About SD Worx
SD Worx is a leading European provider of Payroll & HR services with global reach. We have offices across Europe and in Mauritius. Our purpose is to bring people solutions to life, enabling organisations of all sizes to turn Human Resources into a source of value for both the business and its people.
Our people solutions cover the entire employee journey – from getting people paid to attracting, rewarding and developing talent.
About the role:
The Category Manager HR Services is responsible for the strategic sourcing, supplier management, commercial optimisation and stakeholder engagement across the HR Services category portfolio. Acting as a trusted business partner to HR leadership and key stakeholders, the role ensures that procurement activities deliver maximum value, support business objectives, mitigate risk and maintain compliance with internal governance requirements.
The Category Manager owns an annual spend portfolio of approximately €60 million and is responsible for driving category strategies, managing sourcing initiatives, negotiating commercial agreements, increasing contract coverage, and supporting the transition from uncontrolled spend towards fully governed and contracted supplier relationships.
This role requires a commercially driven professional who combines strong procurement expertise with excellent stakeholder management skills and the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced international environment.
The Category Manager HR Services is responsible for procurement activities related to:
Recruitment & Executive Search
Temporary Labour
Learning & Development
Employee Benefits
Wellbeing & Health Services
Payroll Services
Assessment & Talent Management
HR Consultancy
HR-related Events
Which tasks can you expect?
Category Management
Develop and maintain category strategies aligned with business objectives.
Build category intelligence through spend analysis, market research and benchmarking.
Identify opportunities for cost optimisation, supplier consolidation and process improvement.
Drive the migration of unmanaged spend towards procurement-controlled contracts.
Strategic Sourcing
Lead end-to-end sourcing projects, including RFIs, RFQs, RFPs and competitive tenders.
Manage supplier selection processes in close collaboration with business stakeholders.
Conduct commercial evaluations and recommend suppliers based on total value delivered.
Ensure sourcing activities comply with procurement policy and governance requirements.
Commercial Negotiation & Contracting
Lead commercial negotiations with suppliers.
Deliver measurable cost savings and commercial improvements.
Support contract drafting, review and renegotiation in close collaboration with Legal.
Ensure contractual risks are identified and adequately mitigated.
Supplier Relationship Management
Manage strategic supplier relationships within the category portfolio.
Monitor performance of key suppliers through regular reviews.
Address supplier performance issues and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
Support innovation and value creation through supplier partnerships.
Stakeholder Engagement
Act as the primary procurement contact for HR Leadership and HR stakeholders.
Build strong relationships across HR, Finance, Legal and Operational functions.
Proactively identify upcoming business needs and procurement opportunities.
Ensure Procurement is recognised as a business partner that enables and supports the organisation.
Governance & Compliance
Ensure all procurement activities follow company policies and governance standards.
Increase contract coverage and commercial visibility within the category.
Ensure Legal reviews are completed where required.
Escalate strategic sourcing projects to the Head of Procurement for alignment and approval.
Success Criteria
The successful candidate will:
Deliver annual savings targets.
Increase spend under management.
Improve contract coverage across the category portfolio.
Strengthen procurement governance and contract compliance.
Maintain productive relationships with key HR stakeholders.
Deliver sourcing projects on time and with high quality.
Support sustainable supplier performance management for strategic vendors.
Demonstrate strong ownership and autonomy in managing procurement initiatives.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Annual savings delivery
Spend under management
Contract coverage ratio
Contract compliance
Number and value of sourcing projects completed
Procurement cycle time
Stakeholder satisfaction
Strategic supplier performance improvements
Percentage of spend covered by negotiated agreements
What do you have to offer?
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Procurement, Business Administration, Finance, HR or a related field.
Minimum 3-5 years of procurement experience.
Experience leading sourcing initiatives and supplier negotiations.
Experience managing cross-functional stakeholders.
Strong analytical and commercial capabilities.
Fluent in English, both written and spoken.
Preferred
Experience within HR Services procurement categories.
Experience managing international suppliers.
Familiarity with procurement tools, spend analytics and sourcing platforms.
Competencies
Commercial Excellence: Demonstrates strong commercial acumen and continuously seeks opportunities to create value for the organisation.
Stakeholder Management: Builds trusted relationships and acts as a connecting force between Procurement, HR and other business functions.
