Senior Category Lead Buyer In this role, you will lead global sourcing and category management activities for metal component commodities, including stainless steel rods, stamped parts, deep-drawn parts, magnets, pilot valves, aluminum ingots, and aluminum profile extrusions. You will be responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies, driving cost optimization initiatives, ensuring supplier performance, and securing long-term supply continuity while collaborating with cross-functional teams across global operations

Your job:

- Develop and execute global category strategies to achieve cost, quality, delivery, & sustainability targets for assigned material groups
- Build, manage, and continuously optimize a global supplier portfolio, ensuring supplier competitiveness & long-term business value
- Identify, negotiate, and implement cost reduction initiatives, value engineering projects, and productivity improvements across the supply base
- Lead sourcing decisions, supplier selection, contract negotiations, and risk management activities within the assigned category.
- Drive supplier performance improvements in quality, delivery reliability, capacity,



and cost competitiveness through strategic supplier development programs
- Support localization, transfer, insourcing, outsourcing, and manufacturing footprint optimization projects in collaboration with business stakeholders
- Analyze global procurement markets, identify current sourcing opportunities, and evaluate emerging manufacturing technologies
- Collaborate closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Operations teams to ensure successful execution of procurement strategies and business objectives

Our requirements:

- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial Production, Automobile Engineering, or a related discipline
- 8-15 years of experience in strategic sourcing and procurement, preferably with an Automotive MNC
- Strong exposure to metal components, industrial manufacturing processes, and global supplier management.
- Expertise in zero-based costing, supplier negotiations, and cost optimization initiatives
- Sound knowledge of manufacturing processes, including raw materials, casting, extrusion, stamping, and deep drawing
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and cross-functional collaboration skills

📌 Category Buyer (Bengaluru)
🏢 Festo India
📍 Bengaluru