Global Category Manager – Electrical, Instrumentation & Flow Items

Every day, we get opportunities to make a positive impact – on our colleagues, partners, customers, and society. Together, we’re pioneering the solutions of the future and unlocking the full potential of precious resources. Trusted to act on initiative, we challenge conventional thinking to develop world-leading technologies that inspire progress in vital areas, including energy, food, water, and shipping.

As we push forward, the innovative, open spirit that fuels our 140-year-old start-up culture and rapid growth also drives our personal growth. So, as we shape a more resourceful, less wasteful world, we build our careers too.

About the job

As Global Strategic Purchaser, you will own and drive the global sourcing strategy for one of Alfa Laval’s sub-commodity groups within Electrical, Instrumentation & Flow Items, with an annual spend responsibility of approximately €50–70M. You will shape the supplier strategy and supply chain to maximize value, secure competitiveness and manage cost, quality, delivery and supply risk.

Working closely with global suppliers, factories, R&D, Product Management and purchasing teams across Alfa Laval, you will influence decisions with a global business impact. The role combines strategic category management, international negotiations and supplier development with the opportunity to shape sourcing for new products and lead critical supply situations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Own and implement the global sourcing strategy for your assigned sub-commodity group.

• Optimize the global supplier base and supply chain to improve cost, quality, delivery and resilience.

• Lead international supplier negotiations and secure robust commercial agreements and contract coverage.

• Drive supplier performance, consolidation and continuous improvement.

• Partner with R&D and Product Management on sourcing for new product development.

• Lead sourcing activities during supply disruptions, quality issues and other supplier-related crises.

• Collaborate with factories, distribution centers, product centers and local and global purchasing teams.

• Ensure supplier compliance with Alfa Laval’s sustainability, regulatory and business requirements.

• Identify and drive opportunities for digitalization, sustainability and continuous improvement.

Who are you

You are a structured, persistent and commercially minded professional who takes ownership and drives things forward, even when priorities change or the path is not fully clear. You build strong relationships naturally and use your network to influence and align stakeholders across cultures, functions and organizational levels. You remain resilient in challenging negotiations or supply situations and are comfortable making decisions without having all the answers. Curious and open to different perspectives, you generate ideas and turn them into action, while knowing when to involve others rather than needing to be the expert in everything.

What you know

To succeed in this role, you combine strong strategic purchasing experience with commercial judgment, international stakeholder management and the ability to operate effectively in a complex technical environment. We believe our ideal candidate has:

• 5–15 years of experience in strategic purchasing, commodity/category management or a similar role, preferably within manufacturing, heavy industry or a related technical environment.

• Proven experience with international supplier negotiations and supplier relationship management.

• Extensive experience working across multiple sites, countries and functions in an international organization.

• Experience managing a complex product or supplier portfolio; experience with electrical, instrumentation, flow or similar technical components is an advantage.

• Strong commercial, analytical and negotiation skills, including experience with contract management.

• Good understanding of relevant manufacturing processes and technical products.

• Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business or a similar field.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

For more information, please contact

Per Fogt Nørup, Global Purchasing Manager at [email protected] or Raquel Herndon, Talent Acquisition Partner at [email protected]

For union information in Lund, please contact: 

Johan Ranhög, Akademikerna, [email protected]

Monica Anderberg, Unionen, [email protected]

Stefan Sandell, Ledarna, [email protected]

For union information in Stockholm, please contact   

Axel Schäring, Akademikerna, [email protected]   

Anders Jansson, Unionen, [email protected]

We are conducting a continuous review of received applications.

We do not accept applications via email, due to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Please send your application no later than September 6th, 2026. We will remove the job advert from our website as soon as we have found the right candidate, so don't wait too long!

As part of Alfa Laval’s commitment to a safe and healthy workplace, we conduct background checks on final candidates for this role; and alcohol and drug testing is applied during the pre‑employment process for candidates in Sweden.

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