EMEA Category Manager

At Quaker Houghton, we make the essentials of everyday life possible and enable innovative approaches for a positive future. Our customers include the world's most advanced and specialized automotive, steel, aluminum, aerospace, offshore, can and mining companies. Based in every corner of the world, our people are passionate about what we do.

As the
EMEA Category Manager
, you will develop and implement a vision, strategy, and tactical plan for your assigned category, supported by a robust management platform. You will be responsible for maximizing supplier value through optimal sourcing strategies, efficient resource deployment, and strong alignment with our Procurement Leadership Team.

This role reports to the Manager, Direct Procurement EMEA, and involves close collaboration with global counterparts across Quaker Houghton.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the practical adoption of the cross-functional Category Management process to deliver purchasing strategies for your assigned category and sub-categories.
• Create, communicate, and maintain global category strategies for direct materials, managing up to $50M in spend.
• Develop and execute negotiation strategies, conduct RFx processes, analyze results, and present comprehensive strategies and outcomes to senior management and key stakeholders to ensure business alignment.
• Oversee supplier selection and performance management, ensuring alignment with category strategy, business objectives, and company policies.
• Proactively segment suppliers and implement engagement programs to enhance performance, achieve business goals, and maintain strategic alignment with senior procurement leaders and stakeholders.
• Stay current with world-class supply chain practices to ensure our processes are benchmarked against industry excellence.
• Collaborate with global and regional teams to allocate resources to prioritized projects.
• Encourage continuous improvement in category management processes and lead implementation initiatives in partnership with the Supply Analysis & Improvement team.
• Deliver structural cost savings, supplier rationalization, contract implementation, DPO enhancement, and other key performance indicators to meet or exceed targets.

What Are We Looking For?

• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing and contracting within the chemical, food, pharmaceutical, or cosmetics industries.
• Proven track record in developing and executing strategic sourcing plans, ideally within a global procurement matrix organization.
• Professional proficiency in English is required.
• Location: Must be within reasonable commuting distance to one of our sites in Spain –
  Barbera del Vallès
  or
  Santa Perpètua de Mogoda.

What do we offer?

• Hybrid working arrangement for better work-life balance
• Competitive pay with bonus opportunities
• Health insurance, Pension plan and other additional benefits
• Vacation days as per "Convenio Colectivo General de la Industria Química" additional to the local official holidays
• 2 annual days paid volunteering leave to dedicate to the cause of your choice
• Access to real career growth opportunities in Procurement, Supply Chain or other related areas of interest, in an international environment where autonomy and initiative are expected.
• QH University: Continuous training tools for all seniority levels.
• DEI and Recognition initiatives such as Women in Manufacturing, Next Gen and PRIDE CRGs and our Global Giving and Impact Awards programs.

About Us

We are the global leader in industrial process fluids present in 40+ countries continually improving and innovating so the world's steel, aluminum, automotive, aircraft, machinery and industrial parts manufacturers can stay ahead in a changing world. Throughout our 100+ locations, our chemists, engineers and industry experts partner with our customers to continually improve their operations so they can run even more efficiently, even more effectively, whatever comes next.

Our values: Live Safe, Exceed Customer Expectations, Drive Results, Embrace Diversity, Do Great Things Together, Act with integrity.

Our core values embody who we are as a company, guide our decisions and inspire us. Our commitment to these values, in words and actions, builds a safer, stronger Quaker Houghton. They are the fundamental beliefs that guide our internal conduct and our relationship with the outside world.

Join the team and find your future