Category Manager; Onsite - Acton, MA

Position: Staff Category Manager (Onsite - Acton, MA)
Job Summary

This Category Manager role is a strategic sourcing and supplier management position focused on plastics resins, silicones, silicone molding, and adhesives used in Insulet's medical devices. The individual will develop and execute global sourcing strategies, negotiate supplier contracts, manage supplier performance, ensure supply continuity and capacity, and drive cost reduction and risk mitigation initiatives. Working closely with Engineering, Supplier Engineering, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams, this person will also support new material qualifications, sustainability goals, and continuous improvement efforts.

The ideal candidate has extensive procurement and supplier management experience, strong technical knowledge of plastics and related materials, and a proven track record of negotiating contracts, delivering cost savings, and building strong supplier partnerships in a manufacturing or medical device environment.

Job Title:

Category Manager

Department:
Manufacturing

FLSA Status:
Exempt

Position Overview:

The Category Manager develops and executes sourcing strategies and procurement processes for the plastic resin, silicone, silicone molding and adhesives category. This person delivers value to the business by improving quality, ensuring high delivery and service performance, ensuring capacity, reducing total cost of ownership, mitigating supply risk, aligning with suppliers on product roadmaps and innovative supplier technologies, and driving continuous improvement.

Responsibilities:

* Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop, implement, and execute a global sourcing strategy for the plastics resin, silicone, silicone molding, and adhesives category

* Develop strategies and execute global supply contracts that deliver against business objectives, support aggressive growth, mitigate risk, and reduce total cost of ownership.

* Coordinate qualification activities of alternate materials with Supplier Engineering and R&D as one method of risk mitigation through dual sourcing.

* Establish collaborative relationships with our suppliers, including their senior management.

* Hold suppliers accountable for performance, by including the use of formal processes such as Q 's, Action tracking and Performance Monitoring.

* Collaborate with supply planning and supplier engineering to ensure capacity requirements are met.

* Support internal customers and global manufacturing plants, including Injection Molders and CM's, and be an effective escalation point for supplier performance, capacity, and shortage mitigation.

* Collaborate with Supplier Engineering and Lifecycle engineering to maintain a pipeline of cost reduction opportunities for the Plastics category to drive year over year cost reductions of greater than 6% annually.

* Drive cost reduction projects that will help Insulet achieve 70% gross margins.

* Provide detailed cost/benefit analysis.

* Collaborate with Insulet's Sustainability and Engineering teams to achieve the company's goals for sustainability improvements, utilizing materials that are eco-conscious.

* Perform other duties and lead projects as required.

Education and Experience:

* Minimum Requirements:

* Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain or engineering related discipline;
Master's Degree in Business Administration or Engineering preferred.

* 8+ years' relevant experience leading a procurement category in sourcing, negotiating, contracting, supplier management and project management

* Prior experience in global strategic sourcing and supplier management of plastic resins, silicones, adhesives, other material, and processes, using strategic category management techniques to achieve results. Strong technical aptitude relating to this category is required.

* Understanding of the capabilities, materials, supplier capabilities and industry trends.

* Success in selecting suppliers and negotiating contracts that have deliver robust supply chain solutions.

* Demonstrated track record of measurable cost savings on an annual basis.

* Experience in successfully using benchmarking and cost analysis tools to deliver negotiation outcomes.

* Must possess the social intelligence to influence…