We are seeking a Category Management Specialist - Indirect Procurement to drive strategic sourcing and category management initiatives for indirect procurement across APAC region. This role will be responsible for establishing and implementing a category-based sourcing strategy, and to lead and manage the cross-function category project teams with target of spend data visibility, category based strategic sourcing, enhance cost and compliance improvement, and streamline procurement process.
The ideal candidate will have a strong background in procurement, experience in category management methodologies, data analysis capabilities, and an understanding of procurement system operations or digital tools (e.g., SAP Ariba, Power BI, Excel, SQL).
Key Responsibilities
- High proficiency in category management, lead and manage the cross-functional category project teams and ensure high quality deployment of category management.
- Gathering historical spend data and mapping in defined category classification, and work out spend outline summary
- Conduct market research, and supplier evaluation to identify spend categories with cost-saving and efficiency improvement opportunities.
- To research and maintain a deep-level understanding of the category from supply base, supply market aspect, and internally assist category management workshop and pilot project implementation.
- Develop and execute category strategies for indirect procurement (e.g., IT services, Marketing, HR services, MRO, Office supplies).
- To deploy a managed approach to engage with and communicate to wider business, especially focusing on relevant stakeholders, to secure and maintain buy-in and support for category projects.
- Work closely with IT and global system operation team to improve procurement system functionality, automation and also enabling the spend data accurate and consistent recorded based on category.
- Drive procurement process optimization and support procurement digitalization initiatives, including category-based spending dashboard development, price database integration with system, and other procurement KPI data reporting dashboard.
- To report category management project progress ongoing against project milestones and benefits delivery.
- Complete other procurement tasks and assignments as directed by team leader.
Key Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Information Systems, or related field.
- 3-5 years of experience in procurement, category management, or sourcing roles, preferably in indirect categories.
- Experience in internal audit is preferred.
- Overseas educational background is preferred.
- Familiarity with category management frameworks (e.g., Kraljic Model, Total Cost of Ownership).
- Strong analytical skills, with hands-on experience in Excel, SQL, Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools.
- Basic understanding of procurement systems and willingness to work with IT on system enhancements.
- Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Proactive, result-oriented, with a mindset of continuous improvement.
- Preferred: Experience in digital procurement transformation, process optimization, or low-code platform development.