Senior Category Manager

Orsted (Germany); Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Ørsted is seeking a procurement professional to develop and execute sourcing strategies for inverter and BESS equipment, manage supplier relationships, and lead complex procurement activities within the Procurement & Preconstruction team.

You'll collaborate with Engineering, Development, Construction, Commercial, and Legal to secure commercial outcomes supporting renewable energy projects. Applicants may request accommodation via [e-mail].

Qualifications

• Experience in inverter and BESS procurement, category management, strategic sourcing, and supply chain management.
• Strong stakeholder management skills across functions and organizational levels.
• Commercial awareness and ability to translate market insights into sourcing strategies and recommendations.
• Technical acumen for utility-scale solar equipment and TCO modeling.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic project environment with attention to detail.
• Clear communication to influence stakeholders and manage contracts and supplier performance.
• Experience from renewable energy, construction, infrastructure, or asset-intensive industries is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement category and sourcing strategies for inverter and BESS equipment.
• Lead end-to-end tender processes, including supplier engagement, evaluations, negotiations, and contract awards.
• Collaborate with engineering, development, construction, finance, tax, and legal stakeholders to support project execution.
• Monitor market trends, supplier capacity, pricing, and risks to provide intelligence and recommendations.
• Negotiate commercial agreements including pricing, delivery schedules, warranties, and terms.
• Support contract management and supplier performance throughout the project lifecycle, driving continuous improvement.

Skills

Category management

Strategic sourcing

Supplier relationships

Tender processes

Stakeholder management

Contract negotiations

Data analysis

Risk management

Job description

Join us in this role where you'll be responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies, managing supplier relationships, and leading complex procurement activities for inverter and BESS equipment within our Procurement & Preconstruction team. You'll work closely with colleagues across Engineering, Development, Construction, Commercial, and Legal to secure commercial outcomes that support the successful delivery of Ørsted's renewable energy projects.

Welcome to Procurement & Preconstruction

You’ll be part of the Procurement team where you, together with your colleagues, will secure critical equipment and services required to develop and build utility-scale renewable energy projects. As a team, we work across multiple technologies and geographies, partnering with internal stakeholders and suppliers to deliver value, manage risk, and ensure a resilient supply chain.

You’ll play an important role in:

• developing and implementing category and sourcing strategies for inverter and BESS equipment aligned with project, procurement, and business objective
• leading end-to-end tender processes, including supplier engagement, commercial evaluations, negotiations, contract award decisions, and the management of strategic supplier relationships to drive performance, innovation, and long-term value
• collaborating with engineering, development, construction, finance, tax, and legal stakeholders to support successful project execution
• monitoring supply markets, supplier capacity, pricing trends, and commercial risks to provide market intelligence and recommendations
• negotiating commercial agreements, including pricing, delivery schedules, warranties, performance commitments, and contractual terms
• supporting contract management activities throughout the project lifecycle and ensuring supplier obligations are fulfilled and contributing to continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen procurement processes, tools, and ways of working
• identifying and managing commercial, contractual, and supply chain risks while supporting informed business decisions and supporting a culture of integrity, safety, collaboration, and sustainable business practices.

To succeed in the role, you:

• have experience within inverter and BESS procurement, category management, strategic sourcing, supply chain management, or commercial management and have experience leading competitive sourcing events and commercial negotiations
• demonstrate strong stakeholder management skills and are able to build productive relationships across functions and organisational levels
• have strong commercial awareness and can translate market insights into sourcing strategies and recommendations
• have strong technical acumen for utility-scale solar equipment and feel comfortable building out total cost of ownership models with augmentation strategies
• are able to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic project environment while maintaining attention to detail
• communicate clearly and effectively and can influence stakeholders through data-driven recommendations and have experience working with contracts and supplier performance management
• are proficient in analysing information, identifying opportunities, and solving complex business challenges

It would be an advantage if you have experience from renewable energy, construction, infrastructure, utilities, manufacturing, energy, or other asset-intensive industries. We also welcome candidates with transferable procurement and commercial experience from related sectors.

As an applicant or employee, you may request reasonable work and position accommodation or adjustments via [e-mail].

Please note that for your application to be taken into consideration, you must submit your application via our online career pages and answer the screening questions relevant for your country. We don't take applications or inquiries from external recruiters or agencies into account for this position.