Vanderlande is seeking a temporary Global Category Manager HR/Professional Services, Travel & Mobility to drive strategic category management across our procurement activities. You will be part of the Procurement department and report directly into the Head of Global Indirect Spend.
As Global Category Manager you will develop, implement and manage global category strategies to deliver sustainable value, cost improvements, supplier innovation, and risk mitigation across Vanderlande. You work in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders and as a lead in cross-functional teams. Your leadership will be critical in managing complex sourcing events and fostering strong supplier relationships to ensure our procurement activities align with business objectives and ethical standards.
Our global procurement organization enables our projects and business functions by maximizing value and minimizing risks via the procurement of goods and services in the most smart, cost-effective and sustainable way. We ensure a resilient and competitive supplier ecosystem and aim to advance towards best-in-class practices, and ensure the organization is efficient, effective, and future-proof.
We are looking for a pro-active & pragmatic person to put all existing pieces together, secure execution of the category strategy and provide added value by delivering cost savings.
What will you do?
As a Global Category Manager, you will lead (global) strategic initiatives to optimize category performance, focusing on cost savings (TCO), stakeholder collaboration and supplier relationship management. You will have a leading important role in cross-functional category teams (with e.g., HR, Compensation and Benefits) and develop and implement optimal category strategies, lead complex sourcing events, and ensure compliance with sourcing policies and legal requirements.
Responsibilities
- Develop and implement global category strategies for HR/Professional services, Travel & Mobility across all regions, in alignment with relevant stakeholders.
- Analyze internal business needs, coordinating supply market research, identifying new suppliers, recognizing opportunities for cost savings and performance improvements (e.g. safety, performance & sustainability) in your assigned category and commissioning detailed cost analysis if required
- Lead complex sourcing events, setting up cross functional sourcing event teams, overseeing the creation of RfX documents, setting selection and awarding criteria, validating the longlist of suppliers, evaluating proposals, shortlisting suppliers for further negotiations, conducting negotiations, and awarding contracts
- In collaboration with Legal, oversee the creation of contracts and enforce the use of contract templates for the legal engagement of suppliers
- Initiate and oversee supplier onboarding for new suppliers
- Own and be accountable for the overall performance of suppliers within your assigned category fostering collaboration and managing risks effectively
- When required, review details within Purchase Requisitions (PR) for non-catalog items and request clarification from requester(s)
- Develop, implement, and maintain the required policies for your categories, ensuring alignment with business objectives, ethical guidelines, and legal requirements
- Responsible for ensuring mutual alignment and effective communication between global and regional category teams to maintain consistent strategies and maximize global leverage
- Responsible for ensuring mutual alignment and effective communication between own strategic procurement role and project specific procurement activities executed within the category
What you bring
- A strong background (+ 4 Years) in procurement, with a proven track record in (global) category management and strategic sourcing
- Knowledge and practical experience with strategic sourcing and procurement & business metrics (KPI’s).
- Experience in leading complex sourcing events and negotiations, with the ability to set clear objectives and evaluate supplier proposals effectively
- Knowledge of sourcing policies, ethical guidelines, and legal requirements to ensure compliance in all procurement activities
- Excellent collaboration skills to work closely with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and legal teams to ensure compliance and alignment with business objectives
- Ability to travel internationally up to 10% of the time
About Vanderlande
Vanderlande is the global market leader for future-proof logistic process automation at airports and in the parcel market. Furthermore, we are also a leading supplier of process automation solutions for warehouses, which seamlessly integrate innovative systems, intelligent software and life-cycle services.
At Vanderlande, you can develop your career, satisfy your ambitions, aspire to new heights, while enjoying personal growth and thriving on achievement.
What we offer
This position offers a competitive salary range of € 6.400 to € 7.600 gross per month (excluding 8% holiday allowance). Through exceeding performance expectations, you even have the possibility to grow outside this scale.
On top of your fixed salary you’ll receive the following secondary benefits:
- 40 vacation days (20 statutory days and a flexible budget worth 20 days).
- Flexible working hours.
- A hybrid workplace (40% working from home and 60% in the office)
- A Health & Wellbeing budget worth €300,- per calendar year
- Commuting allowance, including full reimbursement of travel by public transport.
- Working from home allowance.
- Collective pension scheme and discount on additional health insurance
- On-site company health centres with a gym, physiotherapists and occupational therapists
- Vanderlande Academy and training facilities to boost your skills
- A variety in Vanderlande Network communities and initiatives
- And a great company restaurant and coffee bar with barista
Ready to apply?
Are you interested in this position? Apply directly via our careers page with your CV. Questions about this role? Contact Carlijn Kneepkens (Recruiter) at [email protected].
Diversity & Inclusion
Vanderlande is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regards to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status.
Skills Required
- Minimum 4 years procurement experience with proven global category management and strategic sourcing track record.
- Practical experience with strategic sourcing processes and procurement/business metrics (KPIs).
- Experience leading complex sourcing events and supplier negotiations.
- Knowledge of sourcing policies, ethical guidelines, and legal/contract requirements.
- Strong collaboration and stakeholder management skills (internal teams, suppliers, legal).
- Willingness and ability to travel internationally up to 10% of the time.
Vanderlande Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Vanderlande and has not been reviewed or approved by Vanderlande.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive, with day‑one eligibility in many U.S. roles and employer‑paid protections that reduce out‑of‑pocket exposure. Feedback suggests medical, dental, and vision are a clear strength.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings include a 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting in the U.S. Feedback suggests this forms a solid pillar of the total rewards package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, sick leave, and paid holidays are characterized as generous relative to peers. Compressed workweek options in some roles further support time away and recovery.
Vanderlande Insights
What We Do
Vanderlande is the global market leader for future-proof logistic process automation at airports. The company is also a leading supplier of process automation solutions for warehouses and in the parcel market. Vanderlande’s baggage handling systems are capable of moving over 4 billion pieces of baggage around the world per year. Its systems are active in more than 600 airports including 12 of the world’s top 20. More than 52 million parcels are sorted by its systems every day, which have been installed for the world’s leading parcel companies. In addition, many of the largest global e-commerce players and retailers have confidence in Vanderlande’s efficient and reliable solutions. The company focuses on the optimisation of its customers’ business processes and competitive positions. Through close cooperation, it strives for the improvement of their operational activities and the expansion of their logistical achievements. Vanderlande’s extensive portfolio of integrated solutions – innovative systems, intelligent software and life-cycle services – results in the realisation of fast, reliable and efficient automation technology. Established in 1949, Vanderlande has more than 7,500 employees, all committed to moving its customers’ businesses forward at diverse locations on every continent. With a consistently increasing turnover of 1.8 billion euros, it has established a global reputation over the past seven decades as a highly reliable partner for future-proof logistic process automation. Vanderlande was acquired in 2017 by Toyota Industries Corporation, which will help it to continue its sustainable profitable growth. The two companies have a strong strategic match, and the synergies include cross-selling, product innovations, and research and development.
