Category Manager

At Lely, we develop high-tech, innovative solutions that make the lives of dairy farmers more enjoyable, sustainable, and efficient. As a Category Manager Mechatronics, you play a key role in this mission by enabling supplier innovation and selecting and connecting the right partners to our mechatronic solutions. These are suppliers who deliver on time, within budget, and according to the highest quality standards, ensuring business continuity.

Wat is jouw rol?

In this role, you act as the vital link between suppliers and internal stakeholders such as R&D, Mechatronics Engineering, and Operations. You ensure that sourcing activities optimally support system performance, total cost of ownership, and sustainability throughout the entire product lifecycle. Within your category, you are end-to-end responsible for sourcing and contracting complex mechatronic components and systems, fully aligned with the category strategy and technology roadmap. You work closely with Engineering and Integrated Supply Chain colleagues to integrate procurement early in the product development cycle and to drive joint innovation with suppliers.

A key element of this position is broadening and deepening the team’s knowledge of mechatronics. You focus on electromechanical components and systems such as actuators, sensors, motors, cable harnesses, and control units, as well as the related production and assembly techniques. By further developing this technical expertise, you contribute to well-informed sourcing decisions that strengthen product performance, reliability, and innovation.

Your main responsibilities:

• Develop and execute the category sourcing strategies to drive business objectives and continuous value creation;
• Lead and oversee the end-to-end strategic and operational management of the designated category and supply base;
• Monitor market trends and technological developments within mechatronics and proactively adjust sourcing strategies and supplier selection;
• Execute sourcing and contracting for NPI projects in line with category and business needs, including supply risk mitigation and sustainability;
• Perform supplier negotiations and establish purchasing contracts;
• Build and maintain long-term strategic relationships with key suppliers and continuously improve their performance;
• Manage supplier risks, including assessment, mitigation plans, and execution;
• Monitor and ensure supplier compliance with contracts to maximize value;
• Identify and deliver cost-saving opportunities and contribute to value engineering and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce total cost of ownership;
• Drive effective stakeholder management through cross-functional collaboration, alignment, and communication across all levels of the organization.

With your calm and structured way of working, you bring stability to the team. At the same time, you thrive on close collaboration with suppliers and feel comfortable in a role that involves frequent travel.

Wat is jouw ervaring?

You are a driven and proactive procurement professional with a strong affinity for mechatronics and technological innovation. You know how to connect technical content with business value and enjoy working in multidisciplinary environments.

We are looking for someone who brings the following:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a comparable technical field;
• At least 5 years of experience in strategic procurement;
• Knowledge of mechatronic components and systems, including related production and assembly processes;
• Proven experience in sourcing, negotiation, lifecycle management, and contract management;
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and collaboration skills;
• An analytical mindset with a structured and thorough approach;
• Willingness to travel internationally (approximately 10–20%).

Please note that candidates must already be residing in the Netherlands.

Wat bieden wij jou?

Working at Lely means contributing to sustainable progress within one of the most innovative organizations in the Netherlands. You contribute to making the agricultural sector future-proof - and we make sure that you get all the space, resources and support you need to do so.

• An international working environment with opportunities for own initiative and entrepreneurship.
• Excellent working conditions, including up to 8 weeks of vacation per year and a good pension scheme.
• A competitive salary package, with room for growth as you develop in the role.
• Good growth opportunities: you are in control of your development and can choose from various training courses through our Lely Academy - from personal development to job-specific training.
• Our modern Lely Campus offers daily access to extensive sports facilities: an indoor gym, outdoor padel courts, an outdoor basketball and volleyball court, table tennis and table soccer. You can join Hyrox workouts or sign up for personal training - and challenge your colleagues during an active break.
• Enjoy fresh coffee and tea from our own barista, with milk straight from our farm, as well as a healthy and affordable company restaurant.
• A healthy work-life balance thanks to our hybrid work policy: you work at least three days a week on Campus, with flexible working hours and plenty of room to spend extra time on site (between 06:00 and 20:00).
• A free shuttle bus will take you to and from the metro in Maassluis, so your workday starts and ends smoothly.
• Successes need to be celebrated: from anniversaries to Christmas parties - at Lely we know how to do it!

Over Lely

Lely is committed to creating a sustainable, profitable, and enjoyable future in agriculture. Driven by the challenges farmers face and the needs of cows, we develop high-quality robots and data systems that improve animal welfare, flexibility, and productivity on dairy farms. Our mission is to support sustainable food production.

For more than 30 years, we have been a global leader in the sales and service of automated systems for successive generations of dairy farmers. Every day, we inspire our colleagues to provide customers with innovative solutions and to be a reliable partner for long-term advice and support. With our state-of-the-art Lely Campus in Maassluis and a worldwide network of dedicated Lely Centers offering tailored sales and service, Lely operates in more than fifty countries.