Global Category Lead - Professional Services; m​/w​/x

Role Overview

The Procurement Category Lead is responsible for developing and implementing Strategic Sourcing Strategies for Indirect goods and/or services within a defined portfolio of CSL Enterprise‑wide spends. The role is accountable for securing maximum value from the external spend of $300M+, creating competitive advantage, delivering year‑on‑year multi‑million‑dollar savings, mitigating associated risks, implementing supplier relationship management, identifying innovation, and protecting CSL through robust contractual negotiations.

The lead is a Global SME for categories such as Finance, Supply Chain, Legal, and Strategy Consultancy, and is responsible for senior‑level stakeholder engagement and alignment plans. The role also provides guidance to the Sourcing Managers within the team.

• Risk management.
• Training and development.
• Market intelligence sharing.
• Support change initiatives.
• Stakeholder engagement.

• Category strategy development
  :
  Develop and implement effective category strategies aligned with organizational priorities and objectives; analyze spending, market trends, and supply risks to manage procurement activities for cost efficiency and optimal supplier performance.
• Supplier relationship management
  :
  Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, facilitate performance reviews, establish supplier performance KPIs, manage risks and continuity planning.
• Execute sourcing and procurement activities
  :
  Engage with internal stakeholders to align procurement initiatives and saving opportunities; ensure compliance with procurement policies, governance frameworks and ethical sourcing standards; maintain accurate documentation and reporting; lead tendering, negotiations, and contract awards for activities over $500K; drive total cost of ownership improvements, cost reduction, and value creation.
• Monitor performance
  :
  Monitor category performance using KPIs and provide insights to the Category Director and key stakeholders across Commercial and Finance.
• Cost analysis and budget management
  :
  Conduct detailed cost analysis and benchmarking to identify savings opportunities; monitor and report category performance against budget using KPIs and data‑driven insights to support cost optimization and compliance.
• Stakeholder collaboration
  :
  Partner with internal stakeholders (Enabling Functions, Finance, Legal, etc.) to translate business requirements into sourcing and contracting strategies; act as the primary procurement point of contact for assigned categories.

Bachelor’s degree in business, Supply Chain, or a related discipline; professional certification (e.g., CIPS) preferred.

• Minimum 5+ years’ experience in procurement, sourcing, or category management roles.
• Demonstrated success in developing category strategies and managing supplier relationships.
• Experience in performance monitoring, risk management, and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Experience in multi‑site organizations.
• Fluency in English and German.

20% travel expected.

CSL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please visit