Global Category Lead(m/w/x)

Requirements

• Academic degree in business administration, engineering, or comparable qualification
• Several years professional experience in international purchasing, ideally technical (NPM)
• Proven leadership and solid project management skills
• Confident user of MS Office, SAP R/3, modern sourcing tools
• Excellent English skills; additional languages advantageous
• Affinity for cooperation and intercultural competences
• Strong negotiation, communication, and high intercultural competence
• Resilience, reliability, collaboration, and global mindset
• Willingness to travel internationally

Tasks

• Lead and develop a global team following Continental's principles
• Set team objectives
• Monitor team performance
• Foster a motivated, high-performing team
• Support team members in complex situations
• Act as interface for Purchasing, Engineering, Plants, Suppliers
• Translate business and purchasing strategies into actions
• Train stakeholders on methods, tools, and processes
• Support stakeholders with methods, tools, and processes
• Build and implement global category and supplier strategy
• Analyze data for spend, demand, and improvements
• Define key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Track progress against KPIs
• Ensure transparent communication
• Ensure alignment and satisfaction of global stakeholders
• Analyze global supplier markets
• Conduct supplier benchmarks
• Maintain strategic, long-term supplier relationships
• Lead strategic negotiations to optimize costs
• Ensure compliance with BPCoC and Responsible Value Chain
• Support new supplier onboarding
• Independently conduct international negotiations
• Prepare audit-proof negotiation documentation
• Drive make-or-buy decisions
• Drive value engineering initiatives
• Manage escalations, claims, and strategic complaints
• Oversee contract lifecycle management adhering to internal guidelines

Work Experience

Education

Languages

Tools & Technologies