Category Manager

The Impact You'll Make As our Category Manager , you’ll play a key role in driving strategic sourcing and supplier partnerships while ensuring cost competitiveness and sustainable procurement practices. This is an Individual Contributor (IC) role , where you will take end-to-end ownership of your category and directly influence sourcing outcomes.

Category Manager

Job Description Req ID: 52285 Job Location: Pune, IN Employment Type: Full Time Segment: Danfoss Power Solutions Segment Job Category: Procurement & Purchasing Work Location Type: On-site Job Experience Level: Mid-Senior level Job Title: Category Manager The Impact You'll Make As our Category Manager , you’ll play a key role in driving strategic sourcing and supplier partnerships while ensuring cost competitiveness and sustainable procurement practices. This is an Individual Contributor (IC) role , where you will take end-to-end ownership of your category and directly influence sourcing outcomes. Strengthening supplier relationships, enabling effective contract and price management, and delivering continuous cost improvements that support the organization’s operational and financial goals. You’ll collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including sourcing, quality, engineering, and supply chain, while taking ownership of supplier engagement, negotiation strategies, and supplier performance reviews, helping us build a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable supply base. Location : Pimpri, Pune What You’ll Be Doing Lead price control and contract negotiations with suppliers to ensure cost competitiveness and deliver measurable value to the business. Support internal stakeholders by driving cost optimization initiatives and generating negotiation strategies to achieve minimum 1% savings on annual spend . Collaborate with cross-functional teams such as sourcing, quality, and supply chain to strengthen supplier relationship management (SRM) and execute regular Business Review Meetings (BRMs) . Use your expertise in supplier management and procurement processes to identify, evaluate, and onboard new suppliers , ensuring compliance with organizational requirements. Continuously improve supplier performance by supporting ESG initiatives and quality management audits (ISO/IATF/OH&S/ESG) while promoting best practices across the supplier network. Develop and execute category strategies for Iron and Aluminium Castings , identifying opportunities for cost optimization, risk mitigation, supplier consolidation, and supply continuity What We're Looking For Engineering Graduate in Mechanical / Production / Industrial Engineering. Minimum 15+ years of experience, preferably in Hydraulics, Off-Highway, or Oil & Gas industry Proven experience in procurement and supplier management, with strong capability in executing complex and high-stake negotiations. Strong techno-commercial knowledge with the ability to evaluate supplier proposals, cost structures, and commercial agreements. Systematic and analytical mindset with a focus on continuous improvement and growth. Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and suppliers. Collaborative team player who can build strong internal and external partnerships. What You'll Get from Us We promote from within and support your learning with mentoring, training, and access to global opportunities. You’ll have flexibility, autonomy, and support to do your best work while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Your well-being matters to us. We strive to create an inclusive work environment where people of all backgrounds are respected, and valued for who they are. You’ll receive benefits like 13th salary, annual bonus, paid vacation, pension plans, personal insurance, and more. These vary by country and contract, but they’re worth asking about—we think they’re pretty great. Ready to Make a Difference? If this role excites you, we’d love to hear from you!