On - 268823 – Senior Lead – Distribution Procurement Category Manager - Zürich

Team for Career Site

Supply Chain

In short

On’s success comes down to two reasons: incredible products – and incredible people. It has one simple mission: Ignite the Human Spirit Through Movement. Available today in over 50 countries and cited as “the fastest growing sports company in the world,” On shoes and Performance Running Gear have won design and technology distinctions the world over.

As our Sr. Lead Distribution Procurement Category Manager, you will be responsible for the end-to-end strategic sourcing and category management of our global warehousing and distribution network. You will be tasked with developing long-term category strategies that support On’s rapid growth while ensuring operational excellence and cost efficiency across our Distribution & Logistics portfolio.

Your mission

Responsibilities:

– Category Leadership: Develop and execute comprehensive category strategies specifically for warehousing and distribution services globally.

– Sourcing & RFP Management: Lead complex RFPs and sourcing events for 3PL providers, ensuring all decisions are supported by rigorous financial and operational analysis.

– Commercial Negotiation: Drive end-to-end contract negotiations, focusing on total cost of ownership (TCO), service levels (SLAs), and long-term scalability.

– Warehouse Operational Design: Support the procurement of automation and technology solutions (e.g., MHE, robotics) to drive distribution center efficiency.

– Network Optimization: Collaborate on business case creation for new node entries, facility expansions, or site relocations within the EMEA and global network.

– Vendor Excellence: Establish robust SRM (Supplier Relationship Management) frameworks to drive accountability and continuous improvement with our logistics partners.

– Labor & Consumables Strategy: Manage the procurement of indirect warehouse needs, including temporary labor contracts and packaging/consumables strategy.

– Operational Visibility: Create and maintain standardized reporting tools to track category spend, vendor performance, and contract compliance.
Stakeholder Alignment: Facilitate regular strategic alignment meetings with Supply Chain, Finance, and IT leadership to ensure procurement goals support the broader business roadmap.

– Continuous Improvement: Proactively identify value-engineering opportunities to optimize our distribution footprint and drive sustainable cost savings.

The Successful Candidate Will Demonstrate:

– Subject Matter Expertise: Deep understanding of the warehousing and 3PL landscape, including cost models, operational drivers, and industry benchmarks.

– Strategic Influence: Skill to quickly build credibility and trust with executive-level stakeholders and external partners.

– Analytical Precision: Ability to build data-driven business cases and perform complex root cause analysis to support sourcing recommendations.

– Process Discipline: Strong knowledge of procurement best practices, contract law, and project management methodologies.

– Accountability: Ability to serve as the ‘single source of truth’ for the distribution category, managing complex dependencies across the global network.

– Resilience: Capacity to act as a change agent, navigating market volatility and high-pressure negotiations with tact and diplomacy.

Your story

Basic Qualifications:

– A Bachelor’s degree (a combination of college education and related work experience may be used as a substitute).

– Minimum 5 years of experience in strategic procurement, category management, or a specialized logistics role in a fast-paced environment.

– Expert knowledge and proficiency with MS Office applications and experience with sourcing tools (e.g., Ariba, Coupa, etc).

Additional Skills:

– Strong demonstrated ability to work independently, manage data-intensive projects, and engage remote teams.

– Excellent discretion, judgment, and the capacity to handle sensitive commercial data.

– Solid business judgment, including the ability to anticipate the impact of procurement decisions on the end-to-end supply chain.

– Must demonstrate an energetic, positive, helpful demeanor and a passion for On Running.

Meet the team

You are part of the Global Supply Chain team, reporting into the Head of Distribution & Logistics Procurement. In this role, you will work and collaborate with various functions, including Inbound/Outbound Logistics, Finance, IT, and Legal. You will be actively collaborating with team members across both regional and global teams, as well as our 3rd party logistic partners (3PLs).