Your new company
Our partner operates a global shared services organisation, delivering essential IT, finance, HR, and procurement services to business units worldwide. The organisation plays a strategic role in enabling operational excellence, standardisation, and value creation across the group, working in a highly international and collaborative environment.
Your new role
As a Category Manager – Travel & Indirect Services, you will be responsible for defining and executing global and regional category strategies, with a primary focus on the Travel category and additional responsibility for selected indirect services. You will work closely with senior stakeholders across business areas, finance, and global procurement teams to build a best-in-class travel program and optimise supplier performance.
This is a high-visibility role with significant strategic impact, combining category leadership, supplier management, and transformation initiatives on a global scale.
Your key responsibilities will include:
- Developing and executing global category strategy, sourcing, and supplier management for Travel
- Supporting the global rollout of Travel as a Service operating model, ensuring alignment of processes, systems, service levels, and commercial outcomes
- Acting as a strategic procurement advisor for indirect categories such as Compliance, Legal, Marketing, Business Consulting, and Finance
- Building strong, trust-based relationships with senior functional leaders while constructively challenging existing practices
- Leading strategic sourcing initiatives, complex negotiations, benchmarking activities, and long-term supplier performance management
- Creating data-driven category strategies, leveraging market intelligence, supplier insights, and spend analysis to deliver cost optimisation and TCO improvements
- Implementing and enhancing Supplier Relationship Management practices, including KPIs, QBRs, and performance improvement plans
What you'll need to succeed
To succeed in this role, you bring deep procurement expertise, strong stakeholder management skills, and a strategic mindset. You have:
- A Bachelor’s degree in business administration, commerce, or a related field
- Fluent English communication skills
- 10+ years of experience in procurement, category management, or strategic sourcing
- Proven, hands-on expertise in the Travel category (essential), including TMC sourcing, travel policy design, and global travel tool implementation.
- Experience managing complex supplier portfolios and leading high-stakes negotiations
- Additional exposure to indirect services such as Legal, Compliance, Marketing, Business Consulting, or Finance (strong advantage)
- Strong analytical capability, including TCO analysis, cost modelling, and data-driven decision-making
- High proficiency in Microsoft Office and digital collaboration tools
- The ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead cross-functional, global initiatives effectively
What you'll get in return
You will join a globally integrated procurement organisation where your work has a visible impact across the business. The role offers:
- A high-impact, high-visibility position within a global procurement function
- The opportunity to lead a strategically important global category and indirect services portfolio
- A multicultural working environment with international stakeholder exposure
- Strong professional development and long-term career opportunities
- An inclusive, values-driven culture centred on collaboration, trust, and continuous improvement
- Limited travel requirements (up to approximately 10%, mainly within Europe)
What you need to do now
If this role aligns with your procurement expertise and career ambitions, we encourage you to apply and take the next step in your professional journey.
If this position is not the ideal match, but you are open to senior or strategic procurement opportunities, you are welcome to explore future roles aligned with your experience.
