Global Category Manager

Vanderlande; Veghel; On-site; EUR 71,424 - 84,816; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

40 vacation days

Flexible working hours

Health & Wellbeing budget of €300

Commuting allowance

On-site company health centres

Vanderlande Academy training facilities

Job summary

Vanderlande is looking for a temporary Global Category Manager to manage procurement activities for HR/Professional Services, Travel & Mobility. Your leadership will focus on developing category strategies and managing supplier relationships while ensuring compliance.

You will collaborate with stakeholders and lead sourcing initiatives to maximize value and minimize risks. The role requires a strong background in procurement and the ability to travel internationally.

The position offers a competitive monthly salary of €6,400 to €7,600 gross, along with flexible working hours and various employee benefits.

Qualifications

• 4+ years in procurement with a track record in category management.
• Experience in leading complex sourcing events and negotiations.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 10% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage global category strategies.
• Lead complex sourcing events and supplier evaluations.
• Ensure compliance with sourcing policies and ethical guidelines.

Skills

Procurement

Strategic Sourcing

Supplier Relationship Management

Cross-functional Leadership

Job description

Global Category Manager – HR/Professional Services, Travel & Mobility (Temporary)

Vanderlande is seeking a temporary Global Category Manager for HR/Professional Services, Travel & Mobility to drive strategic category management across our procurement activities. You will be part of the Procurement department and report directly into the Head of Global Indirect Spend.

As Global Category Manager you will develop, implement and manage global category strategies to deliver sustainable value, cost improvements, supplier innovation, and risk mitigation across Vanderlande. You will work in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders and lead cross‑functional teams. Your leadership will be critical in managing complex sourcing events and fostering strong supplier relationships to ensure our procurement activities align with business objectives and ethical standards.

Our global procurement organization enables our projects and business functions by maximizing value and minimizing risks via the procurement of goods and services in the most smart, cost‑effective and sustainable way. We ensure a resilient and competitive supplier ecosystem and aim to advance towards best‑in‑class practices, ensuring the organization is efficient, effective, and future‑proof.

What will you do?

In this role you will lead global strategic initiatives to optimize category performance, focusing on cost savings (TCO), stakeholder collaboration and supplier relationship management. You will play a leading role in cross‑functional category teams (with e.g., HR, Compensation and Benefits) to develop and implement optimal category strategies, lead complex sourcing events, and ensure compliance with sourcing policies and legal requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement global category strategies for HR/Professional services, Travel & Mobility across all regions, in alignment with relevant stakeholders.
• Analyze internal business needs, coordinate supply market research, identify new suppliers, recognize opportunities for cost savings and performance improvements (e.g., safety, performance & sustainability) in your assigned category and commission detailed cost analysis if required.
• Lead complex sourcing events, set up cross‑functional sourcing event teams, oversee the creation of RfX documents, set selection and awarding criteria, validate the longlist of suppliers, evaluate proposals, shortlist suppliers for further negotiations, conduct negotiations, and award contracts.
• In collaboration with Legal, oversee the creation of contracts and enforce the use of contract templates for the legal engagement of suppliers.
• Initiate and oversee supplier onboarding for new suppliers.
• Own and be accountable for the overall performance of suppliers within your assigned category, fostering collaboration and managing risks effectively.
• When required, review details within Purchase Requisitions (PR) for non‑catalog items and request clarification from requester(s).
• Develop, implement and maintain the required policies for your categories, ensuring alignment with business objectives, ethical guidelines, and legal requirements.
• Ensure mutual alignment and effective communication between global and regional category teams to maintain consistent strategies and maximise global leverage.
• Ensure mutual alignment and effective communication between your strategic procurement role and project‑specific procurement activities executed within the category.

What you bring

• A strong background (+4 years) in procurement, with a proven track record in (global) category management and strategic sourcing.
• Knowledge and practical experience with strategic sourcing and procurement & business metrics (KPIs).
• Experience leading complex sourcing events and negotiations, with the ability to set clear objectives and evaluate supplier proposals effectively.
• Knowledge of sourcing policies, ethical guidelines, and legal requirements to ensure compliance in all procurement activities.
• Excellent collaboration skills to work closely with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and legal teams to ensure compliance and alignment with business objectives.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 10 % of the time.

What we offer

This position offers a competitive salary range of € 6.400 to € 7.600 gross per month (excluding 8 % holiday allowance). Through exceeding performance expectations, you even have the possibility to grow outside this scale.

• 40 vacation days (20 statutory days and a flexible budget worth 20 days).
• Flexible working hours.
• A hybrid workplace (40 % working from home and 60 % in the office).
• A Health & Wellbeing budget worth €300 per calendar year.
• Commuting allowance, including full reimbursement of travel by public transport.
• Working from home allowance.
• Collective pension scheme and discount on additional health insurance.
• On‑site company health centres with a gym, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
• Vanderlande Academy and training facilities to boost your skills.
• A variety of Vanderlande Network communities and initiatives.
• And a great company restaurant and coffee bar with barista.

Diversity & Inclusion

Vanderlande is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regards to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status.