Category Manager

Location: Hengelo, Netherlands

**About the team**

Our team is responsible for all procurements within segment B and segment E in the Netherlands. The team is consisting of 9 persons. Within our team the Categories are allocated to the team members.

**About the job**
As Category Manager you are part of the Thales Netherlands Procurement team as well as the Global Category team. You are responsible for managing a dedicated Procurement Category portfolio within the segment B ‘System & Equipment’ and Segment E ‘Engineering and Customer Support Services’.

Pro-actively and in close alignment with the PPM (Procurement Project Manager) organization and GCM (Global Category Manager) organization you contribute and establish a local Category strategy in line with the business needs and coherent with the strategy defined by the GCM for the world wide Category. By leading the full procurement process from requisition until end of contract you ensure competitiveness, quality and timely delivery within your Category. You are able to negotiate and bridge gaps to satisfy the needs of your stakeholders.

You lead cross functional teams through the Category Technology Teams between Procurement, Engineering and Supply Chain in developing strategies, implementation and managing the supply base. Managing internal and external stakeholders is key in building close relations with your suppliers in order to make supplier knowledge and competitiveness available to the benefit of Thales products and services.

Your responsibilities include:

- Shape, communicate and steer implementation of the Category strategy
- Drive selection, negotiation and contracting of suppliers
- Manage and control supplier performances
- Identify and achieve cost reductions and improvements in cooperation with the suppliers and stakeholders

**About you**
- We are in search for a colleague who is/has strong negotiation skills
- able to build good relationships with external and internal stakeholders
- able to oversee and value interests in a broad perspective
- good communication skills
- creative and solution oriented
- a decisive and stress resistant finisher
- fluent in English, French and German are a plus
- relevant strategic Procurement or commercial experience
- completed relevant higher education
- Affinity with high tech business
**Thales offers**
- An interesting job within motivated team in an international high-tech environment;
- Room for and attention to personal development and personal initiative;
- The opportunity to grow within the organization, for instance on a technical, managerial, commercial or international level;
- An open and flexible work environment where a good work-life balance is considered important;
- A pleasant workplace in "the best building in the Netherlands" (Public’s Choice Award, 2015) with our own Starbucks corner;
- Excellent work conditions, with 40 holidays a year, among other benefits.

**LR 9 VKG 70**

**Interested?**
- To ensure that we are a good match, we can ask you to participate in an assessment._

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