{"id":1173499,"url":"https://alion.io/job/kone-installation-category-purchasing-manager-eastern-europe-mediterranean","title":"Installation Category Purchasing Manager – Eastern Europe & Mediterranean","company":{"id":7398,"name":"KONE","domain":"kone.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/kone","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":81,"open_postings":174,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.943,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":20,"computed_at":"2026-09-24T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"Operations","role_family":"Operations","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Budapest, Hungary","Zagreb, Croatia","Warsaw, Poland","Prague, Czech Republic","Bratislava, Slovakia"],"countries":["HU","HR","PL","CZ","SK"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-24T09:30:43Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-24","last_verified_at":"2026-09-25T02:59:10Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":0,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":0},"description":"Installation Category Purchasing Manager - Eastern Europe & Mediterranean\nThe Installation Category Purchasing Manager - Eastern Europe & Mediterranean is responsible for developing and executing sourcing and category management strategies for installation services across the assigned region.\nThe role works closely with Frontline (FL) business functions, Delivery Operations, project teams, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to identify sourcing opportunities, secure competitive supplier capacity, negotiate and implement contracts, and ensure cost-efficient, high-quality, safe, and compliant installation solutions.\nWorking in close partnership with Global and Area Category Managers, the role contributes to the implementation and localization of category strategies across markets. The Installation Category Purchasing Manager acts as a strategic business partner, driving value creation, supplier performance, operational excellence, and supply continuity across the region.\nKey Responsibilities\nCategory Strategy & Business Support\nDevelop and execute installation category sourcing strategies aligned with regional and business objectives.\nContribute to the implementation of global, area, and regional category strategies across assigned markets.\nAlign procurement activities with business plans, demand forecasts, project pipelines, and delivery requirements.\nIdentify opportunities for harmonization, standardization, productivity improvement, and value creation across countries and business units.\nEnsure early procurement involvement in bids, tenders, major projects, and new business opportunities.\nProvide market intelligence and commercial insights to support business and procurement decision-making.\nSupplier & Contract Management\nDevelop, qualify, and maintain a competitive and capable installation supplier network across the region.\nEnsure sufficient subcontractor capacity to meet current and future business demand.\nLead supplier selection, RFQs/RFPs, tenders, commercial negotiations, and contract implementation.\nEstablish and maintain strong strategic relationships with key installation partners.\nManage supplier performance and lead resolution of critical or escalated supplier issues.\nDrive supplier development initiatives to improve capability, capacity, quality, safety, and delivery performance.\nCost & Performance Management\nDrive cost competitiveness, productivity improvements, and sustainable savings across installation services.\nDevelop and maintain commercial models, pricing structures, cost benchmarks, and market comparisons.\nIdentify and implement opportunities to optimize installation costs while maintaining quality, safety, and delivery standards.\nDefine, monitor, and improve supplier and category KPIs covering cost, quality, delivery, capacity, productivity, and safety.\nTrack and report category performance, savings, and procurement targets.\nSupport forecasting and budgeting activities related to installation procurement.\nStakeholder Management\nAct as the primary procurement business partner for Delivery Operations, Business Lines, Safety, Finance, Legal, Project Management, and other relevant stakeholders.\nTranslate business requirements into effective sourcing strategies and supplier solutions.\nBuild strong relationships with stakeholders across countries and business functions.\nFacilitate collaboration between local, regional, area, and global procurement teams.\nPromote procurement value and ensure alignment between commercial objectives and operational requirements.\nRisk, Compliance & Continuous Improvement\nMonitor installation market developments, supplier capacity, cost trends, and industry developments.\nIdentify and mitigate supplier, capacity, commercial, operational, and supply continuity risks.\nEnsure compliance with procurement policies, contractual requirements, governance standards, and sustainability objectives.\nSupport supplier compliance with relevant quality, safety, environmental, and ethical requirements.\nDrive continuous improvement in sourcing processes, supplier performance, contract management, and procure-to-pay maturity.\nIdentify opportunities to improve procurement efficiency through standardization, digitalization, and data-driven decision-making.\nLeadership Responsibilities\nProvide functional leadership and guidance to category specialists and procurement team members, where applicable.\nLead cross-functional procurement initiatives across the assigned region or Front Line.\nPromote a collaborative, high-performance, customer-focused procurement culture.\nShare best practices and support capability development across the procurement organization.\nQualifications & Experience\nBachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.\nProven experience in strategic sourcing, category management, procurement, subcontracting, or supplier management.\nExperience managing installation services, construction, field operations, technical services, or subcontractor networks is strongly preferred.\nStrong commercial and negotiation skills, with proven experience managing complex supplier relationships and contracts.\nStrong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively across multiple countries and business functions.\nAnalytical and data-driven approach, with the ability to translate market and cost information into actionable sourcing strategies.\nExperience working in an international or multi-country environment.\nStrong communication skills and fluency in English; additional regional languages are an advantage.\nWillingness to travel across the assigned region when required.\nKey Competencies\nStrategic sourcing and category management\nCommercial and negotiation expertise\nSupplier relationship and performance management\nStakeholder engagement and influencing\nBusiness and financial acumen\nRisk management and problem solving\nData-driven decision making\nContinuous improvement mindset\nCross-cultural collaboration\nLeadership and change management\nSuccess Measures\nSuccess in this role will be measured through:\nSavings and value creation delivered across the installation category\nSupplier capacity and supply continuity in line with business demand\nSupplier quality, delivery, productivity, and safety performance\nContract coverage, compliance, and commercial effectiveness\nStakeholder satisfaction and quality of business support\nSuccessful execution of strategic sourcing and procurement projects\nEffective supplier and category risk mitigation\nImproved procurement process efficiency and P2P maturity\nContribution to regional and global category strategy implementation\nContinuous improvement in the overall competitiveness and performance of the installation supplier base\nWhy Join Us?\nThis is a high-impact regional procurement role with the opportunity to shape the installation supplier landscape across Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. You will work at the intersection of procurement, operations, and business strategy, influencing supplier performance and creating measurable value for the organization while contributing to safer, more efficient, and more sustainable installation operations.\nAt KONE, we are focused on creating an innovative and collaborative working culture where we value the contribution of each individual. Employee engagement is a key focus area for us and we encourage participation and the sharing of information and ideas. Sustainability is an integral part of our culture and the daily practice. We follow ethical business practices and we seek to develop a culture of working together where co-workers trust and respect each other and good performance is recognized. In being a great place to work, we are proud to offer a range of experiences and opportunities that will help you to achieve your career and personal goals and enable you to live a healthy and balanced life.\nRead more on https://kone.com/global/en/careers.html","description_format":"text","description_chars":8023,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[{"language":"English","level":"Advanced (C1)","optional":false}]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-24T09:30:43Z"}],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":0,"expected_fill_days":20,"reasons":["conf:1","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-09-25T04:25:10Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/kone-installation-category-purchasing-manager-eastern-europe-mediterranean","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/kone-installation-category-purchasing-manager-eastern-europe-mediterranean.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-09-25T04:25:10Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":4761,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":239,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-09-26T00:00:00Z"}}}