Procurement Category Manager - Transportation (Europe)
Location: Kitts Green, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom (On-site)
Salary: £70,000 - £80,000
Contract: Permanent
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Category Management
* Develop and execute category and sourcing strategies aligned with business objectives and market dynamics.
* Support plant transportation teams with competitive bid processes and sourcing events.
* Manage European transportation activities across all modes including Truckload, LTL, Small Parcel, Ocean, Air, and Rail, as well as related services such as warehousing and transloading.
* Build and maintain strong relationships with key and transactional suppliers to ensure performance, compliance, and cost efficiency.
* Lead contract negotiations to secure favourable commercial terms and mitigate operational and financial risks.
* Provide market-driven forecasts and insights to support budgeting and strategic planning.
* Collaborate with global category managers on negotiations and sourcing initiatives involving European suppliers.
Mode Optimization
* Partner with internal stakeholders to regularly evaluate transportation modes across lanes, sites, and customer routes.
* Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce cost, and enhance service through optimized mode and equipment selection.
Freight Payment Leadership
* Lead the Freight Payment Team in managing the accounts payable process for European freight operations.
* Oversee carrier freight invoice processing to ensure accurate and timely payment disbursement.
* Ensure compliance with contractual agreements and proactively resolve discrepancies related to rates, surcharges, and accessorial charges.
* Analyze recurring variances, identify root causes, and implement effective corrective actions.
* Drive continuous improvement initiatives within freight audit and payment processes to increase accuracy and strengthen internal controls.
* Maintain proactive communication with carriers to ensure timely receipt of freight invoices and supporting documentation.
* Monitor workloads across data entry and audit teams to maintain efficient and consistent processing.
* Develop and maintain process documentation and establish KPIs to monitor performance and improve transparency.
Additional Responsibilities
* Deliver procurement targets including cost savings, innovation, quality, and supplier performance improvements.
* Develop and implement procurement strategies to achieve best total value solutions.
* Lead or support operational improvement initiatives such as Kaizen workshops and working capital or inventory projects.
* Drive measurable improvements in cost savings, supplier performance, and transportation service optimization.
Basic Qualifications
* Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Engineering, Supply Chain, or Logistics.
* Minimum of 3 years of experience in transportation category management.
* Strong problem-solving skills and ability to collaborate across multiple organizational levels.
* Strong analytical, organizational, and prioritization capabilities.
* Fluency in English.
Preferred Qualifications
* International work experience and strong intercultural communication skills.
* MBA or PMP certification.
* Experience leading initiatives within complex transportation organizations.
* Experience working with Transportation Management Systems (TMS).
* Hungarian language knowledge is considered an advantage.
* Strong financial and commercial acumen.
* Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
* Excellent communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
* Strategic mindset with an innovative and solution-oriented approach.
Travel Requirements
Approximately 25% travel, primarily within Europe, with occasional international travel.
#J-18808-Ljbffr