Category Manager

**Date**:Jul 2, 2025

**Location**: Petaling Jaya, MY

**Company**:AkzoNobel

**About AkzoNobel**

Since 1792, we’ve been supplying the innovative paints and coatings that help to color people’s lives and protect what matters most. Our world class portfolio of brands - including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon - is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and use our expertise to sustain and enhance the fabric of everyday life. Because we believe every surface is an opportunity. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering and long-established paints company that’s dedicated to providing sustainable solutions and preserving the best of what we have today - while creating an even better tomorrow. Let’s paint the future together.

© 2024 Akzo Nobel N.V. All rights reserved.

As regional NPR Lead for the Real Estate, Facilities, Workforce and other Indirect spend category, the role encompasses the following responsibilities:

- **Leadership & Strategic Direction**: Provide strategic direction and leadership to three major category sourcing managers and country based NPR buyers in SESA.
- **Strategy Deployment**: Define and deploy strategy for managing a €65 million spend, driving year-on-year value and benefits.
- **Stakeholder Collaboration**: Work with key internal stakeholders including cross-business units, Marketing, and lead control towers
- **Supplier Management**: Own and drive strategic supplier management
- **Alignment with Corporate Goals**: Steer category strategy and execution aligned with AkzoNobel’s corporate goals on sustainability.
- **Digital agenda**: It is a very significant agenda within AkzoNobel wherein coupa and e-catalogs are driven structurally and effectively.
- Develop and deploy regional sourcing strategy for the NPR spend across region.
- Lead and manage strategic supplier management
- Influence internal stakeholders and business teams strategically.
- Exhibit leadership behaviors to both the category team and suppliers.
- Lead and deliver regional and global projects specific to NPR category.
- Implement strategic cost management through e-tenders, negotiation, and contract management.
- Ensure year-on-year value creation in line with company and functional goals.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to develop roadmap, including critical projects and initiatives.
- Build and sustain a vendor base encompassing current and prospective vendors.
- Contribute proactively to AkzoNobel’s Science-Based Target initiative (SBTi)
- Develop alternate vendors, mitigating single/sole source material/spend.
- Demonstrate high levels of regional and global collaboration.

**Experience**:

- Graduate in Science/Business Economics.
- Master’s in Business Administration or Supply Chain preferred.
- Minimum of 10 years’ experience in a strategic sourcing role with similar complexity, spend size, and geography. Exposure to GBS is an added advantage.
- Excellent communication skills in English.
- Proven experience in global sourcing roles, change management, and leading strategic projects.
- Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
- Proficient in problem solving, project management, team working/building.
- Ability to work under mínimal supervision with broad direction.
- Excellent communicator with different management layers in different functions (Finance, Procurement, IM) and in different parts of the company (BU, GBS and BPO);
- Strategic sourcing, category management, advanced negotiation skills, contract management.
- Proficiency in multiple data platforms such as SAP and BI.
- Strong analytical skills: highly numerate, structured, and accurate.
- Capable of performing, understanding, and presenting detailed information analysis and evaluation.

At AkzoNobel we are highly committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best self. We strive to embrace diversity in a context of tolerance. Our talent acquisition process plays an integral part in this journey, as setting the foundations for a diverse environment. For this reason we train and educate on the implications of our Unconscious Bias in order for our TA and hiring managers to be mindful of them and take corrective actions when applicable. In our organization, all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age or disability.

Requisition ID: 47690