Global Category Manager (m/f/d)
Original Equipment Solutions (OESL) is emerging as a stand-alone global leader in the automotive sector, with over 17,000 employees and €2 billion in annual sales. Operating in 15 countries across 35 locations, including technology centers, OESL will build on Continental’s rich legacy to deliver high‑quality parts to major OEMs and commercial vehicle customers worldwide.
Why Join OESL?
* Greater Impact – Shape the future of a dynamic organization, bring ideas to life and reap significant professional rewards.
* Growth and Innovation – Work in a fast‑moving environment that encourages innovation and offers continuous growth and expanding your skill set.
* Creative Space – Experience the entrepreneurial spirit of a start‑up culture within a global organization, enjoying both the creative freedom and the responsibility needed to thrive in modern working environments.
* Tight‑Knit Team – Join a highly collaborative team where individuals have the power to shape their work, make meaningful contributions, and drive collective success.
Responsibilities
* Build up and maintain a portfolio strategy in line with business needs and define a well‑balanced portfolio to minimize risk, ensure flexibility and gain an advantageous position on the supplier market.
* Define, deliver and update a sourcing list.
* Identify and onboard new potential suppliers where the need is identified.
* Identify any value improvement activities and steer implementation.
* Present and align the strategies with business stakeholders.
* Handle all negotiations with the category supplier and negotiate and maintain necessary global contracts.
* Support advance purchasing with complex/difficult negotiations and manage suppliers in the representation of the business area.
* Support region purchasing for quality, supply and commercial escalation, conduct a market survey for the category investment in his/her region and troubleshoot by supporting the plants as the next escalation level in case of supply problems (quality or delivery).
* Share the market situation with stakeholders, report the categories’ performance on a regular basis and forecast expected price development.
Qualifications
* Bachelor’s degree; in exceptional cases, an equivalent professional experience.
* At least 3 years in purchasing, at least 1 year in automotive.
* Strong purchasing portfolio handling (strategy, supplier list, market know‑how, portfolio analysis, forecast) and contractualization.
* Negotiation experience: RFQ, offer analysis and comparison, negotiation.
* Risk management, claim, finance and legal experience.
* Ability to work within a remote team.
* Project management experience is a plus.
* Functional or project leadership experience is a plus.
* At least 3 years of exposure to international business and experience living abroad is a plus.
* Willingness to travel about 30% of the time.
Additional Information
* Compensation package – 14th salary plus performance bonus.
* Lunch allowance – in line with local regulation.
* Flexibility – Flexible schedule, hybrid work.
* Home‑office – Employees receive €1 00 net for each home‑office day, paid monthly.
* Work abroad – Possibility to work abroad within the EU for 20+20 days per year (two different countries).
* Vacation days – 22 days per year + 3 extra days the following year (considering absenteeism). Seniority days added starting from 3 years in the company.
* Referral bonus – A bonus of €500 or €750 (depending on the seniority of the candidate) is paid for each referral.
Ready to drive with Continental? Take the first step and fill in the online application.
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