Category Manager

JOB SUMMARY

The Category Manager, China supports the Performance Solutions business within the DRiV Global Purchasing team by executing category and sourcing activities across assigned indirect spend areas in EMEA. The role partners with China-based, regional, and global stakeholders to analyze spend and supply markets, lead competitive sourcing events, negotiate commercial terms, manage supplier and contract performance, and deliver value through cost, service, quality, working-capital, risk, and supply-continuity improvements. The position owns assigned category strategies and sourcing initiatives while contributing to Global Purchasing priorities and cross-regional alignment.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Category Strategy and Sourcing Execution

• Develop, maintain, and execute China category strategies aligned with Performance Solutions and Global Purchasing priorities.

• Analyze spend, demand, supplier capabilities, market conditions, cost drivers, and total cost of ownership to identify sourcing opportunities and risks.

• Plan and lead RFQ, RFP, and competitive bidding activities, including requirements gathering, supplier identification, bid analysis, award recommendations, approvals, and implementation support.

• Prepare sourcing recommendations and business cases that clearly document value, trade-offs, risks, and required approvals.

• Maintain category plans, sourcing pipelines, project timelines, and supporting documentation in accordance with purchasing controls. Supplier and Commercial Management

• Lead supplier negotiations within delegated authority covering pricing, service, payment terms, performance expectations, risk allocation, and other commercial terms.

• Coordinate with Legal, Finance, Risk, Operations, and other partners on contract development, approvals, renewals, and implementation.

• Build productive supplier relationships and monitor performance across cost, quality, delivery, service, responsiveness, compliance, and innovation.

• Support supplier reviews, corrective-action plans, issue resolution, and continuity or risk-mitigation activities.

• Maintain accurate supplier, pricing, contract, savings, and project information in applicable systems. Stakeholder Partnership and Value Delivery

• Partner with Performance Solutions stakeholders in China and relevant regional or global teams to understand business needs, confirm specifications, align timelines, and support adoption of sourcing decisions.

• Collaborate with regional and global purchasing colleagues to leverage common suppliers, methods, data, and category strategies.

• Track and communicate project status, savings, cost avoidance, working-capital impact, contract coverage, supplier performance, and key risks.

• Identify process, specification, demand-management, supplier-consolidation, and workflow improvements that strengthen business value.

• Escalate major commitments, policy exceptions, high-risk matters, or decisions outside delegated authority to the appropriate leader.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, purchasing, business administration, finance, operations, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience, subject to HR and hiring-manager validation.

• Five or more years of progressive experience in procurement, purchasing, strategic sourcing, category management, supply chain, or supplier management. Experience threshold requires stakeholder confirmation.

• Experience supporting multi-step sourcing activities, supplier evaluations, commercial negotiations, spend or cost analysis, contract coordination, and cross-functional implementation.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate data and market information into clear recommendations.

• Strong communication, negotiation, project-management, and stakeholder-partnership skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively across functions, regions, and organizational levels.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint and familiarity with ERP, procurement, or eSourcing systems. Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting indirect procurement categories in a complex manufacturing, automotive, industrial, or similarly matrixed organization.

• Experience working with stakeholders and suppliers in China or in a global purchasing environment.

• Experience with eSourcing tools, spend analytics, supplier scorecards, and total-cost-of-ownership methods.

• Professional certification such as CPSM, CPM, CSCP, or a comparable supply-management credential.

• Working knowledge of SAP or another enterprise resource planning system.

• Mandarin Chinese and English language requirements must be confirmed based on stakeholder needs, supplier engagement, and the selected location.