Category Manager - Hardware

Optiver; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based bonus

Relocation packages & visa sponsorship

Fully paid commuting expenses

25 paid vacation days

Job summary

Optiver is building a dedicated Hardware category within its Technology Sourcing team and seeks a Category Manager – Hardware to shape and execute sourcing strategies for critical technology spend.

You will partner with Infrastructure and Technology teams to optimize supplier relationships and navigate global supply chain dynamics, ensuring long-term performance and resilience of the business. This hands‑on commercial role blends strategic sourcing with technical collaboration.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years in technology procurement or category management, exposure to technology hardware procurement.
• Exposure to financial services, trading or other high‑performance tech environments.
• Experience sourcing enterprise hardware — servers, compute, networking, storage and related infrastructure.
• End‑to‑end sourcing projects from intake through contract execution.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies across Optiver's global hardware category.
• Lead end‑to‑end sourcing events (RFI, RFQ, RFP) for hardware with commercial evaluation models.
• Own key OEM and supplier relationships, negotiating pricing, warranties, and service levels.
• Monitor supplier performance, lead times, allocation, and lifecycle planning; identify risks/opportunities.
• Translate engineering requirements into sourcing strategies; support refresh and total cost of ownership decisions.
• Collaborate with global Procurement to align supplier strategies and contracting frameworks.
• Monitor market trends and pricing to sharpen decisions and strengthen supply resilience.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies and recordkeeping across systems.
• Challenge existing processes and leverage AI/tools to automate routine work.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Contract negotiation

Supplier management

TCO analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Effective communication

Procurement systems knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Engineering, or related field

Procurement qualification (CIPS, CPSM, NEVI or equivalent)

Tools

Coupa

SAP Ariba

Sourcing platforms

Job description

We're building a dedicated Hardware category within our Technology Sourcing team and looking for an experienced Category Manager – Hardware to help shape and execute our global sourcing strategy for one of Optiver's largest and most strategically important technology spend areas.

Hardware is fundamental to Optiver's trading and enterprise infrastructure. Every server, storage platform, network device and workstation underpins the performance, reliability and scalability of our global technology environment.

You'll partner with Infrastructure and Technology teams to optimise supplier relationships, navigate global supply chain dynamics and ensure our hardware strategy supports the long‑term performance, resilience and scalability of the business.

This is a hands‑on commercial role for someone who enjoys combining strategic sourcing, technical collaboration and commercial negotiation within a fast‑paced, engineering‑led environment.

What You’ll Do

• Partner with the Global Category Lead to develop and execute sourcing strategies across Optiver's global hardware category.
• Lead end‑to‑end sourcing events (RFI, RFQ, RFP) for servers, compute, networking, storage and enterprise hardware, developing commercial evaluation models and negotiation strategies.
• Act as the day‑to‑day commercial owner for key OEM and supplier relationships, negotiating pricing, warranties, support models and service levels.
• Monitor supplier performance, lead times, allocation and lifecycle planning, proactively identifying and escalating risks and opportunities to supply resilience.
• Partner with Infrastructure and Technology teams as their commercial advisor, translating engineering requirements and roadmaps into sourcing strategies and supporting refresh, standardization and total‑cost‑of‑ownership decisions.
• Collaborate with Procurement colleagues globally to align supplier strategies, commercial frameworks and ways of working across regions.
• Monitor hardware market trends, component availability, allocation risk and pricing to sharpen sourcing decisions and strengthen supply assurance.
• Ensure sourcing activity complies with Optiver's procurement policies, governance and contracting standards, with accurate records maintained across procurement systems.
• Challenge existing ways of working, leveraging AI and emerging tools to automate routine work.

Who You Are

• 5–10 years in technology procurement, strategic sourcing or category management, with significant exposure to technology hardware procurement.
• Exposure to financial services, trading or other high‑performance technology environments.
• Experience sourcing enterprise hardware — servers, compute, networking, storage and related infrastructure.
• Proven track record delivering complex, end‑to‑end sourcing projects (intake through to contract execution) independently and with minimal direction.
• Strong commercial judgement negotiating with OEMs, distributors and strategic suppliers — pricing models, commercial terms, warranties, support and long‑term agreements.
• Working knowledge of hardware supply chain dynamics (lead times, allocation, refresh planning, warranty and support models).
• Strong analytical capability, including total cost of ownership (TCO), should‑cost modelling and commercial evaluation.
• Experience partnering with technical and commercial stakeholders — translating engineering requirements into sourcing decisions.
• Excellent communication skills, able to translate complex technical and commercial concepts for both engineering and leadership audiences.
• Experience operating in a matrixed, global environment spanning multiple regions and stakeholders.
• Experience with procurement systems such as Coupa, SAP Ariba or similar sourcing platforms.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Engineering, or related field.
• Familiarity with operational resilience, ICT third‑party risk management or regulatory frameworks such as DORA.
• Professional procurement qualification (CIPS, CPSM, NEVI or equivalent).

What You’ll Get

• A performance‑based bonus structure unmatched anywhere in the industry. We combine our profits across desks, teams and offices into a global profit pool.
• The opportunity to work alongside best‑in‑class professionals from over 50 different countries.
• 25 paid vacation days in your first year, increasing to 30 from your second year onwards.
• Training opportunities, discounts on health insurance, and fully paid first‑class commuting expenses.
• Extensive office perks, including breakfast, lunch and dinner, world‑class barista coffee, in‑house physio and chair massages, organized sports and leisure activities, and Friday afternoon drinks.
• Training and continuous learning opportunities, including access to conferences and tech events.
• Competitive relocation packages and visa sponsorship where necessary for expats.

Diversity statement

Optiver is committed to diversity and inclusion.