Installation Category Purchasing Manager – Eastern Europe & Mediterranean

The Installation Category Purchasing Manager – Eastern Europe & Mediterranean is responsible for developing and executing sourcing and category management strategies for installation services across the assigned region.

The role works closely with Frontline (FL) business functions, Delivery Operations, project teams, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to identify sourcing opportunities, secure competitive supplier capacity, negotiate and implement contracts, and ensure cost-efficient, high-quality, safe, and compliant installation solutions.

Working in close partnership with Global and Area Category Managers, the role contributes to the implementation and localization of category strategies across markets. The Installation Category Purchasing Manager acts as a strategic business partner, driving value creation, supplier performance, operational excellence, and supply continuity across the region.

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Business Support

• Develop and execute installation category sourcing strategies aligned with regional and business objectives.

• Contribute to the implementation of global, area, and regional category strategies across assigned markets.

• Align procurement activities with business plans, demand forecasts, project pipelines, and delivery requirements.

• Identify opportunities for harmonization, standardization, productivity improvement, and value creation across countries and business units.

• Ensure early procurement involvement in bids, tenders, major projects, and new business opportunities.

• Provide market intelligence and commercial insights to support business and procurement decision-making.

Supplier & Contract Management

• Develop, qualify, and maintain a competitive and capable installation supplier network across the region.

• Ensure sufficient subcontractor capacity to meet current and future business demand.

• Lead supplier selection, RFQs/RFPs, tenders, commercial negotiations, and contract implementation.

• Establish and maintain strong strategic relationships with key installation partners.

• Manage supplier performance and lead resolution of critical or escalated supplier issues.

• Drive supplier development initiatives to improve capability, capacity, quality, safety, and delivery performance.

Cost & Performance Management

• Drive cost competitiveness, productivity improvements, and sustainable savings across installation services.

• Develop and maintain commercial models, pricing structures, cost benchmarks, and market comparisons.

• Identify and implement opportunities to optimize installation costs while maintaining quality, safety, and delivery standards.

• Define, monitor, and improve supplier and category KPIs covering cost, quality, delivery, capacity, productivity, and safety.

• Track and report category performance, savings, and procurement targets.

• Support forecasting and budgeting activities related to installation procurement.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary procurement business partner for Delivery Operations, Business Lines, Safety, Finance, Legal, Project Management, and other relevant stakeholders.

• Translate business requirements into effective sourcing strategies and supplier solutions.

• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across countries and business functions.

• Facilitate collaboration between local, regional, area, and global procurement teams.

• Promote procurement value and ensure alignment between commercial objectives and operational requirements.

Risk, Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor installation market developments, supplier capacity, cost trends, and industry developments.

• Identify and mitigate supplier, capacity, commercial, operational, and supply continuity risks.

• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, contractual requirements, governance standards, and sustainability objectives.

• Support supplier compliance with relevant quality, safety, environmental, and ethical requirements.

• Drive continuous improvement in sourcing processes, supplier performance, contract management, and procure-to-pay maturity.

• Identify opportunities to improve procurement efficiency through standardization, digitalization, and data-driven decision-making.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Provide functional leadership and guidance to category specialists and procurement team members, where applicable.

• Lead cross-functional procurement initiatives across the assigned region or Front Line.

• Promote a collaborative, high-performance, customer-focused procurement culture.

• Share best practices and support capability development across the procurement organization.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

• Proven experience in strategic sourcing, category management, procurement, subcontracting, or supplier management.

• Experience managing installation services, construction, field operations, technical services, or subcontractor networks is strongly preferred.

• Strong commercial and negotiation skills, with proven experience managing complex supplier relationships and contracts.

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively across multiple countries and business functions.

• Analytical and data-driven approach, with the ability to translate market and cost information into actionable sourcing strategies.

• Experience working in an international or multi-country environment.

• Strong communication skills and fluency in English; additional regional languages are an advantage.

• Willingness to travel across the assigned region when required.

Key Competencies

• Strategic sourcing and category management

• Commercial and negotiation expertise

• Supplier relationship and performance management

• Stakeholder engagement and influencing

• Business and financial acumen

• Risk management and problem solving

• Data-driven decision making

• Continuous improvement mindset

• Cross-cultural collaboration

• Leadership and change management

Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured through:

• Savings and value creation delivered across the installation category

• Supplier capacity and supply continuity in line with business demand

• Supplier quality, delivery, productivity, and safety performance

• Contract coverage, compliance, and commercial effectiveness

• Stakeholder satisfaction and quality of business support

• Successful execution of strategic sourcing and procurement projects

• Effective supplier and category risk mitigation

• Improved procurement process efficiency and P2P maturity

• Contribution to regional and global category strategy implementation

• Continuous improvement in the overall competitiveness and performance of the installation supplier base

Why Join Us?

This is a high-impact regional procurement role with the opportunity to shape the installation supplier landscape across Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. You will work at the intersection of procurement, operations, and business strategy, influencing supplier performance and creating measurable value for the organization while contributing to safer, more efficient, and more sustainable installation operations.

At KONE, we are focused on creating an innovative and collaborative working culture where we value the contribution of each individual. Employee engagement is a key focus area for us and we encourage participation and the sharing of information and ideas. Sustainability is an integral part of our culture and the daily practice. We follow ethical business practices and we seek to develop a culture of working together where co-workers trust and respect each other and good performance is recognized. In being a great place to work, we are proud to offer a range of experiences and opportunities that will help you to achieve your career and personal goals and enable you to live a healthy and balanced life.

Read more on https://kone.com/global/en/careers.html