Category Manager - Direct Materials

Category Manager - Direct Materials

We invite you to join our Corporate Procurement team s role reports directly to the Procurement Director – Advanced Performance Materials and Thermal & Specialized Solutions at our Wilmington, DE headquarters.

• Drive strategic sourcing process by gathering inputs/requirements/business objectives to develop and lead global category strategies that may include both specialties such as precious metals and catalysts as well as commodities such as hydrofluorocarbons and other critical raw materials to deliver reliable, cost‑advantaged, and sustainable supply across multiple business units.
• Strategic thought partner that fosters strong cross‑functional engagement and working partnerships to enable strategic planning and forecasting. Understand customer requirements such as volume, price, quality, delivery mode, supply risk and supply chain impacts and incorporate them into category strategies. Executive‑level engagements with internal and supplier stakeholders which require advanced communication and personal skills and deep business understanding.
• Identify and mitigate supply risk, critical path supplies and services and help monitor/manage related site risks. Proactively develop and implement effective risk mitigation strategies for key materials.
• Define negotiation targets: most desired outcome, best alternative, least acceptable outcome. Develop negotiation plans, gain alignment from stakeholders, lead cross‑functional negotiation teams, and drive commercial negotiations to achieve best possible TCO pricing while maintaining set quality standards. Negotiate, prepare and execute procurement agreements.
• Conduct negotiations, document agreements in contract terms and conditions, conduct contract legal and financial reviews, obtain internal approvals, implement contracts, review contract/supplier performance after implementation. Review and manage supplier contracts to ensure compliance with terms and conditions, drive value on new and existing contracts. Author agreements with firm KPIs that enhance compliance.
• Work efficiently between internal data (spend, contract data) and external intel and market trends, analyze local and macro markets, and identify opportunities to optimize category portfolio to drive maximum value. Utilize data analytics to identify purchasing trends, identify timing for commercial action, and inform decision‑makers.
• Analyze market trends, competitor activity, and customer demand to identify potential products or services and suppliers. Understand supply market – production routes, supplier share, market price, alternatives. Drive cost efficiency challenges in a volatile commodity market and chemical indices that require constant market monitoring.
• Build and maintain relationships with suppliers, negotiate pricing, payment terms, and delivery schedules. Facilitate new supplier introductions; manage, consolidate, and drive lower tail spend where feasible.
• Develop category/sub‑category sourcing strategy and align with business and stakeholders. Prepare regular reports on category performance, key insights, and actionable recommendations to senior managers.
• Develop metrics and work with digital to automate. Understand and align with the goals and requirements of stakeholders and share progress and results of dashboards, metrics, KPIs and benchmarks.
• Drive cost savings/avoidance, and working capital improvements through collaborative efforts with suppliers, internal customers and procurement category managers.
• Mentor/co‑coach Associate Category Managers on category management, supplier management, supply risk, and stakeholder engagement.
• Lead bidding strategy and execute RFX, requests for proposals and competitive bids. Drive use of bidding optimizations/automation.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain or engineering.
• Must have 7 years of experience procuring or managing categories related to the chemical industry.
• Strong expertise in strategic sourcing or supply chain management domain experience (category management, vendor management, SRM, supply risk, regulatory compliance, segmentation/taxonomy).
• Strategic…