Category Manager, Direct Materials Procurement

A Career at HARMAN

As a technology leader that is rapidly on the move HARMAN is filled with people who are focused on making life better. Innovation inclusivity and teamwork are a part of our DNA. When you add that to the challenges we take on and solve together youll discover that at HARMAN you can grow make a difference and be proud of the work you do every day.

Do you want to work for some of the worlds leading audio brands Become a part of the HARMAN team and get to work for JBL and Harman/Kardon.

By joining HARMAN youll dive headfirst into the exciting world of headphones portable speakers party boxes and other audio technologies and contribute to the success of Harman Lifestyle EMEA business. The consumer audio industry is fast paced fun and dynamic and were looking for someone who is proactive loves to work with a lot of different stakeholders from all over Europe and has creative ideas.

You will join our global Supply Chain department in Budapest Hungary in the position of:

Category Manager Direct Materials Procurement

A Career at HARMAN Lifestyle

Were a global multi-disciplinary team thats putting the innovative power of technology to work and transforming tomorrow. As a member of HARMAN Lifestyle you connect consumers with the power of superior sound.

• Contribute your talents to high-end esteemed brands like JBL Mark Levinson and Revel.
• Unite your passion for audio innovation with high-tech product development.
• Create pitch-perfect cutting-edge technology that elevates the listening experience.

About the Role:

This is a highvisibility handson role with direct impact on our global supply chain and executive decisionmaking. The Category Manager Strategic Procurement will operate at the intersection of technology operations and business strategy while regularly engaging with executives key suppliers and crossfunctional teams worldwide. You will lead transformational initiatives that reshape our procurement model modernize processes elevate supplier capabilities and drive digital and operational excellence across the organization. This role is ideal for a future leader who thrives in dynamic fastpaced environments and is energized by building influencing and delivering meaningful change at scale.

What You Will Do:

• Manage end-to-end strategic sourcing and procurement processes.
• Define implement and refine a global endtoend procurement strategy aligned with Engineering Product Sales Manufacturing and Quality.
• Translate corporate and supply chain priorities into actionable procurement roadmaps category plans and supplier capability development.
• Lead category strategies for electronics systems and mechanical/electromechanical components.
• Conduct makeorbuy analysis cost modeling BOM teardown and value engineering.
• Oversee NPI sourcing from concept through production driving early supplier involvement and designtocost.
• Identify qualify and select suppliers based on capability cost risk and scalability.
• Lead pricing contract and NRE negotiations and manage longterm agreements.
• Drive supplier performance through KPIs and run executive reviews and multiyear development plans.
• Maintain a global supply risk framework covering geopolitical financial capacity and quality risks.
• Collaborate with Supplier Quality and Engineering on readiness PPAP/APQP and compliance.
• Ensure adherence to governance legal and regulatory requirements.
• Drive productivity pipelines and annual cost improvements.
• Apply value engineering spec optimization consolidation shouldcost analysis and supply base optimization.
• Optimize total landed cost: logistics duties MOQs tooling and regional sourcing.
• Partner with Engineering and Product teams on design material choices and technology roadmaps.
• Align category and commodity strategies with future product plans.
• Ensure early procurement involvement to validate cost and supply feasibility.
• Lead and develop global teams across sourcing supplier quality risk cost engineering and procurement operations.
• Build capabilities in digital procurement analytics supplier innovation and advanced sourcing.
• Promote a culture of accountability transparency and datadriven decisionmaking.
• Drive adoption of digital procurement tools automation analytics and AIenabled sourcing.
• Enhance procurement maturity with standardization governance and category excellence.
• Support ESG sustainability and responsible sourcing initiatives.

What You Need to Be Successful:

• Bachelors degree with a preference forbusiness administration or economics
• Progressively responsible and successful experience in global procurement organizations
• At least 10 years of experience in strategic sourcing cost analysis and supply chain optimization of technical plastics metal parts and/or mechanical subassemblies for non-automotive industrial use.
• Seniority and independence to negotiate with managing directors / owners / sales managers as peers
• Have a solid understanding of the procurement process and skills to lead category management activity globally.
• Excellent analytics and presentation skills experience with data visualization tools like SAP BI or Qlik.
• Excellent interpersonal organizational verbal and written communication skills required in Hungarian and English with experience operating across global teams in a multi-cultural environment.

Bonus Points if You Have:

• Knowledge of modern procurement tools such as SAP iValua Ariba
• Previous experience with analytics tools like BI Qlik Sense

What makes you eligible

• Willingness to work in a hybrid model with at least two days per month at the office
• Willingness to travel regionally

What We Offer:

• HARMAN is offering a unique opportunity for growth and development in the dynamic and exciting world of consumer and professional electronics.
• We provide a flexible work schedule that allows you to work from home.
• At HARMAN we value diversity and inclusivity and foster a friendly and supportive global working atmosphere. We believe in investing in our employees through career development opportunities professional training and competitive market-based compensation. As part of our commitment to employee well-being we also offer a commuter travel package environment allowance and interesting collective health insurance scheme pension and employee discounts on world-class HARMAN/Samsung products (JBL HARMAN Kardon AKG etc.).
• As a HARMAN employee you will have access to professional development opportunities through HARMAN Universitys business and leadership academies internal talent management leadership acceleration programs and our Be Brilliant employee recognition and rewards program.

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HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard torace religion color national origin gender (including pregnancy childbirth or related medical conditions) sexual orientation gender identity gender expression age status as a protected veteran status as an individual with a disability or other applicable legally protected characteristics.