Procurement Category Manager

Zentiva is a leading pharmaceutical company on a mission to make high-quality, affordable medicines accessible to people across Europe and beyond.

We are currently looking for a Procurement Category Manager to take ownership of a global category that brings together several procurement families. In this role, you will define the strategic direction and ensure its execution across markets and global functions, all while staying true to our values, ethical charter, and code of conduct.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACTIVITIES

Strategy

• Develop a deep and comprehensive understanding of the market landscape, key suppliers, and technologies across Corporate Services and related categories.
• Build and implement competitive, forward-thinking category strategies based on solid market intelligence — identifying risks and opportunities, aligning with budgets and long-range plans, and delivering tangible value to the business through close collaboration with lead specifiers.
• Achieve world-class total savings targets while ensuring sustainable impact.
• Drive procurement excellence across all dimensions: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), market insights, risk management, innovation, CSR, HSE, compliance, and quality.

Management

• Provide support, methodology, best practices, expertise, and training to the procurement network (country buyers). Share and communicate sourcing decisions and implementation approaches with both the network and the business.
• Define broad guidelines for objective setting and performance expectations. Contribute to performance evaluations by providing initial input and/or final validation for team members, and support the assessment of regional staff achievements.

Operational

• Carries out the most strategic negotiations with the relevant support of country managers, as well as any major supplier issues. Develops and provide overall supplier market trend information to facilitate operational objectives definition and execution.
• Drives the development of new market opportunities (new suppliers, marketing services, etc.) with the  Country buyers. Establishes key priorities such as customer challenge, total cost optimization, and supplier management strategies for categories.
• Set-up and drive a S.R.M. program

Business Partnering

• Develops strong relationship with executive customers at global and regional levels with the support of the regional and country .
• Ensures procurement integration within the business at Global and regional levels with the support of Country Procurement buyers.

COMPETENCIES

Think Strategically

• Demonstrates a deep understanding of trends and facts that impact our business.
• Translates agreed strategies into clear, tangible and actionable plans and initiatives.

Act for Change

• Creatively challenges the status quo to find new ways of working.
• Looks for the opportunities that arise during times of change.

Commit to customers

• Actively works to gain genuine understanding of the customers' perspective.
• Strives to build mutually beneficial solutions and partnerships.

Make Decisions

• Makes decisions when needed; even if the outcomes are difficult or sensitive.
• Takes responsibility for decisions and accepts accountability for results.

Strive for Results

• Sets ambitious, tangible and measurable targets.
• Takes personal responsibility for achieving results.

Cooperate Transversally

• Shares relevant information openly and seeks appropriate input from others outside of the direct team.
• Develops and maintains effective cross-functional working relationships and partnerships.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

• Procurement experience
• Global picture and strategic thinking combined with operational execution follow up
• Smooth management of time pressures along with intrinsic technical / resource constraints
• Business analytic skills, robust financial background
• Keep a continuously open mind about the essential nature of the transaction (macro/micro)
• Demonstrated leadership, networking and managing performance abilities
• Capability to work in a Global organization with multiple clients, dealing as well with corporate/global
• Good communication, team work, organizational skills and ability to work with multiple deadlines
• Strong internal customer & business focus, result orientation and change management experience