Category Manager (Energy & Chemical Procurement) 156028

Job Description

Category Manager, Chemical & Energy Procurement is responsible for the strategic management of all Utilities, Industrial Gases, Chemical and Energy procurement in the North America region. He/she will drive value delivery—including savings, innovation, quality, sustainability, speed, and risk management. The role develops and executes comprehensive category strategies, manages supplier relationships, and leverages market insights to achieve competitive advantage and cost savings.

• Develop and execute category strategies, driving value through data‑driven initiatives in demand management, strategic sourcing, innovation, and process efficiencies across the North America region.
• Conduct thorough market research and analysis to understand industry trends, supplier landscapes, emerging opportunities and risks, and align with manufacturing and business needs.
• Build strong relationships with key suppliers, negotiate contracts, evaluate supplier performance, and support functional and cross‑functional teams on special projects.
• Partner with business to ensure category strategies align with broader organizational objectives and support business needs.
• Drive alignment with fellow Category Managers to achieve value synergies across regions and segments, share best practices, and lead improvement efforts.
• Lead tender events, award recommendations, price agreements, and frame contracts, developing low‑cost/high‑service strategies in line with the overall sourcing and procurement plan.
• Draft, review, and finalize contract creation.
• Maintain initiatives in PMO tracking tool and report progress and procurement KPIs to CPO biweekly.
• Identify and mitigate risks within the category, including supply chain disruptions, price volatility, and compliance.
• Evaluate new digital tools (e.g., e‑auction) and support implementation plans.
• Influence leadership decisions toward optimal outcomes, accounting for multiple perspectives in category management.
• Drive and improve the performance of strategic procurement activities, developing short‑term and long‑term strategies to lower costs and enable growth.
• Promote and champion new ideas and best practices, introducing best practices from top‑performing procurement organizations.
• Monitor and report department budgets, work with site operations on incidental charges, and vet monthly invoices for payment.
• Collaborate with IT to correct procurement system issues and optimize efficiencies through automation.

• Strategic planning and implementation for chemical and energy procurement.
• Savings initiative leadership and strategic sourcing.
• Category data analysis and data‑driven decision making.
• Market screening, tenders, and concept competitions.
• Supplier and market analysis.
• Negotiation strategy and execution.
• Awarding scenarios, price agreements, and frame contracts.
• Contract drafting and review.
• Performance tracking against benchmarks.
• Supplier development and collaboration.
• Digital tools evaluation and implementation.

• Influential decision making and business case communication.
• Strategic thinking beyond transactional activities.
• Stakeholder collaboration internally and externally.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, finance, supply chain, or equivalent; MBA or advanced degree a plus.
• Certifications such as CPSM, CTPRP, CISA, CISSP highly regarded.

• 10+ years of total procurement experience.
• 5+ years in category management, preferably within large companies with USD 250 million+ procurement spend.
• Proven track record of implementing impactful initiatives and collaborating across regions.
• Experience managing diverse supplier bases, improving performance, and driving innovation.
• Experience driving strategic decisions based on market analysis.
• Experience negotiating, managing, and administering complex contracts.
• Experience integrating digital tools into procurement processes.
• Experience resolving issues and identifying root causes.
• Experience with workflow management tools, ERP systems (e.g., SAP), and Microsoft Office applications.
• 20% travel required.

Eligibility to work in the United States without company sponsorship now or in the future.

We are an equal opportunity employer.

Drug tests are required unless prohibited by state law.

This employer uses E‑Verify.