Position location: You will be able to work remotely, from your home location, located in the United States
PURPOSE AND SCOPE:
The Global Category Leader is responsible for developing and executing procurement and program strategies for Travel, Mobility, and Meetings & Events in support of Fresenius Medical Care’s One Procurement strategy. This role leads global category management, strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, contracting, and supplier performance management, while also maintaining operational accountability for key areas of spend.
The position partners closely with cross-functional stakeholders to deliver integrated, data-driven solutions that balance cost optimization, service quality, compliance, and user experience. The role drives continuous improvement across global programs, establishes scalable operating models, and ensures alignment with best-in-class industry practices.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Drive, develop, and implement multi-year category strategies across Travel, Mobility, and Meetings & Events, including demand aggregation, channel strategy, supplier segmentation, and risk management.
- Maintain oversight of global day-to-day operations while structuring and standardizing processes to improve efficiency, scalability, and service delivery across regions.
- Lead and develop a global team aligned with category management objectives, fostering accountability, capability building, and consistent execution.
- Define and implement global policies and standards while enabling regional flexibility where appropriate to meet business needs.
- Establish and manage a high-performing supplier ecosystem (e.g., TMC, airlines, hotels, mobility providers, meetings agencies), ensuring strong commercial outcomes, service quality, and innovation.
- Lead complex negotiations, including global agreements, rate structures, and performance-based contracts; ensure enforcement of contractual terms, including audit rights and compliance mechanisms.
- Drive supplier performance management through structured governance, including regular business reviews, KPI tracking, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Own and advance data-driven decision making across the category, including development of dashboards, KPIs, and reporting to provide visibility into spend, performance, compliance, and opportunities.
- Integrate advanced analytics and emerging technologies, including AI-enabled insights, to optimize demand, improve forecasting, and enhance decision quality.
- Identify and execute opportunities to optimize spend, reduce cost, improve service levels, and mitigate risk through standardization, consolidation, and innovation.
- Lead or support global sourcing initiatives and RFx processes, including supplier evaluation, total cost of ownership analysis, and “should cost” modeling.
- Collaborate with Finance, HR, Legal, and business stakeholders to align category strategies with organizational objectives and ensure adoption of global programs.
- Drive internal engagement and communication strategies to increase program awareness, compliance, and overall procurement maturity.
- Continuously monitor market trends, supplier capabilities, and industry innovations; represent the organization in external forums and networks to bring best-in-class insights into the category.
- Ensure sustainability, diversity, and risk management principles are embedded into category strategies and supplier selection processes.
- Support broader mobility-related categories as needed, maintaining flexibility to align with evolving organizational structures.
- Champion the use of procurement tools, eSourcing platforms, and spend visibility systems to drive efficiency, transparency, and compliance.
- Demonstrate the highest ethical standards and ensure adherence to Fresenius policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:
- The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Regularly travels between locations primarily during the business day, although some out-of-the-area and overnight travel may be expected.
- This position requires approximately 25% to 40% travel.
SUPERVISION:
- May be responsible for the direct supervision of various levels of Procurement and Materials Management staff.
- Supervise and approve strategic sourcing decisions, as well as approve all major contract negotiations for respective category spend; support and coach direct report staff in negotiating large dollar and complicated contracts. Eliminate barriers and resolve escalated procurement issues. Assertively champion a culture of continuous improvement within the Procurement department.
- Identifies, recruits, and actively develops skills and competencies required for the future organization. Develops their successor and successors within the Purchasing organization for all levels of management and key individual contributor roles - coach subordinate managers in the delivery of performance feedback and career management for their reports.
EDUCATION AND REQUIRED CREDENTIALS:
- Bachelor's Degree required
EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS:
Fresenius Medical Care maintains a drug-free workplace in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.
Fresenius Medical Care is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, national origin, age, disability, military service, or other non-merit-based factors