KWS Manufacturing

Category Manager (m/f/d) - Agricultural Machinery

Berlin, Germany In person Full-time

Are you ready to make a global impact?

As our new Category Manager - Agricultural Machinery (m/f/d), you will be responsible for developing and implementing a global procurement strategy while acting as the subject matter expert for agricultural machinery categories across the KWS Group.

Working in a dynamic, multicultural environment, you will collaborate with international stakeholders and strategic suppliers to deliver innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions that create long-term value and support the company’s growth ambitions

This is a permanent position to be filled full-time.

The place of work is at KWS Berlin GmbH in Berlin, Germany.

Tasks & Responsibilities

Strategic Category Management

  • Develop and execute a global category strategy for agricultural machinery - including farm equipment, spare parts, maintenance services, and related operational technologies
  • Create spend transparency and identify opportunities for cost optimization, supplier consolidation, and value creation
  • Lead the complete Source-to-Contract (S2C) process, including market analysis, RFx processes, supplier negotiations, contract management, and implementation
  • Drive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) approaches across the category portfolio
  • Ensure compliance with legal, ESG, and internal procurement standards

Stakeholder & Supplier Management

  • Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders across Business Units and Global Functions
  • Develop strategic partnerships with key machinery manufacturers, distributors, service providers, and aftermarket suppliers
  • Lead cross-functional sourcing projects in a complex global matrix organization
  • Present sourcing strategies, business cases, and procurement recommendations to senior management and executive stakeholders

Procurement Excellence

  • Guide and support tactical buyers in sourcing activities, negotiations, spend analysis, and supplier management
  • Train and onboard procurement team members on category-specific knowledge and procurement tools
  • Contribute to process improvement initiatives and procurement digitalization
  • Lead procurement-related projects and change management initiatives

Profile & Skillset

  • University degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Economics, or comparable
  • Several years of professional experience in strategic procurement or, category management, or sourcing
  • Proven experience in procurement of machinery, ideally of heavy mobile machinery
  • Strong understanding of machinery lifecycle management, maintenance requirements, and equipment investment processes.
  • Experience in negotiating complex global supply agreements and managing strategic supplier relationships.
  • Experience working in international and matrix organizations
  • Knowledge of SAP, procurement suites, supplier management tools, and MS Office
  • Strong analytical and strategic thinking capabilities
  • Excellent negotiation and stakeholder management skills
  • Ability to liaise with cross-departmental and cross-functional stakeholders on different managerial levels
  • Strong communication and presentation skills with different target groups
  • Passion for innovation, continuous improvement, and sustainable business development
  • Excellent command of English; German language skills are highly desirable

Offer

  • Interesting and varied job in a diverse international environment with the opportunity to contribute innovative ideas
  • As a family business, we are guided by the values of closeness, reliability, vision and independence; this culture is lived in practice and ensures an open and friendly working atmosphere from day one
  • Excellent work equipment and free car and bicycle parking spaces in our modern office in the heart of Berlin-Schöneberg
  • We create the appropriate framework conditions for you: capital-forming benefits, Christmas and holiday pay, childcare allowance, 30d holidays, flexible working hours, holiday and Christmas bonuses, company pension scheme, JobRad and/or Jobticket
  • True to our motto "Make yourself grow", we support the professional and personal development of our employees
  • We are looking forward to receiving your application using our online application system SuccessFactors! Please click the “Apply” button which you can find in the online ad.
  • Sharing is caring - if you know someone who might be interested - please feel free to share this job-opening.

Job description provided by KWS.
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