Category Manager - Machining & Sheet Metal Components

Role

• Development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the category strategy for direct materials and assemblies, with a focus on mechanical components such as turned and milled parts, sheet metal parts, and welded assemblies in collaboration with global procurement, category management, supplier quality, and operational purchasing teams
• Drive systematic activities for market analysis and development in the search for suppliers in “best-cost country” regions, with a strong focus on Eastern Europe
• Analyze supplier markets in terms of technological capabilities, innovations, cost drivers, capacity availability, and regional procurement opportunities to support fact-based category decisions.
• Identifying, evaluating, qualifying, and onboarding new suppliers to strengthen the competitiveness, delivery reliability, flexibility, and resilience of the existing supplier base.
• Negotiate terms and conditions, pricing models, framework agreements, and contract terms with strategic suppliers
• Agreeing on, monitor and achieving common yearly goals in the areas of quality, logistics, innovation, productivity, cost reduction and strategy to develop long-term supplier relationships while ensuring competitive tension and continuous market benchmarking.
• Lead strategic procurement projects from request for proposals, cost analyses, and negotiations through to contract conclusion, ensuring compliance with binding delivery dates and corresponding follow-up
• Develop, support and process make-or-buy decisions, localization projects, and initiatives for sourcing materials/assemblies in close collaboration with the engineering, quality, and logistics departments
• Provide category-related market intelligence, sourcing recommendations, and decision proposals to Procurement and SCM leadership.
• Promote a proactive, entrepreneurial, and business-development-oriented sourcing mindset within the direct material procurement organization.

Profile & skills

• 5+ years of experience in strategic procurement, category management, supplier scouting, or strategic sourcing in an industrial manufacturing environment.
• Strong background in direct materials, ideally in machining, sheet metal, welded constructions, or mechanical components.
• Proven experience in supplier scouting, supplier qualification, supplier development, and sourcing project management.
• Good understanding of manufacturing technologies such as CNC machining, milling, turning, laser cutting, bending, welding, surface treatment, and mechanical assembly.
• Ability to read and understand technical drawings, specifications, and manufacturing requirements.
• Strong commercial mindset with solid negotiation skills and experience in cost breakdown analysis, TCO evaluation, and benchmark comparisons.
• Experience in Best Cost Country sourcing, preferably in Eastern Europe, is a strong advantage.
• Willingness to travel regularly for supplier visits, audits, negotiations, and market scouting activities.
• Entrepreneurial and proactive personality with the ability to build supplier networks and open new sourcing markets.
• Structured problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage complex supplier and stakeholder situations.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with Engineering, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, and international procurement teams.
• High accountability and ownership for category performance, supplier development, cost competitiveness, and supply security.
• Analytical, resilient, hands-on, and result-oriented working style.
• Experience with ERP and procurement systems, preferably SAP or similar, for sourcing, supplier, and purchasing-related activities.
• Proficient in Microsoft365 suite, especially Teams, SharePoint, Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Language skills: English – business-proficient; German – advantageous

What we offer

• Company-wide and international collaboration
• An open and communicative corporate culture
• Support for your professional development
• Performance-based compensation
• Flexible working hours that are adjusted to workload without unnecessary bureaucracy
• Options for mobile working

We are Körber – an international technology group with around 10,000 employees at more than 100 locations worldwide, united by a common goal: transforming entrepreneurial thinking into customer success and shaping technological change.

In our Business Areas – Pharma, Supply Chain, and Technologies – we offer inspiring products, solutions, and services. We respond quickly to customer needs, implement ideas seamlessly, and create added value through our innovations. In doing so, we are increasingly building ecosystems that solve the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Körber AG is the holding company of the Körber Group.

Our recruitment team:

For further questions please contact us via toborzas.hungaria@koerber.com

Recruitment-Team

For questions please contact us via jobs@koerber.de.