Category Manager - Indirect Procurement

BDR Thermea Group; Apeldoorn; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

BDR Thermea Group in the Netherlands seeks a Category Manager for Indirect Procurement to lead supplier strategies across the Group and drive cost-down and performance improvements. You will collaborate with internal stakeholders to deliver value and ensure ethical procurement practices.

You will manage supplier relationships, negotiate high-value contracts, and guide budgets and KPIs to support a sustainable, innovative procurement function across the organisation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' procurement experience in categories Marketing, HR, Consultancy services and engineering services.
• Strong commercial acumen and experience managing large contracts and complex high power suppliers.
• Confident communicator with the credibility to influence technical and operational stakeholders.
• Proactive, down-to-earth approach with the adaptability to thrive in a transformational environment.
• Able to collaborate and communicate across multi-functional matrix teams across the multi-cultural Group.
• Proficient in collecting, handling, analysing and presenting various types of data.
• Strong presentation and influencing skills.
• Close proximity to BDR HQ in Apeldoorn, NL, working in the office 3-4 days per week.
• Ability to travel across EU for plant and supplier visits.

Responsibilities

• End-to-end procurement of products and services from supplier selection to contract management.
• Build and refine a toolkit to support future purchases.
• Lead procurement activities for site projects and supplier relationships.
• Negotiate high-value, complex contracts with service providers.
• Align with stakeholders to deliver best-value procurement solutions.
• Develop a preferred supplier list with clear terms and KPIs.
• Own supply strategy and cost-down plans for the category.
• Establish SLAs with end users and stakeholders.
• Monitor supplier performance and escalate issues as needed.
• Enforce ethical and sustainable supplier selection.

Skills

Procurement

Stakeholder mgmt

Negotiation

Contract mgmt

Data analysis

Cross-functional

Communication

Travel EU

Job description

Category Manager - Indirect Procurement

Who will you be working with?

The Category Manager role reports to the Global Procurement Manager - Indirect and will work with internal and external stakeholders across the group (Site Management Team, Site Procurement Teams, functional experts) to develop a coherent future-proofed supplier base strategy. They will work to support all sites across the Group, to develop, imbed and practise effective procurement techniques and strategies for the purchase of capital equipment. They will drive supplier performance improvement and develop Group Supplier strategies moving away from a local selection strategy. This will involve managing the relationships with Group Suppliers on behalf of BDR Thermea, as well as drive cost down and ownership of performance improvement.

There will also be the opportunity to set in place supplier strategies in collaboration with internal stakeholders. Build performance metrics, and performance against key costs, developing budgets, sustainability and performance related KPI’s.

Daily you'll be responsible for, but not limited to:

Procurement ownership of delivering high-value, business-critical projects while gaining exceptional exposure to senior stakeholders.

• Work with functional stakeholders to understand business needs and partnering to deliver best value Procurement solutions for BDR.

• Refine a toolkit to support all future purchases.

• Lead end-to-end procurement of products and services, and site projects from supplier selection to contract management.

• Build strong supplier partnerships to ensure TCO, innovation, value, and long-term reliability.

• Negotiate high-value, complex contracts with service providers.

• Align closely with functional stakeholders to anticipate needs and deliver best-in-class solutions.

• Support local Buyers and teams to negotiate and strategize to procure good and servies, ensure "should be" cost mentality and awareness of key drivers of costs to ensure value for money for all externally purchases.

• Provide guidance on best practice between the Procurement team, funcations and finance.

• Develop a preferred supplier list for specific categories of responsibility, with agreed terms, schedules and measurement criteria/KPI’s

• Owns the supply strategy and cost down plans for the Category area

• Establishes service level agreements with end users, and key stakeholders in each location.

• Monitors supplier performance against milestones, informs relevant stakeholders about this performance and supports escalation of concerns if and when needed to Seniors within supplier.

• Enforces an ethical and sustainable supplier selection process considering key criteria to support business goals.

• Work with relevant internal stakeholder to create an annual budget planning preferred suppliers, timing, risk and resource.

About you:

We want to make sure you're set up for success in your mission therefore required Experience is as follows:

• 5+ years' procurement experience in categories Marketing, HR, Consultancy services and engineering services. Experience across manufacturing and engineering environments preferable.

• Strong commercial acumen and experience managing large contracts and complex high power suppliers.

• Confident communicator with the credibility to influence technical and operational stakeholders.

• Proactive, down-to-earth approach with the adaptability to thrive in a transformational environment.

• Able to collaborate and communicate across multi-functional matrix teams across the multi-cultural Group

• Proficient in collecting, handling, analysing and presenting various types of data.

• Strong presentation and influencing skills

• Close proximity to BDR HQ in Apledoorn, NL, working in the office 3-4 days per week.

• Ability to travel across EU for plant and supplier visits.

What we offer:

• We offer a competitive salary and benefits package

• Be part of our movement to drive the energy transition forward;

• Work with cutting-edge technology;

• Be part of an international, collaborative team that values your input;