Global Category Director – Chemicals

About the role

The Global Category Director – Chemicals will join the Procurement Centre of Excellence in Root, Switzerland, reporting to senior leadership. This senior strategic position oversees a worldwide portfolio that includes chemicals, supply‑chain and raw‑material categories, driving value creation and governance across multiple business units.

Key responsibilities

• Define and own the global strategy and long‑term roadmap for the assigned category portfolio, aligning with divisional and regional priorities.
• Lead, coach and develop a team of Global Category Leads, setting clear objectives and fostering strategic thinking in a matrix environment.
• Enforce standardized governance, sourcing, contracting and risk‑management processes to achieve harmonisation and scale.
• Deliver financial savings, productivity gains, risk mitigation, innovation and ESG impact through data‑driven insights.
• Act as the primary procurement interface with executive leadership across Operations, Finance, R&D and regional units.
• Contribute to the maturity of the Procurement CoE by championing capability initiatives, digital tools and best practices.

Required profile

• Master’s degree or higher in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business Administration, Engineering or a related field.
• 10+ years of procurement and category‑management experience in a global, matrix organisation.
• Proven ability to lead high‑performing teams and balance strategic vision with operational execution.
• Exceptional communication skills with credibility at senior‑executive level.
• Fluent in English; additional languages such as Spanish or Italian are a plus.

Required skills

• Experience with e‑sourcing platforms.
• Advanced analytics and data‑driven decision‑making.