing, strategic demand management, and C‑suite business partnering within our newly established Center of Excellence (COE). Operating across indirect spend ecosystems (IT, Marketing, HR, Mobility, and Professional Services), this high‑impact advisory role focuses on value creation, innovation, and total cost of ownership (TCO) optimization rather than tactical buying. Location: HQ, Diemen.

Important Note: Role Differentiation

This is an Agile Strategic Advisory & C‑suite Partnering Role — NOT a Operational Buying or Tactical Purchasing Role. Tactical purchasing, transactional processing, and operational handoffs are exclusively managed by the Procurement Services and Global Capability Center (GCC) pillars.

What You Will Achieve

• Strategic Business Partnering & Demand Management Act as a trusted strategic advisor to senior leaders across Finance, IT, Legal, HR, and Marketing, aligning procurement with core commercial priorities. Engage early in business planning cycles to shape demand and unlock commercial value beyond basic cost reduction.
• Agile Sourcing & High‑Impact Execution Dynamically deploy across a fluid “tribe” of indirect spend experts (IT, Marketing, Professional Services, HR, Mobility) based on strategic corporate priorities. Apply advanced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) models and negotiation strategies to improve profitability and cash positions.
• Strategic SRM & Value Creation Manage Tier‑1 global supplier relationships, steering executive QBRs and Joint Steering Committees to drive innovation and mitigate operational risk.
• COE & Ecosystem Collaboration Partner with the Enablement pillar to establish global frameworks, seamlessly transferring final contracts to Procurement Services for execution.

What You Need to Succeed

• Experience: 8–10+ years of progressive strategic sourcing, indirect category management, or management consulting experience in complex corporate environments.
• COE & Matrix Mastery: Proven experience operating within a centralized Center of Excellence (COE) or agile “tribe/squad” organizational model within a global matrix structure.
• Cross‑Category Fluidity: Demonstrated ability to transition seamlessly across various indirect categories rather than remaining restricted to one silo.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or Economics; an MBA or advanced procurement certification is highly preferred.
• Core Skills: Executive presence, advanced negotiation, TCO modeling, and data‑driven storytelling.

What We Offer

• Competitive fixed salary with variable pay for performance.
• Randstad Employee Share Purchase Plan participation.
• Flexible working culture (flexibility with intentionality) promoting work‑life balance.

The World Around Us

We live in extraordinary times. Technology, society, the job market - they’re all rapidly advancing, and opening up previously unimagined opportunities. With innovation driving the world of work even faster, many of us are left wondering: how can I find a job that works for me? people at the heart of everything we do

Working at Randstad

Working at Randstad is unlike working at any organization. Because at Randstad we put people at the heart of everything we do; this goes for our clients, our candidates, our employees and society. By combining our passion for people with the power of today’s technologies, we support people and organizations in realizing their true potential. We call this Human Forward.

What Do You Get in Return?

In return for your talent and effort we pay a good, competitive salary and offer attractive benefits. Job security and a great work‑life balance mean we take care of each other. Imagine having an instant network where everyone wants you to succeed. And we have the numbers to back that up: we’re 38,331 employees strong, with over 4,800 offices in 38 countries. And 47% of our management is female. Randstad’s performance standards are high, but as a team, we’ll make sure you reach and even exceed them through a wide range of learning and development opportunities.

We’re a Great Place to Work

Joining our team means getting to work with great people. Each of them is crucial to maintaining our open‑minded, entrepreneurial, and vibrant company culture. Sure you’ll work hard, but this hard work is also rewarded, and success is celebrated. It’s the culture you’ll find in any of our global Randstad offices.

About Randstad

The Randstad Group is a global leader in the HR services industry and specialized in solutions in the field of flexible work and human resources services. Our services range from regular temporary Staffing and permanent placements to Inhouse Services, Professionals, and HR Solutions (including Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Managed Services Programs, and outplacement). In 2017, Randstad generated revenue of € 23.3billion. Randstad was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Diemen, the Netherlands. Randstad N.V. is listed on the NYSE Euronext Amsterdam, where options for stocks in Randstad are also traded. For more information, see www.randstad.com.