Regional Category Manager - Metals

John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission-critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries that enable efficient and sustainable operations. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, filtration systems, and predictive digital monitoring technologies. 

We have a global network of more than 200 sites in over 50 countries and employ more than 6,000 people worldwide. We partner with our customers to help them keep their operations safe, reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and meet the latest environmental standards. 

John Crane is part of Smiths Group. For over 170 years, Smiths has been pioneering progress by engineering for a better future. We serve millions of people every year, helping to create a safer, more efficient, productive, and better-connected world across four global markets: energy, security & defence, space & aerospace, and general industrial. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Smiths employs approximately 16,000 colleagues in over 50 countries. 

Regional Category Manager – Metals

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and monitor regional category strategies for assigned metal categories, with a strong focus on springs and spring-related components, in alignment with global sourcing strategies

• Identify, source, and manage strategic suppliers of springs

• Take full end-to-end ownership of the assigned categories, including pricing, lead times, contracts, and supplier performance

• Drive cost savings through effective negotiation and cost-reduction initiatives

• Monitor supplier markets, emerging technologies, and innovations related to springs and metal components

• Lead new supplier sourcing in line with category strategies and support NPI / NPD activities

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years of experience in category management, strategic sourcing, or procurement (experience with springs or metal components is an advantage)

• Strong negotiation and strategic thinking skills

• Ability to build long-term supplier relationships and partnerships

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills

• Occasional business travel

• CV in English is required

Why Work for John Crane?

• 5 weeks of vacation

• Annual bonus 

• Electronic meal vouchers (CZK 160/day), usable in the company canteen (choice of 5 meals, additional food sales available)

• Financial support for commuting or relocation (up to CZK 40,000)

• Edenred benefits card (CZK 5,000 per year for leisure activities)

• Contribution to pension or life insurance (CZK 500 per month)

• Company events (Cranestock, Family Day, Olomouc Half Marathon, football events, Open Day, St. Nicholas celebration)

• Comprehensive onboarding and training provided by experienced professionals

• Stable working environment with opportunities for professional and personal growth

• Friendly, family-like atmosphere within a successful international company

With colleagues stretching across the globe, we are proud of our diversity. To foster inclusivity, we run employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide a safe space for employees to connect and support each other. Our cross-business ERGs include Veterans, Pride Network, Black Employee Network, Women@Work Network, and Neurodiversity. 

Across our company, we recognize excellence, culminating in the Smiths Excellence Awards, our annual celebration of the most extraordinary activities, people, and projects that best showcase our strengths and help drive our business forward. We announce these on our annual Smiths Day, a global celebration of Smiths around our network. 

Join us for a great career with competitive compensation and benefits, while helping engineer a better future. 

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website (Careers - Smiths Group plc)

Věříme, že různé perspektivy a zázemí jsou tím, co firmu činí prosperující. Všichni kvalifikovaní uchazeči obdrží stejnou úvahu o zaměstnání bez ohledu na rasu, barvu, náboženství, pohlaví, sexuální orientaci, genderovou identitu, národní původ, ekonomický status, postižení, věk nebo jakékoli jiné zákonně chráněné charakteristiky. Jsme hrdí na to, že jsme inkluzivní společnost s hodnotami založenými na rovnosti a etice, kde oslavujeme, podporujeme a vítáme rozmanitost. V žádné fázi náborového procesu Flex-Tek, Smiths Group ani žádný z našich rekrutačních partnerů nikdy nebudou požadovat platbu za umožn ení účasti – včetně, ale nikoli omezeně na, pohovory nebo testování. Vyhněte se podvodným žádostem tím, že se přihlásíte přímo prostřednictvím našeho kariérního webu (Kariéry - Smiths Group plc).