Assistant Category Manager
Location: Mumbai

Are you passionate about procurement and would like to expand your career into direct categories on a global stage?

At Svitzer, we are looking for an Assistant Category Manager to join our Group Procurement team in Mumbai. This is a unique opportunity to influence global sourcing, collaborate with international stakeholders, and grow your expertise - all in an inclusive and supportive environment.

About the role

As an Assistant Category Manager, you will report to the Global Category Manager in Copenhagen and support sourcing and management of direct spend categories across our global operations. You will work closely with stakeholders worldwide and support key supplier relationships, providing exposure to direct spend areas and opportunities for career progression within procurement.

Key responsibilities

In this role, you will:

• Category Strategy Support: Contribute to the development and implementation of short-, medium-, and long-term category strategies.
• Market & Spend Analysis: Conduct supplier, market, and spend analyses to provide insights for decision-making.
• Sourcing Support: Assist in preparing and executing sourcing initiatives, including RFI/RFP processes, supplier evaluation, and negotiations.
• Contracting Assistance: Support the source-to-contract process, coordinating with operations, finance, legal, and other functions.
• Supplier Management: Monitor supplier performance and prepare reports to track delivery, cost, and quality outcomes.
• Compliance & Process Support: Help ensure procurement activities are aligned with global standards and Procure-to-Pay (P2P) processes.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with global, regional, and local stakeholders to align category objectives with business needs.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities for efficiency, innovation, and value creation within the category scope.
• Limited travel activity can be expected.

Who we are looking for

We imagine that you bring 3–5 years of experience in procurement or category management, ideally in a multinational and cross-cultural environment. Experience in the maritime sector is a plus but not required.

Key skills include:

• Understanding of direct spend categories (components, maintenance).
• Analytical skills to support sourcing decisions and supplier assessments.
• Experience with contributing to negotiations with suppliers.
• Risk awareness and ability to identify opportunities.
• P2P process knowledge.
• Procurement analytics and data-driven decision making.

In addition, we are looking for a colleague who has:

• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to communicate at all levels of the organization.
• Clear communication and facilitation skills: you can articulate complex ideas, influence stakeholders, and build alignment.
• An agile, proactive, and independent mindset: you thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments and see change as an opportunity to innovate and improve.

If you do not meet every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply - we would love to hear from you.

Why join us?

At Svitzer, you will join a leading global towage operator with 4,000+ colleagues in 35+ countries. And we are committed to building diverse teams and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds

Joining us means:

• Collaborating with international stakeholders and gaining global exposure.
• Opportunities to broaden expertise and grow your career within procurement.
• Being part of an inclusive, diverse, and flexible culture.
• Working in a supportive environment where your ideas and contributions matter.

Deadline: 5 October 2025 - applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Application: Please use the “Apply” button and apply via our recruitment system – upload your CV and motivational letter to take the next step in your global procurement career.

Questions: If you have any questions, please reach out to Johan Spiegelenberg, Global Category Manager at [email protected] (applications sent to this email will not be responded to and will be deleted as per General Data Protection Regulation requirements in Europe).

Building a Diverse Workplace

In Svitzer we value the diversity of our talent and will always strive to recruit the best person for the job – we value diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to gender, age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religious beliefs. We are proud of our diversity and see it as a genuine source of strength for building high performing teams.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that members from some under-represented groups are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t meet every single qualification. At Svitzer we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles, and we are excited about hearing from you!

How to Apply

To apply for this role, please click on the 'Apply Now' button and create a Candidate Home to manage your applications.