Professional Services Procurement Category Manager

Job description

We are looking for an experienced and highly influential Senior Procurement Manager to establish and lead the Professional Services procurement category - spanning HR services, Legal services, Finance services, Consulting, and potentially other professional advisory services. This is a high-visibility role for someone who can turn a fragmented, low-maturity spend area into a well-governed, high-value strategic function, working closely with senior stakeholders across the business. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Category Strategy & Sourcing Define and lead the Professional Services procurement strategy, governance model and multi-year roadmap, aligned to business priorities Segment the category (HR, Legal, Finance, Consulting, advisory) and lead complex sourcing initiatives across it Negotiate contracts and terms to secure best value, driving cost savings and process optimization Balance quick wins with sustainable, long-term value creation Spend Visibility & Insights Build a clear view of Professional Services spend across business units, including taxonomy, dashboards and KPIs Identify fragmented buying, supplier duplication and consolidation opportunities Build data-driven business cases to justify procurement interventions Stakeholder & Supplier Relationships Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, including Finance and the Executive Leadership Team, influencing sourcing decisions through credibility and insight Constructively challenge existing supplier relationships and balance business needs with commercial discipline Build a strategic supplier management framework: governance, executive business reviews, performance management, innovation and rationalization opportunities Change Management & Market Expertise Lead the organization's shift toward Procurement-led sourcing for Professional Services, through stakeholder engagement, training and clear communication Demonstrate measurable value to build confidence in Procurement as a strategic function Stay close to external markets, costs and innovations to propose new solutions and mitigate category risk Essential skills & experience 5+ years in Indirect Procurement within a global organization of comparable size and complexity, including significant experience managing Professional Services categories (Consulting, Legal, HR, Audit & Tax) A track record of building a category from low procurement maturity and delivering measurable value Experience negotiating and managing contracts, and engaging executive-level stakeholders Essential competencies Commercial credibility : strong negotiation, analytical and problem-solving skills, with sound commercial judgment Stakeholder influence : confidence engaging C-suite and senior leaders, and the ability to influence without formal authority — building Procurement's credibility in an area where it's had little historical presence Strategic & pragmatic : able to design and implement long-term category strategy while introducing governance without adding bureaucracy Change leadership : a proven ability to drive transformational, change-management-led initiatives Strong ownership, curiosity, and excellent communication and presentation skills Comfortable managing multiple priorities in an ambiguous environment Desired qualifications Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Procurement, or a related field C1-level English Why This Role Is Unique This isn't a traditional category management position — it's a procurement transformation role for an entrepreneurial leader ready to build a strategic Professional Services category from the ground up. Success here means combining deep procurement expertise with exceptional stakeholder influence and the ability to drive lasting change in one of the company's most complex, high-impact spend areas. Role based in Annecy, France (74) Full-Time Permanent Amer Sports is a sporting goods company with internationally recognized brands including Salomon, Arc’teryx, Peak Performance, Atomic and Wilson. “The Mountain Sport Company”, Salomon was born in 1947 in the heart of the French Alps and the birthplace of modern alpinism. Salomon’s commitment to innovative design and passion for mountain sports created a vast range of revolutionary new concepts in bindings, boots, skis and apparel for both Alpine and Nordic skiing and brought innovative solutions to footwear, apparel and equipment for snowboarding, adventure racing, mountaineering, hiking, trail running, and many other sports. Through performance driven design, Salomon delivers innovation and progression to mountain sports; converting new ideas into action and expanding the limits of possibility. Salomon’s heritage, culture, and commitment are tied together by one simple concept: the world’s leading mountain people creating the world’s leading mountain products. Salomon is responsibly committed towards the outdoor through its sustainability program. Diversity is one of Salomon’s five values, therefore we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. Salomon is headquartered in Annecy, France.