Category Buyer – Electromechanical (ETO)

At Schneider Electric, our Global Engineering-to-Order (G-ETO) business is one of the fastest-growing areas of the company, delivering approximately 20% year-on-year growth driven by the rapid expansion of data centers and critical energy infrastructure. As a Category Buyer, you will join the European Procurement organization and play a key role in securing the best Quality, Cost, and Delivery (QCD) performance across a strategic portfolio of suppliers supporting our European manufacturing operations. You will manage suppliers within the Electromechanical category, driving procurement excellence, supplier performance, productivity initiatives, and sustainability ambitions while ensuring business continuity and operational success.

What Will You Do?

Drive Sourcing Excellence

• Execute supplier strategies and contractual agreements in line with the global category strategy.

• Deliver annual objectives related to productivity, supplier quality, delivery performance, sustainability, and contract coverage.

• Build and maintain strong supplier partnerships while developing a competitive and sustainable supplier base.

• Monitor supplier performance and implement corrective actions when required.

Lead Supplier Management & Negotiations

• Manage end-to-end RFQ processes and ensure supplier selection aligns with category and business objectives.

• Lead commercial negotiations to secure the best value and support supplier consolidation initiatives.

• Identify and mitigate supply chain, operational, and business continuity risks.

• Act as the primary escalation point for supplier-related issues and crisis management situations.

Deliver Productivity & Technical Improvements

• Identify and implement cost reduction and value creation opportunities through initiatives such as: Quality Value Engineering (QVE), Supplier optimization, Design-to-cost improvements.

• Partner with Engineering, Business Units, Productivity Leaders, and suppliers to deliver innovation and productivity projects.

• Champion continuous improvement initiatives that enhance quality, competitiveness, and operational efficiency.

Contribute to Global Procurement Initiatives

• Lead strategic supplier initiatives and global negotiations for assigned suppliers.

• Conduct should-cost analyses and support lean transformation programs.

• Ensure procurement systems, databases, and reporting tools are maintained accurately.

• Collaborate closely with Category Managers and Global Procurement Services to support strategic decision-making.

What Are We Looking For?

Experience & Education

• Master's degree preferred in Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement, Business, or a related field.

• Proven experience in strategic sourcing, category management, and supplier relationship management.

• Strong understanding of: cost analysis, value engineering, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) methodologies, supply chain and quality management processes.

• Experience working with electromechanical commodities is highly desirable, including:

  • Cables
  • Connectors
  • Wiring harnesses
  • Fasteners
  • Hardware components

• Demonstrated project management experience in a complex, cross-functional environment.

• Fluent English language skills.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong negotiation and influencing skills.

• Excellent stakeholder and supplier relationship management capabilities.

• Solid understanding of contract management, supplier risk management and commercial terms and conditions

• Ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all organizational levels, including senior leadership.

• Strong analytical mindset with excellent problem-solving skills.

• High level of digital literacy and familiarity with procurement systems and tools.

• Results-oriented with strong ownership and accountability.

• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong cross-cultural awareness and experience working in international and virtual teams.

• Effective communication and collaboration skills.

Why Join Us?

This role offers the opportunity to shape sourcing strategies, lead strategic supplier partnerships, and make a direct impact on business performance through innovation, cost optimization, risk management, and sustainability initiatives across a global organization. You will work in a dynamic international environment, collaborating with cross-functional teams and contributing to the success of our European manufacturing operations.

Benefits:

• Yearly bonus

• Medicover White Spring medical package

• Life & accident insurance

• Cafeteria allowance

• Hybrid and flexible working model

• Voluntary health & pension fund contributions

• Home-office allowances

• Global Family Leave Package supporting work–life balance

• WESOP – World Employee Share Ownership Plan, enabling you to become a shareholder

• The opportunity to work at a company ranked #1 in TIME World’s Most Sustainable Companies (2025)

• An international, diverse environment with a culture that encourages questions, ideas, and making an impact

At Schneider, we believe that every employee is a talent who deserves equal opportunities. This means you matter. Every individual needs to feel valued, supported, and treated fairly to do their best work. Our Total Rewards is our way of saying: “We see you. We value you”. It’s more than just pay and benefits- it’s a meaningful investment in you. It is designed for you to perform, grow, feel safe, and elevate your potential to shine as an impact maker.

Schneider Electric is there when it matters most to you

Our Total Rewards package outlines all the benefits and support you’ll enjoy as part of the Schneider Electric team:

Care for Yourself and Your Family. We ensure you feel secure with benefits that help you and your family thrive: health and life insurance, paid time off, parental and care leave, flexible work options, support for chronic conditions, and confidential counseling for life’s challenges.

Invest and Plan Your Future. We help you plan and invest for the future with competitive pay and programs: your base salary, short-term incentives or sales incentives, opportunities to own company shares, and pension saving matching contribution.

Grow Your Skills and Career. We commit to helping you grow with ongoing performance and development conversations, Senior Talent Program, global career opportunities, access to our Schneider Career Hub for new positions, projects, and mentors, and learning platforms like Coursera to equip you with the skills for today and tomorrow.

Team Up in the Workplace. We encourage teaming up through project opportunities on the Schneider Career Hub, smart ways to collaborate, celebrating contributions via a recognition program, sharing your voice in our engagement survey, and fostering an inclusive, caring workplace.

Support Your Community. We make a difference in your community with volunteer leave, programs through the Schneider Electric Foundation, and initiatives that support youth education.

Looking to make an IMPACT with your career?

When you are thinking about joining a new team, culture matters. At Schneider Electric, our values and behaviors are the foundation for creating a great culture to support business success. We believe that our IMPACT values – Inclusion, Mastery, Purpose, Action, Curiosity, Teamwork – starts with us. IMPACT is also your invitation to join Schneider Electric where you can contribute to turning sustainability ambition into actions, no matter what role you play. It is a call to connect your career with the ambition of achieving a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable world. We are looking for IMPACT Makers; exceptional people who turn sustainability ambitions into actions at the intersection of automation, electrification, and digitization. We celebrate IMPACT Makers and believe everyone has the potential to be one. Become an IMPACT Maker with Schneider Electric – apply today!

• €40 billion global revenue

• +9% organic growth

• 150 000+ employees in 100+ countries

You must submit an online application to be considered for any position with us. This position will be posted until filled. Schneider Electric aspires to be the most inclusive and caring company in the world, by providing equitable opportunities to everyone, everywhere, and ensuring all employees feel uniquely valued and safe to contribute their best. We mirror the diversity of the communities in which we operate, and ‘inclusion’ is one of our core values. We believe our differences make us stronger as a company and as individuals and we are committed to championing inclusivity in everything we do. At Schneider Electric, we uphold the highest standards of ethics and compliance, and we believe that trust is a foundational value. Our Trust Charter is our Code of Conduct and demonstrates our commitment to ethics, safety, sustainability, quality and cybersecurity, underpinning every aspect of our business and our willingness to behave and respond respectfully and in good faith to all our stakeholders. You can find out more about our Trust Charter here Schneider Electric is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities in the areas of recruiting, hiring, training, transferring, and promoting all qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, color, gender, disability, national origin, ancestry, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristic or conduct.