As a Strategic Category Buyer, you will support the execution of EMEA indirect procurement activities and contribute to the delivery of regional sourcing and category objectives. You will work closely with internal stakeholders, suppliers, Global Category Managers and the EMEA Indirect Procurement team to help ensure competitive pricing, supply continuity, process compliance and measurable value creation.
In this role, you will participate in sourcing projects, supplier evaluations, contract activities, spend analysis and procurement process improvements across assigned categories and regions. You will help translate global and regional procurement strategies into local execution, while developing your commercial, analytical and stakeholder management skills in a dynamic international environment.
You will contribute to bringing spend under management through the use of preferred suppliers, standardized contractual frameworks, catalog adoption, supplier consolidation opportunities and cost improvement initiatives.
In This Role, Your Responsibilities Will Be:- Category Support & Execution
- Implementation and execution of category-specific strategies within assigned commodities, regions or sites.
- Contribute to supply base optimization, market competitiveness, risk reduction and value creation initiatives under the guidance of senior procurement colleagues or category leaders.
- Develop understanding of assigned commodities, supplier markets and business needs to support EMEA sites’ operational requirements.
- Assist in translating global category strategies into regional and local execution plans, ensuring alignment with business requirements.
- Identify and support procurement improvement opportunities related to cost, process efficiency, supplier performance, standardization and sustainability.
- Share learnings, data and best practices with the regional procurement organization to support consistency and continuous improvement.
- Supplier Management & Development
- Management of supplier relationships within assigned categories, including supplier performance, quality, compliance and risk follow-up.
- Lead in supplier performance reviews, business reviews and operational supplier meetings.
- Help maintain effective supplier governance through regular communication, performance monitoring and issue resolution.
- Development and improvement initiatives in collaboration with internal stakeholders and senior procurement team members.
- Stakeholder Management & Business Partnership
- Build effective working relationships with internal stakeholders across EMEA sites and functions.
- Support early procurement involvement in business initiatives, sourcing needs and project requirements.
- Work with stakeholders to understand business needs, clarify specifications and support alignment with sourcing strategies.
- Provide procurement guidance on processes, preferred suppliers, purchasing channels and compliance requirements.
- Demonstrate a customer-focused mindset by responding to stakeholder needs, helping resolve issues and supporting practical solutions.
- Contribute to increasing procurement visibility and purchasing leverage across assigned areas.
- Strategic Sourcing & Negotiation
- Support and lead sourcing projects across assigned sites, categories or stakeholder groups.
- Prepare and execute RFIs, RFQs and RFPs. Analyze supplier proposals, support supplier evaluations and prepare sourcing recommendations.
- Lead supplier negotiations related to pricing, commercial terms, service levels and delivery conditions in assigned commodities.
- Leverage contract preparation, review and implementation in cooperation with legal, stakeholders.
- Help identify commercial, supply chain and operational risks and escalate them when needed.
- Data, Analytics & Standardization
- Conduct spend analysis, supplier data reviews and market research to support sourcing decisions and category activities.
- Use data and analytics to prepare fact-based recommendations for stakeholders and procurement leadership.
- Support indirect material classification, supplier mapping and standardization initiatives across EMEA.
- Identify opportunities to reduce complexity, improve compliance and optimize cost through data-driven insights.
- Maintain accurate procurement records, project documentation and reporting materials.
- Governance & Compliance
- Ensure procurement activities are performed in line with internal policies, approval requirements, ethical standards and regulatory expectations.
- Support the use of standard procurement tools, templates, processes and contract frameworks.
- Escalate compliance, risk or supplier performance concerns in a timely and appropriate manner.
- Demonstrate cultural awareness and collaborate effectively in a diverse, international environment.
- Perform additional responsibilities as required to support business priorities.
- Management & Collaboration
- Reports to the EMEA Indirect Procurement Manager.
- Works closely with Global Category Managers, regional procurement colleagues and internal stakeholders to support category execution and sourcing activities.
- Collaborates with cross-functional teams including operations, finance, legal, engineering, quality and site leadership as needed.
- May support onboarding or knowledge sharing with new team members on specific processes or tools.
You take ownership of assigned tasks and follow through on commitments. You are proactive in identifying issues, escalating risks and proposing practical solutions. You communicate clearly and professionally with stakeholders, suppliers and team members. You are comfortable working in a matrixed, international environment with multiple priorities. You combine analytical thinking with a hands-on, execution-focused approach. You are eager to learn, develop your procurement expertise and contribute to continuous improvement.
For This Role, You Will Need:- Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
- Typically 2–4 years of experience in Procurement, Supply Chain, Sourcing, Materials Management or a related business environment.
- Experience in indirect procurement, manufacturing, services or a matrixed international organization is an advantage.
- Knowledge & Skills
- Good understanding of procurement processes, sourcing methods and supplier management principles.
- Working knowledge of contract management, commercial terms and procurement documentation.
- Ability to support and leverage supplier negotiations and sourcing activities
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data and prepare recommendations.
- Good communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks, priorities and deadlines effectively.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
- Experience with ERP, procurement platforms, spend analytics or sourcing tools is an advantage.
- Developing commercial mindset with the ability to understand cost drivers, supplier performance and procurement value levers.
- Openness to change and willingness to support process improvement initiatives.
- Experience supporting sourcing projects in an international or matrixed organization.
- Exposure to indirect categories, supplier management or contract support activities.
- Ability to work with cross-functional teams and build effective stakeholder relationships.
- Experience preparing data analysis, sourcing summaries or business recommendations.
- Interest in continuous improvement, digital tools, standardization and procurement transformation.