Senior Category Manager

About the role:

As part of structuring the Purchasing function, DataOne is recruiting a Senior Category Manager EMEA. Reporting to the Purchasing Director, you will drive the build-out of a core category and a subset of EMEA capex categories assigned according to your expertise (HV/LV electrical, mechanical and cooling, energy and backup power, services and indirects). You will manage the operational buyers who execute the transactional flow, and in the start-up phase you will personally handle the flow before delegating as recruitment progresses. Based in France, you will remain close to EMEA projects and strategic suppliers. The exact scope of categories will be confirmed with the Purchasing Director on entry.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead category strategy across your scope: category plan, supplier panel, should-cost and framework agreements, with priority on the build-out.
• Launch tenders (RFQs) with a systematic second quote, without exception, and negotiate price, terms and lead times, particularly for long lead times.
• Manage the operational buyers: distribute workload, track performance, define each buyer's individual scope, with no informal lead.
• Ensure the team applies internal controls: no order without a validated request, no payment without order and receipt, no self-approval.
• Develop the team's skills and category expertise, ensure onboarding, and recruit buyers with the Purchasing Director as the workload grows.
• Identify and qualify leading suppliers, conduct negotiations, and manage supplier audits and performance tracking.
• Secure the supply chain: anticipate equipment needs, reduce single-source risks, develop dual-sourcing strategies.
• Contribute to the digitalisation of purchasing via Odoo, keep data up to date and track KPIs (savings, lead times, budget adherence).
• Collaborate with engineering on technical specifications and with project management on project gates.
• Escalate appropriately: any action or communication leaving the purchasing team goes through the Purchasing Director beforehand.

What we are looking for:

• Minimum 10 years in industrial purchasing, ideally capital equipment, data centres or heavy industrial construction (critical environments), with genuine construction experience.
• Proven experience managing and developing a team of operational buyers.
• Ability to lead one or more technical categories (construction, electrical, mechanical and cooling, energy) at should-cost and supplier challenge level.
• Mastery of Kraljic segmentation, TCO and review of complex technical contracts (framework agreements, late-delivery penalties, warranties).
• Ability to read a civil engineering, electrical or MEP specification and challenge a should-cost.
• Project purchasing in a capex environment, management of long lead times and Incoterms.
• Proficiency in a purchasing ERP, Odoo an advantage.
• Fluent French and English (EMEA and international supplier exchanges).
• Senior autonomy and political acumen: navigates a multi-stakeholder environment without overstepping and escalates appropriately.
• Ownership and managerial example: carries files through end to end, sets and maintains the framework for their team.