About Signify

Through bold discovery and cutting-edge innovation, we lead an industry that is vital for the future of our planet: lighting. Through our leadership in connected lighting and the Internet of Things, we're breaking new ground in data analytics, AI, and smart solutions for homes, offices, cities, and beyond.

At Signify, you can shape tomorrow by building on our incredible 125+ year legacy while working toward even bolder sustainability goals. Our culture of continuous learning, creativity, and commitment to diversity and inclusion empowers you to grow your skills and career.

Join us, and together, we’ll transform our industry, making a lasting difference for brighter lives and a better world. 

More about the role

Senior Commodity Manager – Ocean & International Freight

Location: China
Function: Procurement – Freight & Distribution
Scope: Global

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Global Commodity Manager to join our global Freight & Distribution Procurement organization.

The role will have a strong focus on Ocean Freight while also contributing across broader international freight categories, including Air and Parcel where relevant. It offers significant global exposure and the opportunity to lead complex sourcing initiatives, strategic carrier negotiations, market analysis, and category development across multiple regions.

Based in China, the position will be close to one of the world's most important manufacturing and logistics markets and will play a key role in connecting global category strategy with regional execution.

This is a senior individual contributor role suited to someone who combines strong category expertise with commercial leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence across a global organization.

Key Responsibilities

Global Freight Category Management

• Support the development and execution of global Ocean Freight category strategies.
• Lead selected global and multi-regional sourcing initiatives, tenders, and negotiations.
• Manage selected strategic trade lanes, sourcing programs, or carrier relationships.
• Develop sourcing strategies that balance cost, service, capacity, resilience, and risk.
• Support global carrier portfolio optimization and allocation decisions.
• Contribute to broader international freight initiatives across Ocean, Air, and Parcel.

Strategic Sourcing & Negotiation

• Lead complex RFQs, RFPs, and commercial negotiations with global and regional logistics providers.
• Develop negotiation strategies supported by market intelligence, benchmarks, and internal data.
• Identify opportunities for savings, cost avoidance, service improvement, and risk mitigation.
• Challenge existing sourcing models and recommend alternative commercial approaches.
• Support contract negotiations and commercial framework development.

Market Intelligence & Analytics

• Monitor Ocean Freight market developments, capacity trends, freight indices, surcharges, and carrier dynamics.
• Translate external market developments into practical sourcing and business recommendations.
• Develop cost models, benchmarks, and total-cost-of-ownership analyses.
• Support scenario planning and strategic decision-making during periods of market volatility or disruption.

Supplier & Carrier Management

• Develop strong relationships with key global and regional carriers and logistics service providers.
• Support strategic business reviews and supplier performance management.
• Identify opportunities to improve supplier performance, service levels, and commercial outcomes.
• Support supplier risk management and business continuity activities.

China & Asia Freight Market

• Provide strong freight category expertise close to a major global production and shipment-origin market.
• Support complex freight activities originating from China and the broader Asia region.
• Build strong market relationships with strategic carriers and logistics partners.
• Translate local and regional freight market developments into actionable global insights.

Regional Capability Development

• Partner with regional category managers across multiple geographies.
• Provide category expertise and commercial guidance on complex sourcing initiatives.
• Coach and support less experienced category managers in developing stronger freight procurement capabilities.
• Share market intelligence, sourcing methodologies, and best practices across the global organization.
• Support consistent execution of global category strategies across regions.

Stakeholder Management

• Partner closely with Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations, Finance, and regional business teams.
• Translate business requirements into effective sourcing and category strategies.
• Provide clear recommendations on freight markets, commercial opportunities, and risks.
• Build strong credibility with senior stakeholders through commercial insight and high-quality execution.

Key Success Measures

Success in this role will include:

• Strong commercial results from freight sourcing initiatives.
• Improved supplier and carrier performance.
• High-quality category and market insights.
• Effective execution of global freight strategies across regions.
• Strong stakeholder relationships and business partnership.
• Improved regional freight procurement capability.
• Increased resilience and flexibility across international freight categories.

Candidate Profile

Experience

• Significant experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, transportation, logistics, or freight.
• Strong hands-on experience in Ocean Freight procurement is essential.
• Experience in Air Freight, Parcel, multimodal transportation, or broader logistics categories is highly desirable.
• Proven experience leading complex regional or global sourcing initiatives.
• Strong track record in commercial negotiations with international carriers or logistics service providers.
• Experience working within a multinational and matrix organization.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across regions, cultures, and time zones.

Commercial & Category Expertise

The ideal candidate will have strong knowledge of:

• Ocean Freight markets and major global trade lanes.
• Carrier commercial models and capacity management.
• Freight indices and external market benchmarks.
• Contract and spot market sourcing strategies.
• Fuel and freight-related surcharges.
• Tender design and bid evaluation.
• Cost modelling and total cost of ownership.
• Supplier and carrier performance management.
• Freight risk and business continuity.

Leadership & Collaboration

The successful candidate will be able to:

• Lead complex initiatives independently.
• Influence senior internal stakeholders.
• Build trusted relationships with suppliers and carriers.
• Challenge assumptions and existing sourcing approaches.
• Coach and develop colleagues through functional expertise.
• Operate effectively in a highly international and collaborative environment.
• Combine strategic thinking with strong execution capability.

Personal Profile

• Strong commercial and analytical mindset.
• Strategic, pragmatic, and results-oriented.
• Confident communicator and negotiator.
• Comfortable working in complex and fast-changing environments.
• High level of ownership and accountability.
• Collaborative working style.
• Strong ability to prioritize and manage multiple global initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Logistics, Business, Engineering, Economics, or a related field.
• Advanced procurement or supply-chain qualification is an advantage.
• Fluent English is required.
• Mandarin or other Asian language capability is an advantage but not mandatory.

Why Join This Role

This role offers the opportunity to work on strategically important global freight categories and directly influence major sourcing, carrier, and supply-chain decisions.

It provides broad international exposure, access to global stakeholders and suppliers, and the opportunity to contribute to the continued development of a global Freight & Distribution Procurement organization from one of the world's most important logistics markets.

Everything we’ll do for you

You can grow a lasting career here. We’ll encourage you, support you, and challenge you. We’ll help you learn and progress in a way that’s right for you, with coaching and mentoring along the way. We’ll listen to you too, because we see and value every one of our 27,000+ people. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace fosters creativity, innovation, and a full spectrum of bright ideas. With a global workforce present in 70+ countries, we are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where every voice is heard and valued, helping us all achieve more together. 

Come join us, and together we can light up the future.