Category Manager - Packaging; m​/f​/x

Job Description

Oettinger Davidoff Group, with sales of over half a billion Swiss francs and almost 4,000 employees around the world, traces its roots back to 1875 and remains family‑owned to this day. The company is dedicated to the business of producing, marketing, distributing, and retailing premium‑branded cigars, tobacco products and accessories. The premium‑branded cigar business includes Davidoff, AVO, Camacho, Cusano, The Griffin’s, Private Stock, Zino and Zino Platinum.

Oettinger Davidoff Group is also the sole agent of many brands in several countries. Its business is anchored in a strong “crop to shop” philosophy, having pursued vertical integration from the tobacco fields in the Dominican Republic and Honduras to its global network of 65 Davidoff flagship stores/satellites and strong appointed merchants in over 130 countries.

For our Global Operations Team, we are currently looking for a motivated

• Responsible for the packaging category in the New Products and Developments division
• Manage material, quality, cost and sustainability requirements
• Prepare decision‑making bases for Head of Procurement / New Products & Developments
• Ensure order readiness for series handover
• Participate in the development process together with Marketing and Design
• Manage sampling processes, feedback loops and approvals
• Independently manage projects from procurement to production launch
• Evaluate feasibility, costs, MOQ, timelines and risks
• Cooperate closely with suppliers in development and optimization phases
• Main contact person for international packaging suppliers

• Completed university degree (university/technical college), ideally with a focus on economics or supply chain, or basic commercial training with recognized further training in the field of purchasing (e.g., Swiss Federal Diploma in Purchasing, CAS/DAS Procurement, etc.)
• Experience in purchasing in the areas of category management and packaging and POS development, ideally in the luxury, spirits, or tobacco industries
• Experience with the SAP modules MM and SD (material requirements planning and purchasing)
• Proficient user knowledge of the MS Office package, especially Excel
• Strong communication and negotiation skills as well as networked, strategic, and solution‑oriented thinking
• Talent for planning and project management
• Strong numerical skills, analytical and critical thinking
• Very good understanding of materials and production processes
• Very good German and English skills, Spanish and other languages are an advantage
• Structured, process‑ and solution‑oriented
• Communicative and assertive
• Analytical and critical thinking skills
• Ability to translate complex requirements into understandable terms
• Ownership mindset rather than pure project support
• In‑depth knowledge of project management and proven experience in successfully managing projects
• Sustainability expertise (FSC, recycled materials, EUDR, packaging regulations)
• Experience with international suppliers
• Experience in regulated markets
• Ideally, knowledge of other IT tools such as JIRA and Appian

• An agile, stable and internationally renowned family business
• A modern, state‑of‑the‑art workplace at Maison Davidoff, with a fully equipped cafeteria and garden, and only a few minutes' walk from Basel main station, including numerous catering options nearby
• A dynamic and multi‑cultural working environment with modern tools
• Attractive working conditions, such as flexible working hours; and up to two weekly home office days (provided the respective position allows); five weeks of holidays per year
• Attractive employee discounts for our products

Next steps

If this position matches your profile and career goals, we would love to get to know you! We look forward to receiving your full application through the Apply button.