Urgent opening For Category Manager For Fort Location

ASTAGURU
JOB DESCRIPTION
DEPARTMENT & SUB-DEPARTMENT Finance - Procurement

JOB TITLE/ ROLE / DESIGNATION Category Manager - Procurement (Marketing, IT, and Travel)

PRIMARY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Job Summary:
We are looking for an experienced and strategic Category Manager to streamline, build & operate procurement activities across Marketing, IT, and Travel categories. The ideal candidate will be responsible for developing category strategies, negotiating contracts, optimizing vendor relationships, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality services at competitive costs. This role demands strong category-specific knowledge, analytical thinking, and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to achieve business objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Procurement:

• Develop and execute category strategies for Marketing (media buys, events, creative agencies), IT (hardware, software, IT services), and Travel (corporate travel, accommodations, and related services).
• Leverage market intelligence and benchmarking to identify trends and best practices.
• Drive cost efficiency while maintaining service quality and compliance standards.

Vendor and Contract Management:

• Identify, evaluate, and onboard suppliers in alignment with organizational goals.
• Negotiate contracts, master service agreements (MSAs), and SLAs, SOW’s for optimal terms.
• Establish and maintain strong supplier relationships, ensuring performance adherence and issue resolution.
• Where possible, conduct eRFX process.

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Partner with Marketing, IT, and Travel teams to understand requirements and tailor procurement solutions.
• Act as a trusted advisor to internal stakeholders, aligning procurement activities with organizational goals.
• Ensure effective communication and coordination between stakeholders and vendors.

Cost and Risk Optimization:

• Analyze spending patterns and identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements.
• Mitigate risks by implementing robust supplier evaluation and governance frameworks.
• Ensure compliance with corporate policies, regulatory requirements, and ethical procurement standards.

Data Analysis and Reporting:

• Track and analyze key metrics such as spend data, vendor performance, and cost savings.
• Generate detailed reports to provide actionable insights for decision-making.
• Present procurement performance to report Mgr. (Head of Procurement), highlighting achievements and improvement areas.

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• In-depth knowledge of procurement principles, category management, and market dynamics.
• Proficiency in procurement tools and ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Ariba).
• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data and derive actionable insights.
• Adept at multitasking and managing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Certifications (Optional):

• Certifications in Supply Chain Management (CSCM), Procurement (CIPS/CPSM), or Project Management (PMP).

DEPARTMENTAL STRUCTURE

Position reporting to (Designation / Level): Head of ProcurementQUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Information Technology, Marketing, or a related field.
• A master’s degree or MBA is preferred.

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED (Minimum to Maximum)Experience:

• 5-7 years of experience in procurement, with significant exposure to Marketing, IT, and Travel categories.
• Proven expertise in vendor management, cost optimization, and strategic sourcing.

FUNCTIONAL / TECHNICAL & BEHAVIOURAL SKILLS REQUIREDFunctional / Technical Skills (E.g.: Financial Accounting, Data Analytics, Content Writing, IT etc.)

1. Extremely High-level proficiency in MS Office (Excel / PP / AI Tools)
2. Preparation of Dashboards to related Categories, using AI insights & driven data interpretation
3. Deep understanding of Marketing Spends (Digital / Media / Pre-Post Prodn / OOH / Events), IT (HW/SW/SaaS/NW/New Facility Infra), Travel (Domestic / Intl / Hotels) categories from Procurement & Purchasing standpoint


Behavioral Skills (E.g.: Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Team Management skills etc.)

1. Team player, Internal & External stakeholder mgmt.
2. High degree of Presentation Skills
3. Decision making / using high degree of Data Analysis / MIS Reports / Cost Benchmarking


AGE GROUP PREFERRED
Upto 33/34 years (Industry: IT/ITES, FMCG, Manufacturing, E-commerce, Retail)