As a technology leader that is rapidly on the move, HARMAN is filled with people who are focused on making life better. Innovation, inclusivity and teamwork are a part of our DNA. When you add that to the challenges we take on and solve together, you’ll discover that at HARMAN you can grow, make a difference and be proud of the work you do every day.
About the Role
The Category Manager will develop, drive and own the global category sourcing strategy and savings objectives for a certain area of Electronics as well as overlook, develop and optimize the entire electronics portfolio regarding local suppliers in China. The successful candidate will manage all activities relating to global supply base including contracts, commercial/ pricing, supply assurance, innovation, cost reduction initiatives, and conflict resolution. The successful candidate will implement category strategies through alignment with HARMAN business units, engineering, quality, and manufacturing activities. Requires knowledge of the business unit's technology and product roadmaps and specific expertise in the procurement of electronics and associated manufacturing cost structure as well as strong analytical, strategic, and communication skills.
What You Will Do
- Develop, drive and own the global category strategy that align with business objectives and support growth and profitability.
- Build and own appropriate supplier relationships with category supply base and present a single unified HARMAN International interface to the supply base.
- Works with Best Cost Analytics & HW & Component Engineering on technology roadmap plans and ensure long-term competitive cost of components.
- Manage effective supplier negotiations and event driven cost reductions to meet annual cost reduction goals and Should Cost targets.
- Conduct consistent commercial terms/ conditions including a long-term capacity outlook commitment from the suppliers.
- Drive supply base optimization and new supplier development to maximize category leverage on a global electronics level with special focus on China
- Lead the source board preparation and create sourcing proposal for management decision.
- Oversee the execution of RFx efforts into the supply base, prepare the response evaluation and proposal for sourcing decisions.
- Coordinate the supplier performance management, including quarterly business reviews and escalation support.
What You Need
- Bachelor’s Degree in business or technical related field
- Minimum 7 years of procurement experience.
- Prior experience in automotive electronics including commodity sourcing and negotiating direct materials using strategic category management techniques to achieve outstanding results.
- Existing network within the automotive semiconductor industry, especially regarding local Chinese semiconductor suppliers
- Proven ability to lead and achieve cost, quality, and time-to-market commitments.
- Strong negotiation and relationship-building skills
- Success in collaborating with key work partners and able to maintain relationships at the working level.
- An effective team player committed to organizational goals; fostering collaboration among team members
What is Nice to Have
- Experience in negotiating and establishing supplier partnerships and collaborations beyond traditional sourcing
HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's Degree in business or technical related field
- Minimum 7 years of procurement experience
- Prior experience in automotive electronics including commodity sourcing and negotiating direct materials
- Existing network within the automotive semiconductor industry
- Strong negotiation and relationship-building skills
Harman Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Harman and has not been reviewed or approved by Harman.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as comprehensive, often including medical, dental, and vision plans, with HSAs/FSAs and disability or life insurance also referenced. Wellbeing support such as EAP access and onsite occupational health services is also part of the package in some regions.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Lifestyle-oriented benefits include employee product discounts and region-specific perks like free fruit deliveries, Cycle to Work schemes, and meal coupons or allowances. Flexible schedules and work-from-home options are also part of the overall offering where roles and projects allow.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is repeatedly characterized as solid or market-aligned for many roles, with salary payments described as consistent and on time. Compensation is also tied to performance in some accounts, reinforcing a perception of basic fairness for a portion of employees.
Harman Insights
What We Do
Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. HARMAN is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. HARMAN offers a great work environment, challenging career opportunities, professional training and competitive compensation. Looking for a challenge where your experience is valued? Come see what you can achieve as a leader with HARMAN!