Negotiation Skills: Confidently leads commercial negotiations and achieves balanced outcomes for both business and suppliers.
Analytical Thinking: : ses data and market insights to support business decisions and procurement strategies.
Ownership & Independence: Takes accountability, works proactively and drives initiatives with limited supervision.
Communication: Communicates clearly and professionally with suppliers, senior stakeholders and colleagues across international environments.
Results Orientation: Focuses on delivering measurable business value through savings, compliance and operational improvements.
What do we have to offer?
Leaves: the types of leave granted from day 1 (annual leave, study leave, maternity/paternity leave, wedding leave, compassionate leave). Eligible for seniority leave after 3 years
Insurance benefits: Medical insurance fully paid by SD Worx for you and two dependents (children up to 18 years old). Option to upgrade available. You are also eligible to enroll your parents in your medical insurance at a subsidized rate
Monthly fixed transport allowance
No deduction for using the company’s transport after work
Eligible for a mobile voucher, redeemable at one of four suppliers, renewable every 3 years
Fixed internet allowance for home use
Career break option
Workation: possibility to work from any SD Worx location (4 weeks per year, EU only)
Yearly performance review with remuneration review
Yearly company bonus
Car loan: subsidized interest facility
Referral program
Learning opportunities: through an individual development plan and professional training
Career growth: whether you want to become more of an expert in your field or want to expand your knowledge more horizontally, there is always room to grow within SD Worx!
Salary range information will be shared with candidates during the initial interaction with the Talent Acquisition team, either by phone or email.
Why Join SD Worx?
Flexible working: Flexible working hours and remote/hybrid working options – working arrangements are open for discussion
Learning & development: Access to professional training and an individual development plan
Career growth: Whether you want to deepen your expertise or broaden your career, there is room to grow within SD Worx
Collaborative culture: From many locations, we work as one – moving from better to best together
SD Worx values diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of origin, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, ethnic or social background, or stage of life.
All hiring decisions are made based on skills, experience and role‑related qualifications.
Please be informed that upon successful completion of the interview process, you will be required to submit a recent Certificate of Character, and you will undergo a background check as part of our standard legal procedures.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Procurement, Business Administration, Finance, HR, or a related field
- Minimum 3-5 years of procurement experience
- Experience leading sourcing initiatives and supplier negotiations
- Experience managing cross-functional stakeholders
- Strong analytical and commercial capabilities
- Fluent English, written and spoken
- Experience within HR Services procurement categories
- Experience managing international suppliers
- Familiarity with procurement tools, spend analytics, and sourcing platforms
SD Worx Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about SD Worx and has not been reviewed or approved by SD Worx.
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Flexible Benefits — Benefits are frequently positioned as flexible and customizable, including cafeteria-style options and country-specific choices. This tailoring (e.g., mobility, extra insurance, or additional leave) is presented as a way to align rewards to individual needs.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Leave and time off options appear broad in several markets, with multiple leave types from day one and, in some countries, generous holiday allowances or the ability to trade for extra days. These provisions are often linked to strong work–life balance and flexibility.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing and lifestyle offerings include workation policies, wellness schemes, vouchers and discounts, and Employee Assistance Programs. Hybrid work practices and allowances further round out the day‑to‑day experience.
SD Worx Insights
What We Do
We spark success at the heart of your business so you and your people can thrive. About SD Worx In today’s new world of fluid work, people want to be inspired by what they do and have the freedom to focus on what matters. Organisations need a dynamic, motivated workforce empowered by smart technology. As a leading European provider of integrated HR solutions, SD Worx turns HR into a source of value for their customers’ business and the people that work for them. SD Worx delivers HR solutions across the entire employee lifecycle, from paying employees to attracting, employing, rewarding and developing the talent who make businesses succeed. SD Worx powers performance through four core capabilities: software, outsourcing, consultancy and data-driven insights. SD Worx is the trusted leading European provider of end-to-end HR solutions for all organisations and workers. About 90,000 small and large organisations across Europe place their trust in the company and its +75 years' worth of experience. SD Worx calculates the salaries of approximately 5.7 million employees and ranks among the top five worldwide. The more than 7,500 employees operate in Belgium (HQ), Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. SD Worx achieved a consolidated revenue of EUR 1.058 billion in 2023. More info on www.sdworx.com
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