VP Category & Buying

As a leading European supplier, Kramp seamlessly delivers agricultural parts and accessories to sixty thousand dealers in 24 countries. With over half a million items in its product range, the VP Category & Buying plays a pivotal role in the company’s continued growth, delivering significant value through best-in-class procurement and category management in the new organizational set-up.

About Kramp

Family business Kramp is Europe’s largest B2B-specialist in spare parts and accessories for the agricultural industry. Its decentralized network of eleven distribution centers across Europe and automated supply chain result in nextday delivery for most of the company’s extensive product range. To support this, Kramp partners with original equipment manufacturers and A-brand suppliers to offer dealers a choice of over four thousand top brands in addition to a range of qualitative private label parts.

Kramp continues to grow its presence in Europe through organic growth, strategic acquisitions, and continuous innovation. As a result, the company grew its turnover by five percent in 2024 to 1.2 billion euros. The family business founded in 1951 in Varsseveld now employs more than 3,500 employees across its headquarters in the Netherlands, eleven warehouses, and twenty-five European sales offices. Kramp is home to driven individuals who set high standards. The company’s people-centric culture is entrepreneurial, open and extrovert, and keen to innovate.

Managing the collaboration with a broad supplier base requires a highly effective procurement and category management organization. Recently redesigned for increased alignment and effectiveness, the teams focus on five categories: Machinery, Tractor & Vehicle Parts, Forest & Grass Care, Power Solutions, and Shop & Workshop. The Category Development Director works alongside the Heads of each category to build exceptional capabilities in private label sourcing, category and buying excellence, pricing, and product quality and compliance.

Vacancy: VP Category & Buying

The VP Category & Buying (VP CB) negotiates and partners with Kramp’s suppliers to offer the optimal product range to customers through best-in-class procurement and category management. Driving a tiered strategy, the VP ensures a diverse range of parts and accessories from original equipment suppliers, aftermarket brands, and private label. This involves actively cultivating partnerships with various suppliers, selling them on Kramp’s unique value proposition, and establishing innovative collaborations that enhance customer value. Simultaneously, the VP works with the Category Development Director to develop a strong private label assortment, supported by an excellent sourcing team. As a result, both the range and volume of sold parts grow within the existing customer base, while leveraging Kramp’s powerful supply chain and distribution network to maximize value.

As Kramp’s senior representation toward suppliers, the VP drives business growth and improves the Total Cost of Ownership by setting a clear procurement strategy. They are excited to go after the pipeline of new suppliers, build and maintain strategic relationships with existing suppliers at the executive level, and lead high-stakes negotiations.

Delivering the right assortment at competitive conditions requires close collaboration with the five Heads of Category and the Category Development Director. Category strategies are developed and executed together with the Heads of Category, aligning with regional and organizational objectives to ensure consistent growth in category profitability. Together with the Director and the central excellence team, the VP enhances operational excellence and enables category teams by bringing capabilities in pricing, private label expansion, and compliance. Furthermore, digitization will be embedded across all procurement and category management activities to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

“The VP Category & Buying is the kind of commercial leader who gets invigorated by creating joint value with Kramp’s strategic suppliers while strengthening our private label to improve our value proposition for customers.” – Rutger Bruijnen, Chief Business Officer Kramp

Reporting to the Chief Business Officer, the VP is a member of the Executive Team – the primary decision-making body beneath the Board of Directors. This team of five regional leaders and five functional leaders drives alignment on strategic direction and priorities, integrating market and customer perspectives to accelerate decision-making and execution. The VP collaborates closely with the five regional Managing Directors and their local commercial teams to tailor category strategies to market demands. Additionally, they partner with Supply Chain Planning and Distribution to ensure the right products are available in the right quantities at the right warehouses. Most time is spent in the Varsseveld office, with regular travel to visit suppliers, strengthen partnerships, and oversee negotiations.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced commercial leader who can build the right team to guide the procurement and category management organization through transformative change. With deep expertise in strategic procurement, category management, and business development — or a clear understanding of which complementary profiles are needed — this leader combines strategic vision with the pragmatic mindset required to drive tangible results for the company and its partners. A strong commercial drive and the ability to forge lasting partnerships with regional leaders and suppliers are essential. By bringing both the team and stakeholders along with their ambitious vision, the VP Category & Buying is set to grow sales and profitability the Kramp way – through excellence and innovation.

Interested?

Kramp is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.
To express your interest, please contact Janko Klaeijsen at janko.klaeijsen@topofminds.com.