About the role:

The Category Manager HR Services is responsible for the strategic sourcing, supplier management, commercial optimisation and stakeholder engagement across the HR Services category portfolio. Acting as a trusted business partner to HR leadership and key stakeholders, the role ensures that procurement activities deliver maximum value, support business objectives, mitigate risk and maintain compliance with internal governance requirements.

The Category Manager owns an annual spend portfolio of approximately €60 million and is responsible for driving category strategies, managing sourcing initiatives, negotiating commercial agreements, increasing contract coverage, and supporting the transition from uncontrolled spend towards fully governed and contracted supplier relationships.

This role requires a commercially driven professional who combines strong procurement expertise with excellent stakeholder management skills and the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced international environment.

The Category Manager HR Services is responsible for procurement activities related to:

• Recruitment & Executive Search

• Temporary Labour

• Learning & Development

• Employee Benefits

• Wellbeing & Health Services

• Payroll Services

• Assessment & Talent Management

• HR Consultancy

• HR-related Events

Which tasks can you expect?

Category Management

• Develop and maintain category strategies aligned with business objectives.

• Build category intelligence through spend analysis, market research and benchmarking.

• Identify opportunities for cost optimisation, supplier consolidation and process improvement.

• Drive the migration of unmanaged spend towards procurement-controlled contracts.

Strategic Sourcing

• Lead end-to-end sourcing projects, including RFIs, RFQs, RFPs and competitive tenders.

• Manage supplier selection processes in close collaboration with business stakeholders.

• Conduct commercial evaluations and recommend suppliers based on total value delivered.

• Ensure sourcing activities comply with procurement policy and governance requirements.

Commercial Negotiation & Contracting

• Lead commercial negotiations with suppliers.

• Deliver measurable cost savings and commercial improvements.

• Support contract drafting, review and renegotiation in close collaboration with Legal.

• Ensure contractual risks are identified and adequately mitigated.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Manage strategic supplier relationships within the category portfolio.

• Monitor performance of key suppliers through regular reviews.

• Address supplier performance issues and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

• Support innovation and value creation through supplier partnerships.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the primary procurement contact for HR Leadership and HR stakeholders.

• Build strong relationships across HR, Finance, Legal and Operational functions.

• Proactively identify upcoming business needs and procurement opportunities.

• Ensure Procurement is recognised as a business partner that enables and supports the organisation.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure all procurement activities follow company policies and governance standards.

• Increase contract coverage and commercial visibility within the category.

• Ensure Legal reviews are completed where required.

• Escalate strategic sourcing projects to the Head of Procurement for alignment and approval.

Success Criteria

The successful candidate will:

• Deliver annual savings targets.

• Increase spend under management.

• Improve contract coverage across the category portfolio.

• Strengthen procurement governance and contract compliance.

• Maintain productive relationships with key HR stakeholders.

• Deliver sourcing projects on time and with high quality.

• Support sustainable supplier performance management for strategic vendors.

• Demonstrate strong ownership and autonomy in managing procurement initiatives.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Annual savings delivery

• Spend under management

• Contract coverage ratio

• Contract compliance

• Number and value of sourcing projects completed

• Procurement cycle time

• Stakeholder satisfaction

• Strategic supplier performance improvements

• Percentage of spend covered by negotiated agreements

What do you have to offer?

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Procurement, Business Administration, Finance, HR or a related field.

• Minimum 3-5 years of procurement experience.

• Experience leading sourcing initiatives and supplier negotiations.

• Experience managing cross-functional stakeholders.

• Strong analytical and commercial capabilities.

• Fluent in English, both written and spoken.

Preferred

• Experience within HR Services procurement categories.

• Experience managing international suppliers.

• Familiarity with procurement tools, spend analytics and sourcing platforms.

Competencies

Commercial Excellence: Demonstrates strong commercial acumen and continuously seeks opportunities to create value for the organisation.

Stakeholder Management: Builds trusted relationships and acts as a connecting force between Procurement, HR and other business functions.

Negotiation Skills: Confidently leads commercial negotiations and achieves balanced outcomes for both business and suppliers.

Analytical Thinking: : ses data and market insights to support business decisions and procurement strategies.

Ownership & Independence: Takes accountability, works proactively and drives initiatives with limited supervision.

Communication: Communicates clearly and professionally with suppliers, senior stakeholders and colleagues across international environments.

Results Orientation: Focuses on delivering measurable business value through savings, compliance and operational improvements.