European Procurement Category Manager

Welcome to Nippon Gases | NIPPON GASESEuropean Procurement Category ManagerJob descriptionNippon Gases 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, energy, and more.We are seeking a European Procurement Category Manager for our European procurement team.This role involves planning and leading all strategic aspects of the categories under your responsibility on a regional level, and developing proposals for strategic business decisions.The role provides high-value procurement solutions aligned with category strategies; supports third-party vendor selection, vendor development, technology management, and performance measurement activities to support projects and achieve year-on-year productivity improvements, cost savings, and process efficiencies in close collaboration with stakeholders.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.Applying knowledge of total cost of ownership and cost modeling.Participating in and/or leading financial discussions.Applying financial knowledge to actively participate in budgeting, sourcing strategies, and structuring complex deals with ecosystem partners.Supporting compliance and risk management: monitoring end-to-end compliance (budget, payment, vendor POs, contracts, invoices, buying channels, etc.) and implementing corrective actions; applying risk management processes including risk identification, evaluation, and mitigation planning.Collaborating with stakeholders to identify the most cost-effective ways to deliver business objectives.Developing strategies, approaches, and methods to execute the Source-to-Contract process, including preparing and conducting fact-based negotiations and employing a broad portfolio of negotiation strategies.Proactively exploring innovative scientific and technical solutions by identifying and onboarding suitable suppliers.Building long-term, sustainable relationships, understanding stakeholder landscapes, and demonstrating political acumen to implement category or commodity strategies that optimize business efficiency.Identifying innovative procurement solutions that generate cashable savings and process efficiencies.Facilitating procurement change initiatives to improve business performance.Leading procurement teams by developing best practices.Supporting acquisition strategies through due diligence and integration activities for 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 related fields in similar industries.Extensive experience managing KPIs, dashboards, and reports (including tools).Experience working in a global, multicultural organization.Languages:Fluent written and spoken English.Competencies:Strong planning, project management, and organizational skills.Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.Strong negotiation, problem-solving, and influencing skills.Analytical and strategic thinking abilities.Location:The position is based in Milan, with availability to travel within Europe.#J-*****-Ljbffr