Global Category Head - Procurement

Role Overview:

As the Global Category Head based in Pune, you will serve as the strategic architect for our global procurement ecosystem, overseeing end-to-end category management for high-value spend areas. You will lead cross-functional collaboration with regional business units, supply chain leaders, and executive stakeholders to align sourcing strategies with long-term organizational growth. By leveraging deep market intelligence and advanced negotiation frameworks, you will drive significant cost optimization, mitigate supply chain risks, and foster innovation within our vendor base. This role is pivotal in shaping our competitive advantage, ensuring that our global procurement operations are agile, sustainable, and directly contribute to the bottom-line profitability of the business.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute comprehensive global category strategies to drive competitive advantage and ensure long-term supply security for the organization.
• Lead high-stakes negotiations with global suppliers to secure favorable commercial terms, ensuring alignment with corporate financial objectives and quality standards.
• Drive market intelligence initiatives by analyzing global trends and commodity shifts to proactively adjust sourcing strategies and minimize operational risks.
• Mentor and lead high-performing procurement teams, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement in strategic sourcing and purchase operations.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders across global regions to streamline procurement processes, ensuring seamless integration of category plans into broader business workflows.
• Implement robust performance metrics and supplier scorecards to monitor vendor compliance and drive value-added partnerships across the supply chain.

Required Skillset:

• Demonstrated expertise in managing complex, multi-million dollar global categories with a proven track record of delivering significant cost savings and operational efficiency.
• Exceptional ability to synthesize market intelligence into actionable strategic plans that anticipate industry shifts and supply chain disruptions.
• Strong leadership presence with the capacity to influence C-suite stakeholders and manage cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, hybrid work environment.
• Advanced proficiency in strategic sourcing methodologies, contract lifecycle management, and global supply chain risk mitigation.
• Superior communication and interpersonal skills, essential for building long-term, collaborative relationships with diverse global suppliers and internal business partners.
• A postgraduate degree in Management or Supply Chain from a premier institute is highly preferred, complemented by 10 - 18 years of progressive experience in procurement and category leadership.\