1KOMMA5°
At 1KOMMA5°, we pursue a clear vision: Living on wind and sunlight forever for free. To make this a reality, we are building the energy system of the future with Heartbeat AI. Want to be part of it? We bring together regional craftsmanship and scalable software: We don't think of solar, batteries, heat pumps, and e-mobility as isolated components, but control them as an intelligent, integrated overall system in our virtual power plant. Directly connected to the electricity market – in real time, fully automated. This way, energy is used when it is available from renewables and particularly cost-effective. By 2030, our goal is to transition 1.5 million households to renewable energies. Over 3,000 people are working towards this every day, at more than 80 locations worldwide, from Finland to Australia.
Want to take responsibility and build solutions that truly matter? Apply now and help us shape the energy world of tomorrow.
Your mission
As a (Senior) Category Manager IT & Software, you own the strategic procurement of 1KOMMA5°'s entire IT landscape — from SaaS and licences to hardware and IT services. You do not think in individual orders; you think in volume. You consolidate, bundle, and negotiate so that every euro counts. You go beyond the traditional procurement role — actively challenging the existing software and hardware landscape, identifying redundancies, and driving consolidation initiatives. At the same time, you guide new requirements through a structured process from market screening to contract award. You work closely with business units across the company — as a strategic partner, but also as a critical sparring partner who questions needs and presents alternatives.
Your Responsibilities:
Strategic Procurement & Category Ownership
End-to-end responsibility for the SaaS, licences, hardware, and IT services categories
Development and execution of a clear category strategy focused on volume consolidation, cost reduction, and sustainable supplier relationships
Execution of RFQ/RFP processes, recurring negotiations, and complex price negotiations with IT vendors and software providers
Management and development of existing supplier relationships with a focus on contract quality and cost optimisation
Enterprise Cost Cutting & Volume Bundling
Consolidation of software landscapes: identifying redundancies, overlaps, and consolidation potential across business units
Development and execution of ambitious cost-down initiatives through volume bundling and contract optimisation
Building structured forecasting for licence and hardware volumes to proactively manage demand and contract cycles
Negotiation of enterprise agreements and framework contracts with strategic IT suppliers
Demand Management & Business Units
Close collaboration with business units as a strategic partner and critical sparring partner
Actively challenging existing software and hardware needs: Why does a solution exist? Are there alternatives? Can multiple tools be replaced by one?
Guiding new requirements from structured market screening through to contract award — including vendor evaluation and comparison
Promoting a cross-functional awareness of cost and efficiency in the use of IT resources
Process & Reporting
KPI-based steering and data-driven reporting across all managed categories
Standardisation of workflows in ERP and procurement systems
Active knowledge sharing and promotion of best practices within the team
Your profile
Degree in Business Informatics, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a comparable field — ideally with a technical or IT-related focus
Several years of experience in strategic indirect procurement of IT hardware and software
Strong understanding of SaaS models, licence structures, hardware procurement, and IT service contracts
Experience conducting RFQ/RFP processes, recurring negotiations, and structuring enterprise agreements and framework contracts
Proven track record in volume consolidation and delivering cost-down initiatives
Strong ability to critically challenge requirements and evaluate alternatives in a structured way
Highly analytical and data-driven, with a solid understanding of cost structures and contract models
Confident communicator, persuasive with both business stakeholders and external suppliers at all levels
Fluent in English
Benefits
You are part of an international, dynamic, and highly motivated team of people who have proven to make things happen
With your work, you accelerate the "energy transition" and hence have a direct impact on our climate
Work with and learn from other super-smart colleagues
You will enjoy direct contact with core decision-makers
You work remotely (Germany-wide), with offices in Hamburg, Berlin, or Munich
Create a healthy balance alongside your work and enjoy all the benefits of the EGYM Wellpass
Benefits and discounts are yours with Futurebens
Whether city bike or e-bike - be flexible with our job bike leasing and do something good for the environment at the same time
1KOMMA5° is building Europe's largest virtual power plant called Heartbeat AI, combining regional craftsmanship with scalable software to create an intelligent, integrated energy system. The company controls solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, and e-mobility solutions as interconnected components within a virtual power plant that operates directly connected to electricity markets in real time and fully automated. By optimizing when renewable energy is available and most cost-effective, 1KOMMA5° aims to transition 1.5 million households to renewable energies by 2030. The company integrates smart metering, steering of distributed energy resources, and hardware solutions to enable the energy transition at scale.
