Sub-regional Procurement Category Manager

Great procurement goes beyond negotiating a better price. It connects business needs, supplier expertise and market insight to create lasting value. Ready to put that into practice across an international manufacturing business?

At DS Smith, we are looking for a Sub-Regional Procurement Category Manager to develop and implement procurement strategies across manufacturing, commodities and pallets in North & East EMEA. You will help shape a competitive and sustainable supply base that supports our packaging operations, innovation and business growth.

01About the role

You will shape and deliver procurement strategies for manufacturing, commodities and pallets across North & East EMEA. Reporting to the Sub-Regional Procurement Lead East & North EMEA, you will work with local and global procurement colleagues, Operations and Engineering to lead sourcing, negotiations and supplier partnerships across manufacturing inputs, maintenance services and capital equipment.

Combining international category responsibility with practical impact at site level, you will improve cost, working capital, supplier performance and resilience while supporting innovation and sustainability. This is an opportunity to influence how we source the materials, equipment and services our manufacturing sites rely on.

The role will be based at one of our offices or sites in Sweden or Denmark, with travel of up to 30%. Posible locations: Värnamo, Mariestad or Gothenburg, in Sverige; Grenaa or Taastrup, in Denmark.

02About you

You bring procurement category management experience within manufacturing or packaging, including category strategy, complex sourcing and negotiations. Commercially minded and analytical, you turn market insight into practical solutions and build strong relationships across functions and countries to deliver results.

You have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification and are fluent in English as well as Swedish or Danish. Experience with SAP and Coupa, additional European languages, and CIPS or an equivalent procurement qualification would be advantageous.

03About us

DS Smith is a leading provider of sustainable fiber-based packaging worldwide, which is supported by recycling and papermaking operations. We play a central role in the value chain across sectors including e-commerce, fast moving consumer goods and industrials.

Through our purpose of ‘Redefining Packaging for a Changing World’ and our Now and Next sustainability strategy, DS Smith is committed to leading the transition to the circular economy. We are delivering more and more circular solutions for our customers and wider society, replacing problem plastics, taking carbon out of supply chains and providing innovative recycling solutions. Our history can be traced back to the box-making businesses started in the 1940s by the Smith family. Today, DS Smith is headquartered in London and a member of the FTSE 100, operating in 34 countries employing around 30,000 people.

04Your future workplace

DS Smith is focusing on realizing the potential of our people every day, and you will get close to endless opportunities for independent prioritization of your day-to-day work in a good work environment with colleagues of all ages and nationalities. Like all other DS Smith colleagues, we are proud of the opportunity to make a sustainable difference in a market-leading company. But we also consider our colleagues as individuals and would like to make their lives healthier and happier, therefore we offer our colleagues a range of benefits.

05Fair recruitment in DS Smith

Don’t meet every single requirement? At DS Smith, we are committed to recruiting across a wide range of candidates. We are thriving for being a diverse workplace where everyone can realize their potential. We see equality and diversity as a strength. Thus, we hope that you will apply for the position even if you do not necessarily meet all the requirements.

06Would you like to know more?

This full-time position can be based at one of our sites in either Sweden or Denmark, with travels between sites to be expected. Accession as soon as possible.

If you want to know more about this role, contact our Head of Procurement Leader East & North EMEA, Jeremy Freyne:

If you have questions regarding the process or trouble applying, please reach out to us at

We hope to receive your application as soon as possible and no later than November 29th. Please observe that we do not accept applications by email.

After having submitted your application, you may be expected to perform work psychological tests as well as respond to screening questions, as part of our objective, unbiased, and largely digital process.