Category Manager Indirect Purchasing

Saint-Gobain Sweden AB; Stockholms kommun; On-site; SEK 700,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Saint-Gobain Sweden AB in Sweden seeks a Category Manager for the Nordic & Baltics region. You will drive category-based purchasing strategies, focusing on indirect spend, with development and implementation responsibilities and collaboration across production, R&D and finance.

You will build category strategies, assess markets, identify suppliers, negotiate contracts, and lead savings and sustainability initiatives while ensuring contract compliance.

Qualifications

• Couple of years of experience with category-driven strategic sourcing.
• Experience from larger companies and international contexts is preferred.
• Fluent in English; knowledge of Nordic languages is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement category strategies and purchasing approaches.
• Analyze markets, identify potential suppliers and negotiate contracts.
• Ensure contract compliance and lead contract implementation.
• Engage with stakeholders across functions (production, R&D, finance).
• Drive savings and sustainability opportunities and proactive improvements.

Skills

Category management

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

English fluency

Education

Academic education relevant for the position

Job description

Saint-Gobain, the world’s leading player in civil engineering, develops, manufactures and markets building materials with high performance, innovative solutions to challenges such as growth, energy efficiency and environmental protection. GYPROC gypsum boards – A business unit within Saint-Gobain Sweden AB. Saint-Gobain Sweden AB is the company behind the brands Scanspac, Gyproc, Weber and ISOVER. The company is part of the French Saint-Gobain group with approximately 180,000 employees. In Sweden, roughly 800 employees contribute to a turnover of approximately SEK 3 billion. GYPROC is a strong international brand and leader in plasterboard. We are approximately 140 people and are located in Bålsta outside Stockholm, where the manufacture of plasterboard has been established for 60 years. Our customers are offered expertise and flexible solutions for sound insulation, fire protection and moisture resistance that ensure a healthy and good indoor environment. At GYPROC, we take our share of the responsibility by developing new, sustainable materials and methods so that you can design and build the buildings of the future. Further information about the company and the group can be found at www.gyproc.se and www.saintgobain.com

Are you a strategic and business-driven strategic buyer with experience from working with category managemen who is attracted by a role with good opportunities for an interesting career path? Do you thrive in an environment characterized by development, business spirit and a huge professional pride where you drive category strategies to the next level?

Then this is the role for you!

The role

In the Nordic & Baltic Region Saint-Gobain operates across seven countries with over 20 well-known brands and more than 10,000 employees. Here, we foster a culture of trust, collaboration, and empowerment, with a strong emphasis on low hierarchies that encourage open communication and decision-making at all levels. Our entrepreneurial mindset drives innovation and growth, and flexibility empowers teams to adapt quickly to market changes and meet our customers’ evolving needs.

Saint-Gobain Construction Materials in the Nordics & Baltics is on an exciting transformation journey, aiming to better harness our collective potential to make a greater impact as both a material supplier and a knowledge partner in construction.

As part of this transformation journey, Saint-Gobain has established a centralized category driven purchase function working with contracts for the Nordics and Baltics. As a Category Manager, you will work with development and implementation of category-based purchasing strategies with a focus on indirect purchase linked to Saint-Gobain's business. You will be responsible for driving and developing the specific category with the aim of ensuring the best possible business development by driving cost savings, risk reduction and improvement initiatives.

The role includes:

• Being responsible for achieving set targets related to savings and sustainability within the category.
• Develop and implement category strategies, analyze the market, identify potential suppliers and negotiate contracts.
• Ensure contract compliance, lead contract implementation and compliance.
• Engage with stakeholders, establish and maintain close collaboration with different functions within the organization, including production, R&D and finance.
• Being responsible for driving proactive work and leading initiatives to identify and realize savings and sustainability opportunities.

The role can be based in Stockholm, Billesholm or elsewhere within the Nordics, travel is included in the role. The Category Manager reports to Head of Category.

Is this you?

To be successful as Category Manager, we want you to have a couple of years of experience working with category-driven strategic sourcing, preferably in a larger company and in an international context. You have experience in driving development and implementation and are used to dealing with multiple stakeholders. If you have experience from the manufacturing industry, it is a big plus.

Preferably you have an academic education relevant for the position or you have gained equivalent experience through work. You express yourself fluently in English, knowledge in one of the Nordic languages is a plus.

In this recruitment, we attach great importance to personal qualities. To succeed in this role, you are a strategic and analytical person with strong business acumen and an ability to see the big picture. You are confident and experienced, with strong self-leadership and a drive to develop and improve procurement processes. Furthermore, you are a skilled negotiator with good communication skills and have an ability to build long-term relationships, both internally and externally. At the same time, you are a team player who shares your knowledge, inspires and creates collaboration across functions and levels.

Keywords: Procurement, sourcing, category management, purchasing.