Category Sourcing Manager Ocean Freight

Job Title

Job Description

Take global ownership of Philips' Ocean Freight category and help shape how our supply chain moves across regions. In this strategic role, you will combine category strategy with hands-on execution, lead major sourcing and negotiation programs, and influence senior stakeholders and regional colleagues across Europe, the Americas, and APAC.

You will work in a global category environment. The direct team is based in Europe, with category representatives in the Americas and APAC operating through a dotted-line structure. This role has no direct reports, but you will guide and coordinate colleagues across regions and engage a broad group of senior and cross-functional stakeholders.

Your role:

• Develop and execute global ocean freight category strategies aligned with business and supply chain priorities.
• Lead major sourcing programs, commercial negotiations, and contract management activities with shipping lines, freight forwarders, and logistics providers.
• Manage strategic supplier relationships and governance programs to drive performance, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Monitor market dynamics, capacity trends, geopolitical developments, and cost drivers to identify risks and opportunities.
• Deliver measurable value through cost optimization, process improvement, network efficiencies, and supplier performance management.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders on business-critical initiatives, including network optimization, sustainability programs, and New Product Introduction (NPI) projects.
• Support supply chain resilience through proactive risk management and strategic capacity planning.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on logistics market developments and procurement strategy.

You're the right fit if:

• You hold Bachelor's/ Master's Degree in Business, Procurement, Supply Chain Management or equivalent.
• You have strong ocean freight category and market knowledge, including an understanding of how the market operates.
• You have proven min 5 years of experience negotiating major commercial contracts.
• You can contribute original ideas to category strategy and translate strategy into effective execution.
• You communicate and present confidently to a broad range of senior stakeholders and can clearly defend your recommendations.
• You can influence and persuade stakeholders whose priorities may not always be aligned, including without direct authority.
• You work independently, define your own approach, drive activities forward, and require minimal supervision.
• You are ambitious, confident, and comfortable guiding colleagues across Europe, the Americas, and APAC through a dotted-line model.
• You bring international and multicultural experience and can work effectively in English as the common business language.
• You ideally bring game theory or Nego/negotiation-excellence knowledge, strong analytical and Excel capabilities, tender experience, logistics experience, or additional regional market exposure.

Compensation & Benefits

Doing meaningful work should come with fair, transparent rewards. The base salary range for this role is €78,187.00- €130,312.00. We determine pay within the range using objective factors, like the skills the role requires, your relevant experience and the responsibility you'll have in this role, alongside internal equity and local market considerations. This role is eligible for annual incentive, with your rewards linked to KPIs/company results. We’ll share the full approach with you during the interview process, so you can make a clear, informed decision.

Benefits include:

• Health and well-being programs: to support you mentally and physically, allowing you to stay energized and be your best at work and beyond;
• Career growth: access to a wide range of tools and resources to further your career, including a personal development budget, training and coaching;
• Annual leave: 25 days with the option of purchasing up to 20 extra days per year;
• Financial incentive: individual bonus based on personal performance and/or Philips' annual results;
• Additional benefits: solid company pension scheme, attractive collective health insurance package and opportunity to buy Philips shares and products with a discount.

How we work together

We believe that we are better together than apart. For our office-based teams, this means working in-person at least 3 days per week. Onsite roles require full-time presence in the company’s facilities. Field roles are most effectively done outside of the company’s main facilities, generally at the customers’ or suppliers’ locations.

About Philips

Are you ready to do the work of your life to help the lives of others? Learn more about our business, discover our rich and exciting history and learn more about our purpose.

If you’re interested in this role and have many, but not all, of the experiences needed, we encourage you to apply. You may still be the right candidate for this or other opportunities at Philips. Learn more about our culture of impact with care.