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Regional Category Manager APAC

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Sourcing and Category Management

·    Develop and execute APAC regional sourcing strategies aligned with global category objectives and local business needs.

·    Support the Global Category Manager in developing short-, mid-, and long-term category strategies for assigned categories.

·    Lead market analysis, supplier screening, supplier qualification, RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, competitive bidding, and sourcing decision preparation.

·    Consolidate current and future demand requirements from APAC sites, including volumes, quality expectations, service levels, and supply continuity needs.

·    Drive cost reduction, value creation, total cost of ownership optimization, and working capital improvement initiatives across the region.

·    Provide APAC market intelligence, supplier insights, cost driver analysis, and category updates to regional and global stakeholders.

Supplier Relationship Management

·    Develop and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers across APAC, with particular focus on suppliers located in China and other critical sourcing markets.

·    Establish and monitor supplier KPIs covering cost, quality, delivery, service, innovation, sustainability, and risk performance.

·    Conduct supplier performance reviews, supplier development discussions, and improvement projects in collaboration with APAC sites and global category stakeholders.

·    Support Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Product Conformity, Innovation/R&D, and Quality teams with supplier knowledge and technical-commercial input.

·    Lead supplier business reviews and escalation discussions when business continuity, cost, quality, or service risks require management attention.

Commercial and Contract Management

·    Lead commercial negotiations for assigned regional categories and suppliers, including pricing mechanisms, rebates, payment terms, incoterms, and service conditions.

·    Support implementation of global, regional, and local contracts across APAC sites and ensure contract compliance and follow-up.

·    Coordinate with Legal, Finance, Product Conformity, and other functions on contract templates, amendments, supplier claims, and commercial risk topics.

·    Manage contract renewals, contract performance, and relevant documentation for suppliers under the role’s responsibility.

Supplier Risk and Supply Continuity

·    Identify, assess, and mitigate supplier, country, logistics, regulatory, ESG, and geopolitical risks affecting APAC supply chains.

·    Develop alternative supplier options and contingency plans for critical raw materials and suppliers.

·    Support global and regional supplier risk management processes by providing supplier risk analysis, regional insights, and mitigation actions.

·    Contribute to business continuity planning and critical supplier monitoring for APAC operations.

Financial Reporting, Forecasting and Performance Tracking

·    Provide price actuals, price forecasts, market trends, and other relevant commercial input for budgeting and controlling processes.

·    Support tracking and reporting of Purchase Price Variance, value creation, savings, payment terms, working capital, and procurement KPIs.

·    Prepare regular regional category updates and executive summaries for Procurement Manager APAC, Global Category Manager, and relevant stakeholders.

·    Maintain transparency on sourcing project status, supplier performance, and risk mitigation progress.

Cross-Functional and Matrix Collaboration

·    Work closely with APAC Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Finance, Engineering, Product Conformity, Innovation/R&D, Sustainability/ESG, and Legal teams.

·    Ensure alignment between APAC business needs, site requirements, and global category strategies.

·    Act as the regional interface between suppliers and corporate/global procurement functions, especially where supplier negotiations or technical-commercial topics require regional execution.

·    Lead or participate in cross-functional procurement projects, supplier qualification projects, raw material substitution initiatives, and continuous improvement activities.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

·    Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related discipline.

·    Additional procurement, supply chain, negotiation, or category management certification is an advantage.

Professional Experience

·    5 to 8 years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, or supplier management, preferably in a multinational manufacturing environment.

·    Experience with raw materials procurement, chemical/materials-related categories, or technically complex supplier markets is strongly preferred.

·    Proven experience in supplier negotiations, competitive bidding, cost reduction, supplier development, and contract implementation.

·    Experience working in a matrix organization with regional and global stakeholders.

·    Strong exposure to APAC supplier markets, especially China, is highly desirable.

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