Category Manager, Solar and BESS Equipment

As the Category Manager, Solar and BESS Equipment, you will lead Solar PV and Energy Storage sourcing activities & supplier management to implement opportunities to improve cost, quality, delivery, and reliability to reach organizational goals.

• Direct the segmentation of assigned spend into category and subcategory groupings to create levers for operational excellence.
• Lead the development of overall category strategies to meet organizational goals by improving Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), securing supply continuity, domestic content feasibility, and identifying/mitigating risks and opportunities.
• Maintain and deepen category knowledge by researching and tracking industry trends, best practices, and competitive offerings.
• Execute the category strategy by managing the Preferred Supplier List (PSL), rationalizing non-preferred suppliers, and rewarding preferred partners with business awards tied to Long-term Agreements (LTA).
• Develop, negotiate, and manage supplier contracts and pricing.
• Initiate and lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and other business reviews with strategic suppliers to align on strategy and goals.
• Assess, review, and scout new suppliers for continuous improvement and development.
• Manage day-to-day supplier relationships and escalated supplier disputes.
• Lead regular strategic partnership meetings with key suppliers to set commercial goals, address technical considerations, and develop opportunities for additional business.
• Coordinate and approve supplier onboarding and manage the contract repository and renewals.
• Drive Continuous Improvement (CI) across the supply chain, focusing on reducing lead times, improving cycle time, and ensuring transparency.
• Improve key metrics such as savings, payment terms, on-time delivery, and risk mitigation (including inflation).
• Capture and maintain the latest part pricing for Procurement.
• Develop productive working relationships and collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., Engineering, Tech Ops, Project Management, Delivery, and Procurement).
• Create presentations and analysis for strategic meetings (e.g., supplier relationship management, category strategies, risk mitigation proposals, and gap analysis).
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge through ongoing learning (workshops, publications, professional societies).
• Have Fun and do not take yourself too seriously.
• Additional duties, as required.

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
• Minimum 3+ years of procurement experience (preferably within industries with engineering, procurement, and construction projects, with a focus on procurement)
• Experience in negotiations, including RFI, RFP, RFQ, and contract development
• Benchmarking, Market Analysis, Competitive Intelligence, and Procurement Projects Management skills
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Self-starter with the ability to work autonomously and within a team.
• Passion to learn new things through self-study and structured settings
• Demonstrated abilities to coordinate across internal and external teams
• Experience in Category or Commodity Management of Hardware / Direct Materials
• Experience in C&I solar and battery storage
• Experience with vendor management, including purchase order issuance, execution, and administration.