Category Manager – Indirect Plant MRO, Ts - technical Services And Capex

Shape & Create - And Make It Happen!

The Villeroy & Boch Group with its Ideal Standard brand is one of the world's leading manufacturers in the ceramics and lifestyle sector. With our innovative and stylish products from the Dining & Lifestyle and Bath & Wellness segments, we have been creating moments and rooms to feel good in since 1748. Our success is based on the passion, design expertise and innovative strength of our more than 13,000 employees in 42 countries.

Want to become part of us? Shape and create.

Category Manager – Indirect Plant MRO, TS-Technical Services and Capex

The Category Manager is responsible for defining and executing the Group sourcing strategy for the MRO category, ensuring full alignment with operational, financial, and technical requirements across all V&B sites. CapEx packages may be assigned depending on strategic priorities. The role ensures strong supplier governance, cost optimization, and long-term value creation.

Your tasks:

• Act as the Group category owner for MRO, developing and deploying a multi-year category strategy that leverages scale, harmonizes demand, and optimizes TCO.
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across all sites to anticipate needs, shape sourcing decisions, and drive adoption of category strategies.
• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives end-to-end: market analysis, RFI/RFQ, negotiation, risk assessment, contract drafting, and award decision support.
• Own category governance, ensuring policies, standards, and procurement methodologies are consistently applied across the Group.
• Manage strategic supplier relationships, ensuring performance, compliance, innovation, and continuous improvement against defined KPIs and SLAs.
• Identify, quantify, and implement cost-reduction and value-creation opportunities across the entire spend lifecycle.
• Coordinate with operational procurement teams to ensure seamless execution and correct escalation of technical, delivery, or contractual issues.
• Deliver savings targets, improve service levels, and strengthen risk mitigation strategies in line with Procurement leadership expectations.
• Provide subject-matter expertise for MRO and, when assigned, CapEx sourcing, contributing to cross-functional projects and transformation programs.

Your profile:

• 5–7+ years of experience in Strategic Procurement or Category Management within an industrial, multi-site, international environment, ideally in MRO, technical goods, or engineering-related categories.
• Proven experience leading complex negotiations, managing suppliers, and implementing multi-site procurement strategies.
• Strong business-fluent English (C1 level) and advanced SAP competences.
• University degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Supply Chain, or similar.
• Mastery of sourcing methodologies, category management techniques, TCO analysis, and procurement performance tools.
• Experience influencing and collaborating with cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, financial, and strategic thinking capabilities, with a clear drive for results and measurable impact.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to operate in a multicultural and matrixed environment.
• Advanced in Microsoft Excel, including complex formulas (LOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, IF statements, nested formulas) and Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts for spend analysis and supplier performance tracking.
• Willingness to travel internationally.

Think Outside the Box with Us! Shape and Create