Category Sourcing Specialist

Company Description
In Purchasing Development, our assignment goes hand and hand with the IKEA Business Idea as we are responsible to produce the ‘wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them’. Together with our suppliers, we produce the IKEA products and food with affordability, accessibility, sustainability and quality as our main priorities.​
​The materials of metal, plastic and float glass are found in every part​ of the home and our products touch the lives of every IKEA customer. We believe that a Better​ Everyday Life at Home is the result of great work together and strive to only produce products that we genuinely love. We in Category Area Metal, Plastic & Float Glass are very proud of this – it is a privilege and a responsibility.
Category New Carbon Steel is responsible for supplying, developing and implementing materials and techniques for the production of its 9 segments; Drawers, Extensions, Hinges & Lifters, Large Profiles, ​Open & Close Features, Sheet Forming, Sliding Systems, Small profiles, and Wire products. Carbon Steel is an integrated category sourcing products for Home Furnishing and IKEA Components.
​What you will do
As a Category Sourcing Specialist, you will be responsible for securing the material and production knowledge as well as setting up the optimal sourcing conditions. With having customer always in mind, you will act as a gear box between HFBs / Category and Need Planning function. From that position you will lead and secure that all products within your area of responsibility are sourced with optimal global sourcing set-up. You will contribute with material, technique and production knowledge in the product development process and ensure that material and choices of techniques related to cost, capacity, quality and sustainability are in-line with supplier production capabilities, as well as with product development process and category strategy.
In this role, you will:
Contribute with material, technique and production competence from a Total cost perspective and integration of Category opportunities in NEWs projects
Identify new business opportunity with close collaboration with HFBs and category team.
Lead and secure optimal global sourcing set-up for Running range within the framework of the sourcing assignment and in alignment with HFB, including assessing sourcing risk and scenario planning
Be responsible to secure optimal global sourcing set-up for NEWs
Be responsible to define most suitable development suppliers for specific NEWs projects in alignment with HFB
Contribute to Business Contingency Planning
Be responsible to secure quality of the category input into the pricing process (Big run, Tertial runs)
Be responsible for the input to HFB (Home Furnishing Business) Action plans
Support the business team in creation of supplier Action plans and development projects
Support the BDs in their development, and bring feedback for their development talks and seniority process
Lead global projects on Category or Category area dimension
Lead RFQs, category projects and Purchase Development Process when needed
Be a Part of Category management group & contribute to build and execute Category Business Plan
Securing overall availability performance and collaboration with internal stakeholders

The position is located in Älmhult, Sweden with a global responsibility. Älmhult has excellent commuting possibilities with hourly trains to Malmö, Lund and Växjö and an IKEA shuttle bus back and forth to Helsingborg two times a day.
In this role you will report to Category Manager for New Carbon Steel.
Why we love you
We believe to be a successful Category Sourcing Specialist you have:
Strong experience and good knowledge in purchasing development including insights on supplier capabilities and product development background and preferably experience with diverse material
University degree in technology, business administration, Furniture education or corresponding knowledge
Leadership skills and project leadership experience is an advantage
Holistic view with being comfortable thinking on both operational, tactical, and strategic level
Deep knowledge of value chain and value chain analysis capabilities
Strong entrepreneurship, drive for the change and strive for improvement.

As a person you are:
Driven, decisive, analytical
Great stakeholder manager
Independent and with excellent communication skills
Strongly business minded, ability to see the big picture and apply different perspectives from customer to supplier perspective
Able to foresee the consequences of one’s own actions and act based on high moral and ethical principles
Fluent in English, both spoken and written
A good team player

Why you will love us
As a part of Category Area Metal, Plastic & Float Glass, you will have access to a huge knowledge base and experience in both leadership and material, production, and value chain. We offer trust and space to test and try, explore, make mistakes, and develop us and our partners. Are you ready to be part of a journey towards reaching more of the many people?
You will meet the same motivated, skilled people like you on daily basis and you will have a good feeling about your job because it makes sense and your contribution is recognized!
Attitude towards our colleagues is very simple – honest and frank employees always get a chance to grow both in their personal and career life in a way so all of us can contribute to better everyday life for us and for our customers
We do not intend to only fill in the positions here – we want to accept unique personalities who will share our values
We listen to our colleagues; we understand their needs and we support their ambitions and skills
We offer a possibility to work in an environment where people and togetherness are the main values

Additional information
For more information about the role and the recruitment process, please contact People & Culture recruiter, Zuzana.vackova1@inter.ikea.com.
Please send us your application in English until 16th September at the latest!