Category Manager

Job description

Department: Finance Location: Lausanne, Switzerland Contract Type: Temporary Activity Level: 100% The International Olympic Committee is the guardian of the Olympic Games and the leader of the Olympic Movement. A truly global organisation, it acts as a catalyst for collaboration between all Olympic stakeholders, including the athletes, the National Olympic Committees, the International Federations, Organising Committees for the Olympic Games, the Worldwide Olympic Partners and Olympic broadcast partners. It also collaborates with public and private authorities including the United Nations and other international organisations. About the role As Category Manager, you will manage procurement activities across assigned indirect spend categories, partnering with internal stakeholders throughout the sourcing process. You will provide strategic and practical guidance, ensure compliance with procurement governance and use spend and supplier insights to support informed decision-making. Reporting to the Senior Category Manager, you will contribute to existing category plans and help continuously improve the Finance Department’s procurement approach. Your work will deliver commercial value, strengthen supplier and risk management, and support procurement processes that remain effective and fit for purpose. Your responsibilities Own the procurement engagement process for assigned indirect categories, from initial request and sourcing strategy through to contract award and supplier onboarding. Partner with internal stakeholders to understand upcoming requirements, advise on procurement approaches and agree appropriate routes to market, milestones and timelines. Define and lead sourcing strategies for high-value, high-risk or business-critical engagements, including competitive tenders, benchmarking exercises and justified direct awards. Support the development and execution of category strategies, covering supplier segmentation, risk management, savings opportunities and innovation. Lead commercial negotiations with strategic suppliers to achieve strong commercial, contractual and risk outcomes. Provide procurement guidance for lower-complexity engagements and review key documentation and process steps. Deliver measurable commercial value through savings, cost avoidance, improved supplier performance and reduced risk. Analyse spend and supplier data, identify opportunities for category optimisation and produce recurring dashboards and management reports using tools such as Power BI. Work with business teams to develop clear scopes of work and briefing documents. Review contractual documentation in collaboration with IOC Legal, including proposed wording, commercial amendments and redlines. Review purchase requisitions, supplier setup requests and agreements to ensure compliance with IOC policies and procedures. Embed responsible procurement criteria into sourcing and supplier selection, and guide stakeholders on appropriate due diligence and risk reviews. Maintain accurate procurement pipeline, sourcing, supplier and contract information and contribute to the improvement of procedures, templates and guidance. Oversee relevant procure-to-pay activities, contribute to SAP P2P enhancements and coordinate the review and approval of contracts, purchase requisitions and supplier setup requests. Our requirements At least five years’ experience in sourcing and category management within multinational organisations. Demonstrated experience leading complex sourcing initiatives from strategy development through contract signature and supplier implementation. Experience across multiple indirect spend categories, with particular expertise in Marketing and Communications. Experience in Digital and IT categories would be an advantage. A bachelor’s degree, ideally complemented by a professional procurement qualification such as CIPS. Strong commercial judgement and proven negotiation, influencing and stakeholder-management skills. Experience using contemporary procurement systems, modules and e-tools, including an understanding of procure-to-pay processes. Strong analytical capabilities, including experience interpreting spend and supplier data and using data visualisation tools such as Power BI. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex matters clearly and concisely. Fluency in English or French, with excellent written and spoken command of the other language. A collaborative, proactive and service-oriented approach, combined with discretion, attention to detail and the ability to work effectively across cultures and organisational levels. Rejoignez une organisation qui a l'esprit d'inclusion, d'égalité des sexes et de diversité dans son ADN et qui se concentre sur ce qui nous unit : la passion du sport et ses valeurs. Travaillez dans un environnement flexible et enrichissant qui offre des avantages sociaux compétitifs et de nombreuses incitations à mener une vie durablement saine et active. En nous rejoignant, vous faites partie du Mouvement olympique et participerez à bâtir un monde meilleur par le sport. Vous aurez l'occasion de travailler avec des personnes de plus de 70 nationalités.