Category Manager Logistics

Join bol as a Category Manager Logistics

How do you make our customers happy?

By ensuring that 13.7 million customers and 47,000 partners benefit from the best logistics services, purchased at the most competitive conditions. In this impactful role, you will manage an integral part of procurement categories within bol: mobile material handling, operational equipment, warehouse systems, facilities and projects. You will be a strategic business partner for the Asset Management team, Logistics Warehousing team and the New Infra/Infra Development team.

The biggest challenge

You will work in a setting with many dependencies, complex contracts and high financial stakes. While parts of the spend may be low, it provides a base for warehouse operations and is thus of vital importance to the stakeholders. Furthermore, the spend often includes elements of keeping the bol operations compliant – enabling bol the license to operate. How do you negotiate with suppliers while exploring strategic alternatives? How do you balance between operational stability and cost optimization? The challenge extends beyond cost savings: you need to understand logistics roadmaps, avoid vendor lock-ins, and create innovation opportunities within strict compliance frameworks. With the growth of our logistics operation – think of new warehouses – you make decisions today that will also add value in three to five years’ time.

What you do as a Category Manager Logistics General

You take on the role of strategic business partner for the Asset Management and Warehouse Software Systems (WSS) domains primarily, as well as projects on a needs basis in the Logistics warehousing and New Infrastructure Development domain. An impactful and autonomous position in which you develop and implement procurement strategies that measurably contribute to bol’s logistics ambitions. This position gives you direct access to different levels in the organization: you advise Heads of, Directors and Senior Directors within Logistics, prepare steering committees, and are a sparring partner for logistics stakeholders. Depending on the project, this can go up to CCO level.

Your mandate includes, but goes far beyond, crucial contract negotiations. You will dive deep into logistics market trends, understand the roadmaps of stakeholders, and translate market insights into strategic opportunities. Whether it’s sourcing operational equipment for warehouse operations or optimizing existing relationships: you spot opportunities where others only see complexity.

• Developing, implementing and adjusting procurement strategies within the general logistics portfolio
• Preparing and leading strategic (re)negotiations with suppliers
• Advising leadership on procurement, supplier risks and tactical sourcing opportunities
• Identifying opportunities within the category and mobilizing support for realization
• Maintaining key supplier relationships together with the business
• Translating ambitious goals into concrete negotiation results

Why you can make a difference

You will combine 4-7+ years of logistics procurement experience with a strong track record in strategic and tactical sourcing. You have achieved demonstrable results in cost savings, value creation or other strategic objectives. What distinguishes you is your ability to operate autonomously in an environment with high strategic value and high dependency. You are not afraid to take a different position towards your own team – or higher up. You escalate when necessary, but also know when de-escalation yields more. You strive for continuous knowledge development within the category and translate insights into policy or tactical execution. Thanks to your communication and persuasive skills, you are just as easy to interact with contract managers as with executives who have to make strategic decisions.

3 reasons why this is (not) for you

No if

• You do not enjoy juggling several projects of low value but high relative importance at the same time

Eternal loner

• You prefer to work alone; coordination with stakeholders takes much more energy than it yields

Cheering yes-man

• Challenging tough external negotiations and internal stakeholders feels so uncomfortable that you usually agree immediately

Yes if

• You can switch between being a strategic heavyweight and running speedy street-smart projects for low spend.

Innovation enabler

• You see procurement as a lever for logistical innovation and stability, not just as a cost item

Complexity king(s)

• Contracts with existential impact on the operation? Your favorite playing field.

This is where you end up

You will become part of the Category Management & Sourcing team within NFR Procurement, bol’s strategic procurement engine. The culture is direct, result-oriented and data-driven – we attach more importance to smart solutions than to hierarchical processes.