To join our team, we are now seeking a highly skilled and motivated Global Category Manager – Travel
If you’re an experienced travel category management professional who thrives on complex supplier relationship management (SRM), supplier strategy, and delivering commercial impact at a global scale, this is the role for you. In this role, you'll build strong relationships with key business stakeholders, lead proactive sourcing projects, and influence demand management. You'll also lead travel category development, enhancing supplier performance and driving innovation and sustainability.
To succeed in the role, you are expected to increase value across the category and improve relationships both internally and externally. Ultimately, we strive to work proactively so that we can better meet demand, deliver simpler and better processes, and where necessary, find new suppliers that further increase value.
Main responsibilities
1. Responsible for a global strategic setting & coordination in alignment with KONE organization globally and regionally
2. Develop and execute SRM strategy to improve relationships with suppliers, reduce costs, enhance quality and sustainability and enable KONE to gain competitive advantage.
3. Lead and involve cross-functional category teamwork to ensure buy-in and end-to-end implementation of category strategy in functions and business lines.
4. Acting as subject matter expert in category for any needs.
5. Executing projects based on the Category strategies and business plans
6. Driving change management and innovation with strategic suppliers
7. Captures category best practices, processes and standards, providing guidance to ensure these best practices are implemented across the category and regions, continuously improving ways of working
8. Responsible for identifying, initiate and implement cost saving opportunities to ensure savings targets are met
9. Responsible for delivery of global strategic sourcing activities though document preparation, vendor selection, conducting RFP, coordination evaluation, initiating award approval cycle and communication results.
10. Track governance and compliance against category strategy by managers and local teams
Requirements for the role
11. A bachelor's or master’s degree in supply chain management, logistics, business administration, or a related field.
12. 10+ years skills and experience in Sourcing or Global Category Management or relevant business/corporate functions. Min 3-5 years of experience within Travel category
13. Proven experience in successfully managing Travel related projects, demonstrating project management skills and knowledge
14. Proficiency in procurement and sourcing strategies, including supplier evaluation, negotiation, and contract management
15. In-depth understanding of project management methodologies, tools, and best practices
16. Vast experience in change and a stakeholder management
17. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities for assessing market trends, optimizing category plans, and managing project complexities
18. Strategic thinking and high level of business acumen
19. Excellent communication and presentation skills
20. Strong leadership skills, experience of leading matrix organizations
21. Fluent in English, both spoken and written
We offer
As KONE is a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, this is a key role and a great opportunity to build the future cities through improving how people live, work and play in the cities and to help us continue innovating and making magic happen also in the future. You will be working with highly dynamic teams significantly investing time and effort on how we develop services and solutions. You get a chance to work with and participate in further developing products and services that are used by billions of users in daily basis. Products and services that are widely recognized by their quality and innovation.
We will offer you an opportunity to work in an international team and develop your skills in Sourcing Category Management area as well as see different KONE processes closely in collaboration with other organizations and external suppliers.
If you got interested in this position, please send your application with CV and cover letter latest 4th of April.
For more information, please contact, Jens Sjöborg via email
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