SeniorFull TimeEN
Job title: Category Cluster Leader SCALE
Seniority: Senior Director
Based in: Eindhoven / Cambridge
Summary:
As part of building a growth mindset, we are establishing a new Category Cluster role within Direct Procurement covering Software, Cloud, AI, Licensing, and emerging digital technologies (“SCALE”). We are seeking a leader with a strong passion for technology who can set the pace at scale and help deliver better, digitally enabled care to more people.
The Category Cluster Leader SCALE is responsible for leveraging global supply market intelligence to anticipate and capitalize on evolving category trends, driving strategic advantage through optimized sourcing footprints for SCALE. The role leads the conception and execution of advanced process efficiency initiatives, optimizing operations to achieve unparalleled performance levels. The role architects breakthrough category management strategies, optimizes spend management programs and drives superior outcomes through cross-functional synergies. The role executes sophisticated negotiation roadmaps, and ensures operational excellence in supplier selection, contracting, and risk management processes.
You will lead a team of Procurement professionals with deep expertise in SCALE and its supplier ecosystem, alongside Procurement Business Partners embedded within the EI business. You will partner closely with senior stakeholders across R&D and Business Units, supporting both released products and upcoming innovations that rely on SCALE suppliers. Acting as a strategic advisor, you will provide an outside-in perspective to leadership across Philips on existing and potential SCALE suppliers, shaping sourcing decisions and long-term partnerships.
You will also lead a small sub-set of a team who is responsible for direct procurement for the Enterprise Informatics Business Unit. This sub-team is responsible for all procurement aspects of new product introduction and supplier-related activities for product stewardship.
Your role:
Deploys global supply market intelligence to anticipate and capitalize on evolving category trends and technological advancements, optimizing the sourcing footprint to drive strategic advantage for SCALE.
Defines and implements processes to deliver clear and consistent forecasting and reporting of Procurement value, ensuring alignment of financial impacts across organizations in a transparent manner.
Leads strategic sourcing activities for SCALE, including RFx development and execution, Statement of Works and contract drafting, and pricing and appropriate contract negotiations.
Identifies market trends for various spend categories and utilize this knowledge to support internal customers, evaluating financial aspects of key cost drivers using published industry data.
Conducts thorough evaluations of supplier capabilities, performance metrics, and technological innovations through comprehensive competitive assessments and benchmarking, ensuring the engagement of top-tier suppliers.
Architects’ breakthrough category management strategies and programs in collaboration with procurement business partners and cost category managers, leveraging deep insights and cross functional synergies to drive superior outcomes.
Develops and implements global sourcing, distribution & supply chain strategies to consolidate and optimize the vendor base and services, securing the lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and access to the highest levels of service and quality.
Strategizes and oversees the execution of category funnel measures (QxP), orchestrating seamless collaboration among supplier account managers, project managers, cost category managers, and procurement business partners.
Develops and executes sophisticated negotiation roadmaps with suppliers, employing advanced methodologies such as game theory and scalable e-sourcing to optimize outcomes and maximize value.
Ensures operational excellence through supplier selection, contracting, and risk management processes, safeguarding business continuity and mitigating risks across all category-related suppliers.
Manages supplier relationships, performance metrics, and contracting processes with precision, setting clear targets and fostering continuous improvement through regular business review meetings and strategic engagements.
Champions a culture of relentless pursuit of excellence in Design for Excellence (DFX), leveraging deep insights into internal business processes and functional strategies to drive continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
Leads succession planning and comprehensive talent management, driving employee selection, performance management, compensation management, and career development in alignment with organizational operational goals.
You're the right fit if you have:
Minimum 11 years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree or 9 years with a Master’s degree in Strategic Planning, Category Management, Market Analysis, Supplier Negotiations, Portfolio Optimization, or related areas
Minimum 5+ years in Supply Chain Management or related functional areas
Experience leading Software, Cloud, and/or AI development teams
Strong ability to operate and deliver at scale
Solid understanding of cloud commercial models (e.g., AWS)
Recognized as a change agent with a proactive, transformation-driven mindset
Strong stakeholder management with the ability to influence across levels and functions
Effective people leadership and team management skills
Demonstrated business acumen with a strategic mindset
Deep expertise in Category Management and Supplier Relationship Management
Proven track record in Continuous Improvement and Design-to-Cost initiatives
Solid experience in Contract Management, Procurement Policies, and Processes
Strong capabilities in Risk Management and Regulatory Compliance
Expertise in Supplier Evaluation methodologies and Supplier Performance Management (PM)
Skilled in Project Management and end-to-end Supply Chain Management (SCM)
Knowledge of Game Theory to drive effective negotiation strategies is preferred
How we work together
We believe that we are better together than apart. For our office-based teams, this means working in-person at least 3 days per week.
About Philips
We are a health technology company. We built our entire company around the belief that every human matters, and we won't stop until everybody everywhere has access to the quality healthcare that we all deserve. Do the work of your life to help the lives of others.
• Learn more about our business.
• Discover our rich and exciting history.
• Learn more about our purpose.
If you’re interested in this role and have many, but not all, of the experiences needed, we encourage you to apply. You may still be the right candidate for this or other opportunities at Philips. Learn more about our culture of impact with care here.
