Category Manager; Transmission Procurement

Job Summary

Act as lead for assigned Procurement projects, programs, and sourcing categories. Oversee the specific projects and sourcing categories by providing leadership to team members in a variety of strategic areas including sourcing, procurement, contracts, supplier relationship management, supplier development, and strategy development and execution. Position will have responsibility for achieving annual savings targets from $5 million to $20 million and manage categories with an annual spend from $100 million to $700 million for materials and services.

Highly advanced level of knowledge and responsibility for developing, negotiating, executing and maintaining strategic sourcing agreements for specific categories for the procurement of materials, equipment and/or services used by AEP internal customers. The Procurement Category Manager will identify cost reduction opportunities and capture real Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) savings (direct or indirect) by aggregating sourcing volumes.

• Manage project-driven sourcing activities for a variety of market baskets that are normally associated with high-spend, high-impact and often complex categories across multiple business unit stakeholders.
• Develop and implement strategies to achieve corporate savings goals.
• Establish effective relationships and work collaboratively with Business Unit customers and suppliers to maintain customer satisfaction.
• Interface with Business Unit leadership to report ongoing progress to goals.
• Champion new initiatives that support shared business objectives, the business unit partner's needs, and enable the company to operate efficiently in a competitive and changing environment.

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration or related field of study. MBA or Purchasing certification is preferred but not required.

Experience: 6 years supply chain experience. Advanced negotiations and ability to execute complex business transactions.

• Must have strong analytical, teamwork and communication skills.
• Must have ability to effectively work with all levels of internal management and external suppliers and must be able to prioritize and coordinate activities to successfully perform in this position.
• Previous experience leading employees/teams preferred.
• Category Knowledge.
• Expert knowledge of supply base, including market economics, supply base cost structure, supply base trends and supplier segmentation.
• Expert knowledge of market forces shaping customer business context.
• Ability to conduct independent market intelligence and leverage personal network.
• Demonstrated experience in identifying and utilizing full set of supply levers to drive category performance, including the development of complex collaboration partnerships with suppliers.
• Ability to conduct benchmarking and measure category performance across cost, quality, risk, innovation and operating processes.
• Ability to provide thought leadership to customers and actively shape customer overall strategy through a sourcing lens.
• Expert negotiation skills analytical & technical.
• Ability to use automated technology systems to inform category strategies & SRM activities.
• Experience using e-procurement tools.
• Ability to quantify financial benefits for identified opportunities and initiatives.
• Experience developing complex cost and financial models.
• Highly proficient with Excel and MS Office Suite.
• Ability to draw strategic insight from analysis and effectively summarize and present insights based on audience needs.
• Experience with Ariba suite of tools is a plus;
  Change Management & Relationship Management.
• Independent self‑starter and able to motivate others to accomplish ambiguous tasks.
• Demonstrated track record of identifying root causes to issues and proactively resolving problems, leveraging cross‑functional business partnerships.
• Demonstrated success at facilitating processes for complex issues and partnering cross‑functionally.
• Ability to lead teams in a matrixed organization across geographic and functional reporting lines.
• Ability to own and strengthen relationships with key business partners & executives.
• Compelling and…