To strengthen our team in the area of Global Indirect Procurement at the Trier plant, we are looking for a Cluster Category Manager (m/f/d) in permanent employment.

Your job mission:

The position exists to manage the procurement activities for Services category within the German cluster in addition to supporting the local organization with other strategic procurement activities. This role has the following main dimensions:

Act as set category liaison for Global Category Managers.
Participate in financial planning and deliver benefits/value within their perimeter of action.
Drive ad hoc cost optimization and continuous improvement initiatives.
Apply Category Management principles, and develop and coordinate Regional/Local implementation plans as per Global/Regional directions.
Ensure business connectivity and foster collaborative business partnership with specific stakeholders.
Manage SRM with key Regional suppliers in full coordination with Global/Regional directions.
Ensure Regional/Cluster alignment and compliance with strategies.
Role model in compliance and ethics.

Who are we?

JTI is a leading international tobacco company with locations in more than 130 countries and world-famous brands such as Winston, Camel and American Spirit. With our brands Nordic Spirit, Logic and Ploom, we also focus on growth through innovations in the field of reduced risk products. In Germany, we are the largest employer in our industry with over 2,000 employees.

As a multiple award-winning top employer, we offer an open and inclusive working environment with exciting tasks in a challenging environment. Flexible working concepts, diverse development opportunities and international career paths are part of our everyday life. Visit us at to find out more about JTI and what it's like to work for us.

Your tasks:

Category Management Strategy:

Responsible for procurement activities of the Services category within German cluster. Acts as set category liaison for Global Category Managers. Rolls-out appropriate strategies set forth by the Global Category Director, provides sound direction for appointed category and ensures close collaboration with all cluster stakeholders.
Ensures Regional/Cluster alignment and compliance with strategies. Applies Category Management principles, and develop and coordinate Regional/Local implementation plans as per Global/Regional directions.
Works in close collaboration with Global Category Director/ Procurement Cluster Manager to ensure global strategy considers local requirements and that suppliers' list is managed in the most efficient & effective manner for the cluster.
Participates in financial planning and deliver benefits/value within their perimeter of action.

Suppliers' Management:

Identifies and manages regional/local suppliers' pool. Negotiates strategic contracts and ensures optimum and sustainable supply conditions. Recommends timely strategic decisions where relevant to prevent procurement inefficiencies. Ensures sustainability of supply and effective supplier relationship management throughout the supply chain. Demonstrates ability to challenge status quo, proposes and runs projects that will add value to both Procurement and business functions. Provides necessary support to Global or Regional procurement teams for implementation.
Manages SRM with key Regional suppliers in full coordination with Global/Regional directions. Supports Global Category Directors to build Innovation & Sustainability strategy with Global suppliers and promotes any ideas that could represent a competitive advantage for JTI.

KPIs & Targets:

Achieves set Procurement negotiation targets and KPIs. Plans and delivers Savings targets. Develops and recommends strategic sourcing plan/decisions.
Leads and /or supports supplier bidding processes in close cooperation with respective business partners to ensure best combination of quality, cost and service parameters / conditions for products and services are attained.
Drives strategy implementation at local and cluster level for assigned category and monitors performance. Ensures corrective actions are taken when required.
Drives ad hoc cost optimization and continuous improvement initiatives.

Business Partnership:

Ensure business connectivity and foster collaborative business partnership with specific stakeholders. Focuses on demonstrating value of Business Partnership, by developing a customer-oriented approach. Aligns strategy with key business partners and ensures it meets Business' priorities. Establishes alignment and effective communication among procurement organization, business partners and suppliers. Takes preventive actions to avoid supply issues and resolves problems in due time.
Assumes responsibilities for additional projects, tasks as assigned by his/her superior and reflect core behaviors in all aspects of work.
Act as GIP representative within the home location ensuring liaison of Local stakeholders with respective GIP category managers and help with implementation of local projects if needed.

Market Intelligence:

Shares Category intelligence, identifies trends and opportunities. Applies best practices in procurement process management by utilizing latest models and takes necessary actions for areas of improvement. Conducts supply risk assessments, builds contingency plans, finds alternative ideas, solutions in securing best conditions for the company including extensive market research and proactive sourcing of innovative suppliers.

Your profile:

Relevant educational background: University degree in Business Administration or comparable education
Practical experience: Minimum 3-5 years experience in similar environment in a multinational company
Valuable knowledge: Financial analysis / Business environment knowledge / MS Office tools and SAP / Fluent in German and English, both written and spoken
Special strengths: Strategic thinking / Leadership skills
Suitable personality: Effective Negotiation, Communication and Interpersonal skills / Management of internal and external parties / Decision making, identifying and applying efficiencies
Practiced working time model: Flextime

Your benefits

Your team: You will work in an open and international working environment with approx. 60 nations at the Trier site.
Your remuneration: Above-average pay with a 13th and 14th monthly salary and an additional bonus payment. Individual company pension scheme and capital-forming benefits.
Your meals: Our subsidized company canteen and numerous snack and coffee vending machines ensure your physical well-being.
Your appreciation: You will receive regular feedback from us and, as your personal safety is important to us, we also protect you in your private life with our JTI accident insurance.
Your work-life balance: You should enjoy your work! That's why we offer you 30 days of vacation
Your development: We focus on your personal development. We support you with a wide range of internal training courses as well as external training and development opportunities that are tailored specifically to you.

Have we aroused your interest?

Apply directly with your complete application documents (CV, cover letter & references) stating your earliest possible starting date (Job ID 93743).

Diversity & Inclusion

We want everyone at JTI to be themselves and develop their full potential, because each and every one of us makes a valuable contribution to the success of the company and the location in Germany. We live and promote diversity, equality and inclusion accordingly. We have local employee groups and networks, such as the PRIDE Chapter Germany or the togetHER network for female employees, in which committed colleagues are involved, and we support a wide range of projects in our local area. For this and many other activities in the area of diversity & inclusion, we have already been awarded the Global Equality Standard by Ernst & Young.

Sustainability & Commitment

We have particularly close ties to the Trier region and the greater Cologne area through our two locations and want to make a significant contribution to a high quality of life, e.g., through annual clean-up campaigns on the Rhine and Moselle and as a long-standing partner of the Cologne Green Foundation, we are committed to the preservation and expansion of the city's green spaces. Renewable energies are also part of our sustainability goals, which is why we are investing in the expansion of the Bescheid Süd wind farm, located 20 kilometers east of our Trier site, in order to secure green electricity for the region and for our production at the Trier plant. We are constantly reducing the amount of plastic used in the packaging of our classic tobacco products, thus saving tons of plastic waste.