Category Manager

About the role

Responsibility for a defined category within the partner management organization, including personnel leadership for the category team. Management of commercial partner relationships with manufacturers, distributors, and service partners to achieve a competitive advantage for sales teams in the country units. Focus on delivering operational excellence and supporting the “Quote to Cash” process.

Responsibilities

• Personnel responsibility
  • Lead and manage employees within the defined category, fostering a trustful, productive, and positive working environment.
  • Delegate processes and tasks, set measurable targets, and conduct regular performance reviews.
  • Develop and coordinate personnel development plans, including coaching and mentoring.
  • Ensure professional qualification and alignment of the team toward high performance, leveraging individual strengths.
  • Maintain regular contact with employees through on-site presence and telecommunication tools, using "distance leadership" methods where necessary.
• Supplier Performance Management
  • Drive commercial contribution growth and maximize profitability through existing or newly negotiated partner agreements.
  • Achieve optimal commercial agreements within the Computacenter Group through collaboration with category managers and Expert Services.
  • Position the team as knowledge carriers for partners' contacts, processes, and programs to the country unit (especially sales).
  • Coordinate, revise, and communicate partner segmentation and strategy for the defined category.
  • Develop and maintain qualitative relationships with defined partners.
  • Prepare and coordinate an annual business plan per category, aligning with Strategic Alliance Partner goals.
  • Manage and further develop commercial instruments such as PVC (Preferred Vendor Contribution) and War chest.
  • Maintain and advance an opportunity pipeline for the category, including regular forecasting for sales, Soft$, and MDF income.
  • Oversee P&L for the category and support Strategic Alliance Sales Directors in complex commercial negotiations.
• Operational Purchasing and Supply Chain
  • Manage stock responsibility, including valuation and inventory.
  • Provide day-to-day support for buyers and ensure best-in-class logistics and end-to-end supply chain performance.
  • Resolve inbound delivery disputes and serve as an escalation point for buyers.
  • Monitor workflow and data management to deliver operational excellence to the Country Unit.

Requirements

• University degree or equivalent qualification, with more than 3 years of professional experience or specialized expertise.
• Strong knowledge of business administration and entrepreneurial thinking.
• Strategic and analytical mindset with high problem-solving competence.
• Excellent communication skills, professional demeanor, and ability to structure and present complex issues clearly.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate teams, including across regional borders.
• Comprehensive understanding of culture and ability to work constructively with team members and contacts across Computacenter North America.
• Strong relationship management skills to build and maintain networks with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Negotiation skills to conduct complex discussions for the benefit of Computacenter.
• Team-oriented mindset with high competence in moderation and motivation.
• High resilience, self-motivation, and implementation strength.
• In-depth technology and market understanding in the relevant category environment.
• Ability to define, agree, and develop clearly formulated strategies and business plans.
• Experience in building and developing an opportunity pipeline to achieve business objectives.
• Fluent business English for conversations with manufacturer contacts across Computacenter North America and Group.
• Existing personnel responsibility or proven management experience.
• Diverse specialist activities with decision-making and solution development experience.
• Collaborative skills to partner closely with the Strategic Sales Alliance team for mutual benefit.
• Strong presentation skills to communicate complex commercial solutions to key stakeholders.