Head of Machinery

Are you an entrepreneurial, strategic and commercially minded leader ready to take full ownership of Machinery category’s growth, innovation, and performance? As

Head of Machinery

at Kramp, you will shape the future of what we buy,  where we source, and how we sell. With end-to-end responsibility across assortment strategy, supplier portfolio management, pricing, and go-to-market. This is a role for those who think big, act boldly, and lead with purpose.

What is your role?  

You will drive our transformation from a  siloed way of working between Category Management and Procurement to a future-focused, customer-driven commercial powerhouse — balancing long-term vision with operational excellence, while building and leading high-performing cross-functional teams. This position will report directly into the VP Category & Buying.

Your specific tasks include:  

• Own and Execute Category Strategy: Develop and implement a compelling, data-driven category vision aligned with business objectives. Translate strategy into action plans, ensuring clear priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Be the End-to-End Category Leader: Take full accountability for category performance, including determining what to sell, where to source it, and how to sell it. Make strategic decisions across assortment, supplier portfolio, pricing, and margin optimization.
• Lead High-Performing Teams: Inspire and manage a team of Category Managers, Category Buyers, and Specialists. Delegate operational decision-making, coach team members, and foster cross-functional collaboration.
• Drive Innovation & Speed: Accelerate the introduction of new product ranges with the right supporting materials. Continuously optimize the assortment in response to customer needs, data insights, and market trends.
• Strengthen Supplier Portfolio Strategy: Oversee strategic supplier portfolio management through the Category Buyers. Improve purchasing terms and conditions, unlock scale efficiencies, and build mutually beneficial supplier partnerships.
• Act as a Customer Champion: Stay close to market developments. Maintain strong relationships with internal and external customers to ensure the assortment reflects local needs and delivers exceptional value.
• Monitor & Steer Performance: Set clear performance KPIs, oversee business results, and take corrective actions as needed to meet financial and strategic goals.
• Collaborate Across the Business: Partner with Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain and Clusters to ensure that category plans are integrated, scalable, and locally relevant.
• Lead Change: Drive cultural and structural transformation in the team by shifting the focus from supplier-driven procurement to customer-centric category ownership.

Who are you?  

For this job we have a couple of requirements:  

Professional Experience

• Master’s degree or equivalent (Level 7, International)
• 10–15 years experience in commercial/category/procurement leadership, ideally in B2B, e-commerce, or retail
• 3–6 years managing diverse, high-performing teams in a matrixed environment
• Strategic, confident, hands-on, and resilient in the face of change

Expertise in

• Assortment strategy, lifecycle management, pricing, and go-to-market execution
• Supplier portfolio optimization, supplier relation management, contract negotiation and sourcing strategy
• P&L ownership, margin improvement, and commercial planning
• Working across regions and adapting strategy to local market dynamics

Key Competencies for Success

• Change Leadership: You act as a catalyst for transformation. You see beyond traditional structures and encourage innovation and agility across the team. You define a clear vision for change and execute it with clarity, resilience, and courage — ensuring your team understands and commits to the journey.
• Connective Leadership: You unite teams around a shared vision. By building trust and promoting cross-functional collaboration, you help different disciplines work together seamlessly. You are emotionally intelligent and able to tailor your leadership approach to diverse audiences.
• Developing Others: You recognize that talent is the engine of success. You provide guidance and stretch opportunities, create a safe space to learn from failure, and build a strong succession pipeline for the future.
• Execution Power: You turn strategy into action and deliver results. You keep a cool head under pressure, make bold decisions when needed, and ensure your team is focused on high-impact activities.
• Vision & Strategic Thinking: You see the big picture and connect dots that others miss. You synthesize data, trends, and market signals to define a compelling long-term vision for the category — and then lead the charge to realize it.

What do we offer?  

We are an ambitious, fast-growing and financially sound organization. You can obviously expect: 

• 25 vacation days and 12 ADV days (based on a fulltime NL contract)
• Flexible working policy in hours and location
• The job scale for this vacancy is 19
• Travel- and working from home allowance
• Profit sharing bonus
• Great budget for training and courses
• Generous pension plan

Do you want to join us? 
In case you feel challenged by the above role description and requirements, we are interested in meeting you! Please use the application button and send your CV and cover letter.

Do you have a question about the process? Please do not hesitate to contact Monique Welling, Talent Acquisition Specialist, monique.welling@kramp.com.

About us 

Thanks to our ambitions we are active throughout Europe: a leading position in the agricultural market for parts. We heavily invest in E-Business and innovations. Our aim is to make it easy for our customers to run their business. Working at Kramp means working with over 3500 international colleagues. The people at Kramp are enthusiastic, professional and involved. We speak our customers’ language, understand their challenges and earn their trust to exceed their expectations. Our promise “It’s that easy” is embedded in our culture and DNA.  

Working at Kramp means: 

… you belong here! ​Being part of our open business community​ 
… your work makes a difference!​ Have an impact on what matters 

… you will develop and realize​! Learn and realize your potential 

 More about Kramp: https://www.careeratkramp.com/nl-nl  
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