European Procurement Category Manager

Job descriptionNipponGases is one of the leading companies in the industrial and medical gases business in Europe.Serving over 150,000 customers and 350,000 patients across 13 countries, we offer a comprehensive range of gas-based solutions tailored to sectors including healthcare, food, electronics, manufacturing, chemicals, electronics, and energy among many others.We are aEuropean Procurement Category Managerfor our European procurement team.A person who will be responsible for planning and leading all strategic aspects of the categories under their responsibility on a regional level and developing proposals for strategic business decisions.The role provides high-value procurement solutions to the business and category strategies; support third party vendor selection, vendor development, technology management and performance measurement activities to support projects and to realize year-on-year productivity improvements, cost savings, and process improvements in close collaboration with the stakeholders in the business.Main Responsibilities:Planning, organizing, and managing projects considering priorities, resources, budgets, issues and constraints to achieve desired results; defining clear project scope and objectives; utilizing software and tools to plan, track and report status.Mapping the value chain, analyzing it and deriving potential scenarios.Understanding and application of total cost of ownership and cost modelling.Participating in and / or leading financial discussions.Applying financial knowledge to participate actively, e.g., in budgeting process, in sourcing strategies and structuring sophisticated deals with ecosystem partners.Compliance & risk management: supporting reports to determine appropriate compliance level.Monitoring end-to-end compliance (budget, payment, vendor PO, contract invoice, buying channel, etc.) and deriving corrective actions to improve compliance.Applying risk management processes including identifying and evaluating risks and defining and executing a risk mitigation plan.Accountable to work with stakeholders to identify the most cost effective ways to deliver business objectives.Provision of strategies, approaches, and methods to allow for execution of the Source-to-Contract process: Preparing and conducting fact-based negotiations.Providing a broad portfolio of negotiation strategies to achieve results that support business and Procurement objectives.Proactive assessment of new ways of working, involving innovative scientific & technical solutions by identifying and onboarding the right suppliers.Achieving results by proactively building long-term, sustainable and effective relationships, understanding the stakeholder landscape and demonstrating political astuteness across business structures and networks.Implementing category or commodity strategies to optimize business efficiency.Identifying innovative procurement solutions that provide cashable savings and process efficiencies for the organization.Facilitate implementation of procurement change initiatives within category to improve business performance.Develop best procurement practices to lead and manage procurement teams.Provide assistance to company's acquisition strategies by completing the due diligence and integration activities for the spend categories.Job requirementsAcademic background:Bachelor's degree in business, engineering or related field.MBA or other master's degree preferred.Experience:Minimum 5 years of experience in Procurement or other related experience in equivalent industries.Extensive experience of managing KPIs, dashboards and reports (including tools).Experience working in a global organization with multicultural team members.Languages:Fluent written and spoken English.Competencies:Excellent planning, project management and organizational skills to consistently meet deadlines.Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.Strong problem resolution, negotiation and influencing skills.Excellent analytical and strategic thinking abilities.Location:The position will be based in Milan.Availability to travel within Europe.Why join Nippon Gases?At Nippon Gases, we're a reliable partner for key industries, combining global expertise with a local touch to make a real difference.Guided by our commitment to sustainability, we drive innovation through cutting-edge technology and a strong R&D network.Here, you'll have the autonomy to own your career, with the chance to work on projects that impact communities and shape a carbon-neutral future.Discover a place where you'll play a key role in solutions that power major industries and make a difference in everyday life.At Nippon Gases, our technologies support countless essential processes — often behind the scenes — that keep food fresh, enhance electronic chip production, purify water, and provide critical respiratory treatments.With a solid, diversified presence across Europe, we're a reliable and stable company dedicated to constant innovation and to creating a healthier, more sustainable future.Being part of The Gas Professionals will lead you to:Think beyond the visible to explore and develop new solutions for a sustainable tomorrow.