Global Category Manager Mechanical Equipment

Vanderlande Manufacturing USA; Veghel; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderlande in Veghel, Netherlands is seeking a Global Category Manager to shape and drive category strategies for assigned spend areas across regions. You will translate business needs into sourcing plans, lead end-to-end strategic sourcing, develop RfX documents, evaluate proposals, and negotiate with suppliers to maximize value and minimize risk, while aligning with the CTO transformation strategy.

In this global role, you will act as Supplier Relationship Manager for key suppliers,

Qualifications

• University degree in economics or technical field with business background.
• Fluent in English, spoken and written.
• 3+ years' experience in procurement or supply chain management.
• Knowledge of sourcing methodologies and tools; familiarity with S2P suites a plus.
• Proven ability to lead sourcing events and manage stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel internationally up to 30%.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement global category strategies and sourcing initiatives.
• Create RfX documents, evaluate supplier proposals, and negotiate.
• Lead end-to-end strategic sourcing and supplier relationship management.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across regions to ensure value delivery.
• Manage supplier performance and risk mitigation strategies.

Skills

Fluent English

Procurement experience

Communication skills

Education

University degree in economics or technical degree with business background

Tools

S2P suites

Job description

Job Title

Global Category Manager Mechanical Equipment

Job Description

Are you a strategic procurement professional who knows how to turn market insights and business needs into impactful category strategies? Do you enjoy working in an international environment where you can influence supplier partnerships, sourcing decisions, and business performance on a global scale?

Vanderlande is looking for a Global Category Manager to develop and execute category strategies and lead strategic sourcing initiatives for assigned spend areas. As part of the global Procurement organization, you will work closely with business stakeholders to understand requirements, identify sourcing opportunities, and implement sustainable procurement solutions that support Vanderlande's business goals. You will ensure alignment of category strategies across regions and projects while driving cost, quality, innovation, and supplier performance.

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 smartest, cost-effective and sustainable way. We ensure a resilient and competitive supplier ecosystem and aim to advance towards best-in-class practices, and ensure the organization is efficient, effective, and future-proof. Furthermore, our procurement organization plays an important role in Vanderlande's transformation from an Engineer-to-Order (ETO) to a Configure-to-Order (CTO) business model. This new model aims at enhancing value for its customers through increased standardization, scalability, and more competitive solutions.

What will you be doing?

As a Global Category Manager, you will be responsible for managing assigned categories on a global scale, translating business requirements into sourcing strategies, and leading end-to-end strategic sourcing initiatives. This includes developing sourcing and RfX documents, evaluating supplier proposals, leading commercial negotiations, conducting auctions, and managing supplier communications throughout the sourcing process.

In this role, you will define and drive category strategies, ensuring their effective implementation across regions and projects. You will collaborate closely with stakeholders to deliver value, mitigate risk, and support business objectives. Additionally, you will serve as the Supplier Relationship Manager for a designated portfolio of strategic suppliers, fostering long-term partnerships and driving continuous performance improvement.

Responsibilities

• Managing assigned categories, including gathering business requirements, creating/modifying project charters and plans within the Category Management tool, support the contract creation process, support the supplier onboarding process, etc.
• Lead and/or support in strategic and complex sourcing events, with tasks such as the creation of the sourcing projects within the S2P Suite, creation of RfX documents, evaluation of proposal based on pre-defined criteria, support the negotiation process, etc.
• Develop and implement strategies to mitigate supplier-related risks, ensuring business continuity and minimizing potential disruptions
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all supplier performance-related activities, facilitating deep channels of communication between suppliers and internal stakeholders
• Support supplier segmentation to categorize suppliers based on strategic importance and develop tailored supplier performance management strategiesIdentify performance gaps and initiate and oversee supplier improvement programs to enhance performance and address deficiencies
• When required, review details within Purchase Requisitions (PR) for non-catalog items and request clarification from requester(s)
• Coordinate the modification of Item Master Data for assigned categories (suppliers, items, catalogs, prices, etc.) with support from MDM Specialists

What do we ask from you?

• University degree in economics or technical degree with business background
• Fluent in English, spoken and written (mandatory)
• Experience (+3 years) in procurement or supply chain management, with a strong understanding of category management processes
• Knowledge and practical experience with sourcing methodologies and tools, with familiarity with S2P suites being a plus
• Proven ability to support the establishment and management of sourcing events, including stakeholder communication, documentation, and process execution
• Experience in developing and maintaining documentation to ensure high-quality and standardized category coordination activities
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders
• Ability to travel internationally up to 30% of the time

About the team

Our Supply Management team in Procurement is a dynamic and collaborative group of procurement professionals dedicated to optimizing both direct and indirect spend acros