Category Manager - Travel & External Services

ASSA ABLOY Group; Malmö kommun; On-site; SEK 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Learning and career development

Competitive salary and incentive

Modern infrastructure

Job summary

ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions is seeking a Category Manager for Travel & External Services to lead sourcing, strategy work, and supplier governance across EMEIA. You will drive value creation, savings, and transparency.

You will collaborate with Finance, IT, Legal, Operations, and business leaders to implement category roadmaps and procurement tools. Ideal candidates have extensive procurement and category management experience in international settings, strong analytical capabilities with spend

Qualifications

• Proven procurement and category management experience in international/matrix org.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies for Travel & External Services across EMEIA.
• Drive value creation through savings, supplier consolidation, negotiations and process improvements.
• Collaborate with Finance, HR, IT, Legal, Operations and business leadership to implement governance and tools.

Skills

Procurement

Sourcing

Category management

Supplier management

Contract negotiations

Cost savings

Spend analysis

Power BI

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Procurement/Supply Chain/Finance/Business Administration

CIPS certification (advantageous)

Tools

Procurement systems

E-sourcing tools

Job description

Are you ready to bring your innovative perspective and creative skills to ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions? Join our team preferably in Stockholm, Sweden and enjoy a collaborative culture that empowers you to build a career you can be proud of.

What would you do as our Category Manager - Travel & External Services

The Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing category strategies, driving value creation, improving spend transparency, strengthening governance and delivering measurable business benefits across OS EMEIA and the Entrance Systems Division.

The Category Manager will also work closely with stakeholders in all functions and levels across the business to identify sourcing, demand management, collaboration, automation and supplier optimisation opportunities. The position has functional responsibility for category activities throughout the divisions and works collaboratively with local procurement teams and business stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of category strategies and achievement of agreed benefits.

The Category Manager will drive procurement excellence across assigned categories while ensuring compliance with procurement policies, supplier governance standards, sustainability requirements and risk management frameworks. The role is expected to contribute directly to SG&A efficiency, operational effectiveness and supplier performance improvements across the division.

You will report to the Director & Head of Indirect Procurement EMEIA.

You would also:

• Develop and execute category strategies for Travel & External Services, including strategic sourcing, supplier optimization, category governance, and long-term roadmaps aligned with business goals.
• Drive value creation through cost savings, cost avoidance, supplier consolidation, contract negotiations, process improvements, automation, simplification, and demand reduction initiatives.
• Analyze spend, supplier performance, contracts, and market trends to identify opportunities, maintain transparency, support data-driven decision-making, and build a forward-looking pipeline of sourcing initiatives.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships with stakeholders across Finance, HR, IT, Legal, Operations, and business leadership to ensure alignment, successful implementation, and adoption of procurement tools, systems, and governance processes.
• Manage supplier performance, risk, compliance, and governance across legal, regulatory, cybersecurity, sustainability, and data privacy requirements while driving procurement transformation, operational efficiencies, working capital improvements, and continuous improvement activities.

The Skills And Experience You Need

We are looking for someone who:

• Has proven experience within procurement, sourcing, category management, supplier management, and contract negotiations, ideally in an international and matrix-based organization.
• Has strong track record of delivering measurable cost savings, supplier optimization, value creation, and procurement transformation initiatives.
• Possesses experience developing and executing category strategies, leading sourcing projects, and driving supplier governance, compliance, and risk management.
• Presents advanced critical-thinking capabilities, including spend analysis, reporting, procurement systems, e-sourcing tools, Power BI, and data-informed decision making.
• Holds bachelor’s degree within Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field; CIPS certification and manufacturing/industrial experience are considered advantageous.

To be successful in this role, the individual must be a strategic and commercially minded procurement professional who can see the bigger picture while remaining hands‑on in execution. Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills are critical, as the role requires collaboration with senior leaders and cross‑functional teams across multiple countries without having direct authority.

The ideal candidate is a confident negotiator who can build strong supplier relationships while challenging existing ways of working and driving change. They should be highly analytical and comfortable using data to support resolutions, identify opportunities, and communicate recommendations. Finally, the person should possess a continuous improvement mindset, strong communication and presentation skills, and the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a complex, fast‑paced international environment.

What We Offer

We’re passionate about providing great opportunities and benefits, so you can continue and progress a lifelong career with us – here’s what we have to offer:

• Learning and career development opportunities, whether it’s online learning, management training or enhancing your skills
• A competitive salary and incentive schemes
• Modern infrastructure

We review applications regularly, so don’t wait

We are building diverse, inclusive teams, and encourage applications from everyone who can see themselves working with us.

To make sure your personal data is safe, we don’t look at any applications sent by email or post. If you have any questions about the role or the process, email Mona Yusefi Talent Acquisition Business Partner, at [e-mail].

Depending on the risk profile for the role, a background screening will need to be performed. Final candidates may therefore be subjected to a background screening. The performance of the background check is subject to consent and based on our Applicant Privacy Notice.

Let’s create a safer and more open world - together!

To find out more about us, visit www.assaabloy.com

We are the ASSA ABLOY Group

Our people have made us the global leader in access solutions. In return, we open doors for them wherever they go. With nearly 63,000 colleagues in more than 70 different countries, we help billions of people experience a more open world. Our innovations make all sorts of spaces – physical and virtual – safer, more secure, and easier to access.

As an employer, we value results – not titles, or backgrounds. We empower our people to build their career around their aspirations and our ambitions – supporting them with regular feedback, training, and development opportunities. Our colleagues think broadly about where they can make the most impact, and we encourage them to grow their role locally, regionally, or even internationally.

As we welcome new people on board, it’s important to us to have diverse, inclusive teams, and we value different perspectives and experiences.