Junior Category Manager & Operational support

WHO WE ARE

POLYVANTIS is one of the leading global suppliers in the market for high-quality acrylic and polycarbonate films and sheets. Formed by combining two iconic brands in the industry - PLEXIGLAS® for polymethylmethacrylate semi-finished products and LEXAN™ for polycarbonate sheets and films. With 1,500 employees and 15 production sites worldwide, we offer unmatched global capabilities, providing customers with innovative solutions in sheets and films. Our products are used in various applications including stadium roofing, facade glazing, LED lighting, signage, machine guards, motorcycle windshields, train seats, aircraft interiors, security & ID cards, bullet-resistant glazing and many more.

Junior Category Manager – Procurement Support

Fulltime Location Bergen op Zoom / Hybrid

Role purpose

As a Junior Category Manager, you combine operational procurement execution with the first steps into strategic category ownership. You are responsible for managing transactional procurement activities to ensure uninterrupted supply, while gradually taking ownership of a defined category at a country or European level.

You will drive supplier performance, support sourcing initiatives, and contribute to cost optimization while building the capabilities required to fully own a category strategy over time.

Key responsibilities

1. Category ownership (developing responsibility)

Support and gradually take ownership of a defined category (country or European scope)

Execute category strategies in alignment with senior category managers

Monitor supplier performance, market trends, and cost drivers

Identify and implement cost-saving and value-creation initiatives

Support and increasingly lead supplier negotiations within defined scope

2. Purchase Order execution & expediting

Create, release, and manage POs in ERP (SAP S4H)

Track deliveries and actively expedite late orders

Maintain accurate order confirmations and lead times

3. Supplier management & issue resolution

Act as first point of contact for operational supplier topics

Resolve invoice mismatches, delivery deviations, and quality issues

Drive supplier performance improvements and escalate structural issues

Build relationships with key suppliers within the assigned category

4. Sourcing & RFQ support

Prepare and manage RFQs for assigned categories

Analyze supplier quotations and build comparison models

Support and gradually lead sourcing projects and supplier selections

Contribute to contract negotiations and implementation

5. Data, reporting & analysis

Maintain supplier and pricing data in ERP

Deliver spend analysis and support total cost of ownership evaluations

Track KPIs such as savings, OTIF, and supplier performance

Provide insights to support category strategy and decision making

6. Procurement administration

Support supplier onboarding and documentation

Assist in contract compliance tracking

Maintain item master data and purchasing parameters

Success metrics - your deliverables

Category savings and value creation

Supplier performance (OTIF, quality, service)

PO accuracy / first-time-right

Resolution time of supplier issues

Data quality and reporting reliability

Requirements

Must-have

Bachelor degree (HBO Supply Chain, Business, Logistics or similar)

2–5 years of experience in procurement or supply chain

Experience in manufacturing or industrial environment

Experience with SAP S4H

Strong Excel skills (pivot tables; lookups)

Affinity with data, analytics and process improvement

Curiosity to explore new ways of working, e.g. AI tools

Nice-to-have

Experience with category management or strategic sourcing

Basic understanding of procurement concepts (TCO, incoterms, contracts)

Exposure to international stakehol