Procurement Category Manager (m/f/d) – China

Job description

1KOMMA5° At 1KOMMA5° , we pursue a clear vision: Living on wind and sunlight forever for free . To make this a reality, we are building the energy system of the future with Heartbeat AI. Want to be part of it? We bring together regional craftsmanship and scalable software: We don't think of solar, batteries, heat pumps, and e-mobility as isolated components, but control them as an intelligent, integrated overall system in our virtual power plant. Directly connected to the electricity market – in real time, fully automated. This way, energy is used when it is available from renewables and particularly cost-effective. By 2030, our goal is to transition 1.5 million households to renewable energies. Over 3,000 people are working towards this every day, at more than 80 locations worldwide, from Finland to Australia. Want to take responsibility and build solutions that truly matter? Apply now and help us shape the energy world of tomorrow . Your mission As a Procurement Category Manager, you will own our sourcing strategy and commercial relationships with key suppliers in China across batteries, inverters, chargers and PV modules. Based in China and reporting to the Head of Procurement Transformation, you combine market insight with commercial rigor to build category strategies, run competitive sourcing events, and negotiate contracts that secure cost, quality and supply continuity at scale. You are the strategic link between our Berlin-based procurement, product and SCM teams and our Chinese supply base, with a clear mandate to shape who we buy from, at what price and on which terms. Your Responsibilities: Category Strategy & Sourcing Develop and execute category strategies for your assigned categories, covering demand outlook, supply market analysis, supplier segmentation and make-vs-buy considerations Lead RFx processes and e-auctions end to end, from supplier long-listing and technical qualification through bid analysis to award recommendation Build and maintain a competitive, diversified supplier panel that balances cost, quality, capacity and geopolitical and supply risk Commercial Negotiation & Contracting Lead price, volume and commercial terms negotiations with Chinese suppliers, working with Berlin leadership and Legal on framework agreements and supplementary agreements Secure contractual protections such as price-adjustment mechanisms, capacity commitments, warranty terms and supply assurance Build total-cost-of-ownership and should-cost models to challenge supplier quotes and ground negotiations in fact Cost Savings & Value Delivery Define, track and deliver a savings pipeline against annual targets, with transparent baselines and validated results Partner with Product and Engineering on design-to-cost and specification-optimization initiatives with supplier engineering teams Drive standardization and platform-sharing opportunities across product generations Supplier Performance & Relationship Management Run structured supplier reviews and business reviews on cost, quality, delivery and innovation, with clear action plans Work with Quality and SCM to resolve escalations and drive corrective actions where commercial leverage is needed Build senior-level relationships with supplier leadership, and conduct regular factory visits to assess capacity and strategic fit Market Intelligence & Reporting Track raw material and component market trends (cell prices, silicon, copper, freight, FX, etc.) and the evolving Chinese supplier landscape, translating them into pricing and sourcing decisions Provide structured, KPI-driven reporting on savings, spend, supplier performance and risk to procurement leadership Work closely with Berlin-based Category Management, Product Management and SCM to align on roadmaps, forecasts and priorities Your profile Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Business, Supply Chain or a related field; an MBA is a plus 7+ years of experience in strategic sourcing or category management, ideally in energy storage, power electronics, PV or a comparable technical manufacturing industry Proven track record of leading complex negotiations and delivering measurable savings with Chinese suppliers Hands-on experience with RFx processes and e-auctions, and with TCO and should-cost modeling Sufficient technical understanding of battery systems, inverters or PV modules to engage credibly with supplier engineering teams Strong analytical skills and comfort with data-driven decision-making; proficiency in Excel and procurement tools Fluent in Mandarin and English (business-level); German is a plus Willingness to travel to supplier sites across China and occasionally to Europe Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across cultures, comfortable working with a European headquarters Ready to take ownership and build solutions that truly matter? Apply now and help us shape the energy world of tomorrow. Benefits Use your t echnical equipment in your free time outside of work You’ll be part of a fast-growing company with plenty of room for growth , where you can build something on your own and feel the impact of your work Work in flat hierarchies , take on responsibility even during your onboarding, and collaborate directly with members of management Through your work, you’ll support the megatrend of the “energy and mobility transition” and make a tangible contribution to the sustainable transformation of our energy infrastructure Be active and take advantage of the offerings from over 7,600 sports partners with the EGYM Wellpass Whether it’s a city bike or an e-bike—with our Jobrad bike leasing program , you’ll stay flexible and travel in an eco-friendly way Enjoy benefits and discounts through Futurebens