Sourcing Category Manager

Job Summary

This position is responsible for managing purchases of 500-750 unique items, focusing on best‑cost negotiations, consistent and stable supply of goods while reducing risk to Medline. This person will provide insights on geo‑political risks impacting costs and work on solutions globally to reduce risks while finding the next low‑cost options. The role involves close collaboration with product management teams for new product launches and the development of sourcing strategies to optimize costs.

This person's responsibilities include negotiating favorable terms with suppliers, managing product categories, resolving quality issues, and evaluating sourcing strategies for both domestic and international suppliers. Manage a mix of both finished goods, manufacturing inputs, and raw materials to drive value and enhance GM for target commodities.

Manage direct spend categories to drive best‑cost, supply continuity, and risk reduction. Negotiate favorable terms, volume discounts, and long‑term contracts with suppliers and vendor partners. Serve as the leader and owner of category management, driving key vendor conversations.

Provide strategic insights on global and geopolitical changes impacting tariffs, raw materials and regulatory requirements. Define strategies to overcome obstacles that drive higher costs and supply instability. Provide high‑level product expertise on all managed categories, including raw material inputs, manufacturing techniques, and key vendors.

Develop and implement negotiation tactics to mitigate price hikes, utilizing Medline’s volume, sourcing tools and exploring options such as dual sourcing or engaging new global vendors. Execute a risk profile for each sourced country, considering multiple country sourcing, dual sourcing and geopolitical factors. Recommend vendors based on that strategic risk assessment.

Act as a subject‑matter expert across a broad mix of product categories, analyzing and evaluating cost inputs to contribute to cost‑optimization efforts and drive best‑cost outcomes. Conduct Make vs. Buy analysis for sourced products to identify the most cost‑effective and efficient solutions.

Assist in creating and implementing a global sourcing strategy to drive vendor performance, including vendor allocation optimization, re‑sourcing and cost containment for assigned categories. Provide insights based on market research and supplier performance to help optimize the strategy. Identify new cost‑savings opportunities within the product category to drive GM growth.

Collaborate with Supply Chain, Quality and Product Management teams to maintain and develop vendors and products, reducing supply risk and ensuring a healthy supply chain. Manage activity for Medline part and vendor numbers, establish new part numbers for supplier moves, packaging optimization and PIRs. Work closely with the reorder buying group to address ongoing issues with problem suppliers when initial communication efforts have failed, helping to analyze the situation, gather data, and facilitate discussions to find resolutions and improve supplier performance.

Travel required up to 10%, including domestic and international travel.

• Education:
  
  Bachelor’s degree.
• Work Experience:
  
  At least 2–3 years of sourcing experience.
• Experience leading category strategies, supplier relationship management, and sourcing initiatives.
• Experience negotiating with outside vendors, including contracts, prices and reconciliation of differences.
• Experience documenting procedures and internal controls.
• Experience analyzing and reporting data to identify issues, trends or exceptions and drive improvement of results.
• Experience controlling and coordinating concurrent projects, competing priorities and critical deadlines.
• Ability to work across multiple time zones and locations.

• Fluent in Spanish.
• International sourcing experience.
• Experience with Medline Industries, LP and its subsidiaries.

The anticipated salary range for this position is $85,000.00 – $ per year. The actual salary will vary based on applicant’s location, education, experience, skills…