Global Category Manager Lab Equipment & Maintenance

Takeda; Łódź; On-site; PLN 272,000 - 374,000; Full time

Job summary

Takeda in Lodz, Poland seeks a senior procurement leader to develop category strategies for Lab Equipment & Maintenance, guiding a $150m+ spend toward value, innovation and sustainability.

You will partner with cross‑functional teams, using market intel and analytics to translate strategies into measurable initiatives that boost cost efficiency and supplier governance.

Requires 10+ years in category management, strong negotiation skills, fluency in English, and 15–20% travel.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in category management within global matrixed orgs.
• Proven track record delivering sustainable enterprise value.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen in sourcing and negotiations.
• Experience procuring equipment and maintenance services in a GxP env.
• Stakeholder management and influencing senior leaders.
• Data-driven decision making using market intelligence.
• Knowledge of risk management and sustainable procurement.
• Experience with digital procurement technologies and AI-enabled tools.
• Fluent written and spoken English.
• Willingness to travel 15–20%

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and evolve category strategies aligned with enterprise priorities.
• Leverage market intelligence, spend analytics, supplier insights, and emerging tech.
• Own the category pipeline and deliver measurable outcomes across cost, risk, and sustainability.
• Partner with stakeholders to influence requirements, specifications, and sourcing decisions.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration to translate strategies into executable initiatives.
• Design and manage supplier ecosystems balancing innovation and long‑term value.

Skills

Category management

Strategic sourcing

Procurement

Negotiation

Vendor management

Data analytics

Digital procurement

Education

Bachelor's degree in supply chain or related field

MBA preferred

Job description

Job Description

• Develop and execute category strategies for Lab Equipment & Maintenance that maximize enterprise value across $150m+ while balancing financial performance, innovation, risk, sustainability, and business outcomes
• Act as a strategic business partner, influencing how external spend is deployed to support organizational priorities, growth objectives, and operational excellence
• Leverage market intelligence, supplier insights, digital capabilities, and data-driven decision making to identify opportunities and accelerate value creation
• Lead cross-functional collaboration to translate category strategies into measurable business results, ensuring effective stakeholder alignment and execution

Accountabilities

• Develop, implement, and continuously evolve category strategies aligned with enterprise priorities, business objectives, and long-term value creation goals
• Leverage market intelligence, spend analytics, supplier insights, and emerging technologies to identify opportunities, shape demand, and inform category decision-making
• Own the category pipeline and deliver measurable outcomes across cost optimization, supplier innovation, risk management, sustainability, and business performance
• Partner with stakeholders to influence requirements, specifications, service models, and sourcing decisions that maximize enterprise value
• Lead cross-functional collaboration to translate category strategies into executable initiatives and measurable business results
• Lead and manage cross-functional category initiatives and projects, ensuring delivery of measurable business results against defined objectives and timelines
• Design and manage supplier ecosystems that balance competitiveness, innovation, resilience, performance, and long-term business needs
• Establish and oversee supplier governance, segmentation, and relationship management strategies to drive performance, value realization, and continuous improvement
• Accountable for delivering the category's value-delivery targets and KPIs, spanning the enterprise value framework of P&L impact, P&L protection, and cash improvement, plus value beyond savings (risk, business performance, innovation, sustainability).
• Build and maintain a high-performing supplier ecosystem that balances innovation, competitiveness, resilience, and long-term business needs, while including Quality and Sustainability requirements.
• Drive end-to-end Master Service Agreement (MSA) contract management for the category, establishing the commercial frameworks (pricing, catalogue terms, discounts) that downstream Service Agreements, SOWs, and purchase orders draw against.
• Accountable for end-to-end management of all categories spend, including active tail-spend management (analysis, classification, and control/buying approaches) and mapping categories to compliant, preferred buying channels to maximize coverage, adoption, and value capture.
• Integrate risk management, business continuity, responsible sourcing, and sustainability considerations into category and supplier strategies
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, contractual obligations, regulatory requirements, and enterprise governance standards
• Mentor cross procurement team members, sharing best practices, and fostering continuous improvement
• Ability to foster strong collaboration and influence across key stakeholder groups, including Business Functions, Global Finance, Value Delivery Team, Takeda Business Solutions, Legal, Procurement, and other cross-functional teams to deliver sourcing strategies and business outcomes

Education

• Bachelors degree in supply chain or other relevant category related field
• MBA preferred

Behavioral

• Shapes strategy upstream through close business partnership
• Deliver total enterprise value beyond savings
• Takes ownership of spend and outcomes end to end
• Uses curiosity, insights, and data to drive better decisions

Competencies and skills

• 10 + years of experience in category management, strategic sourcing, procurement, or related commercial functions within complex global and matrixed organizations
• Proven experience developing and executing category strategies that deliver sustainable enterprise value and support business objectives
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including expertise in sourcing, negotiations, supplier economics, total cost of ownership (TCO), contracting, and value management
• Proven experience procuring equipment and maintenance services within a GxP-regulated environment, with a strong track record of developing and implementing complex service contracts to manage high volumes of assets: Track record of delivering measurable outcomes across cost optimization, productivity, innovation, business performance, risk management, and sustainability objectives
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to engage, challenge, and align senior leaders across functions, business units, and geographies
• Experience leveraging market intelligence, spend analytics, and data-driven insights to inform strategic decisions and identify value creation opportunities
• Strong supplier relationship management capabilities, including supplier segmentation, governance, performance management, and innovation partnership development
• Knowledge of risk management, business continuity, regulatory requirements, and sustainable procurement practices, with the ability to integrate these considerations into category strategies
• Experience utilizing digital procurement technologies, advanced analytics, automation, and AI-enabled solutions to enhance decision-making and business outcomes
• Excellent leadership, negotiation, and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to influence outcomes and drive change in a dynamic environment
• Fluent written and spoken English
• Availability for business travel of approximately 15-20%

Locations

Lodz, Poland

Base Salary Range

zł272,200.00 - zł374,330.00

Benefits

For information about our benefits, please click here.

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time