Senior Indirect Category Specialist Technical MRO & Plant Services

It's exciting to work for a company that makes the world measurably better. We're committed to bringing safety, quality, and customer focus to the business of advanced ceramics manufacturing.

The Senior Indirect Category Specialist, Technical MRO & Plant Services is responsible for developing and executing category strategies across technical MRO, maintenance services, production tooling, refractory products, engineered consumables, and other indirect categories, requiring cross-functional qualification and implementation. This role serves as the link between Procurement, Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, and Plant Leadership to identify sourcing opportunities, qualify supplier alternatives, and drive adoption of enterprise sourcing strategies.

The position is responsible for transforming fragmented plant-level spend into managed categories through supplier segmentation, category roadmaps, sourcing initiatives, qualification programs, and performance management. The role leads strategic sourcing projects focused on total cost of ownership, supply continuity, equipment reliability, and operational performance.

• We are an ITAR Regulated Company and to be considered for Employment with us you must be either a US Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident**
• This role is Onsite at our Golden, CO Global Headquarters location**

• Develop and execute category strategies for technical MRO, maintenance services, production tooling, refractory products, engineered consumables, and other assigned indirect categories.
• Create category roadmaps that improve supplier performance, reduce cost, mitigate risk, and support operational reliability.
• Build and maintain category taxonomies, supplier segmentation models, opportunity pipelines, and sourcing roadmaps.
• Identify, prioritize, and execute strategic sourcing opportunities, across multi-site and global operations.
• Analyze internal and external data sources to identify opportunities for cost reduction, specification harmonization, supplier consolidation, and supply chain optimization.

• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives including market analysis, supplier identification, RFx development, negotiations, supplier selection, contracting, and implementation.
• Develop qualified-source strategies for technical and operationally critical categories.
• Lead supplier qualification programs, controlled trials, and validation activities, in partnership with Engineering and Operations.
• Establish and maintain supplier performance scorecards, business reviews, and continuous improvement programs.
• Evaluate supplier capabilities, cost structures, technical performance, capacity, risk, and geographic exposure.

• Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, and plant leadership to understand equipment, process, and material requirements.
• Develop qualified alternative sourcing strategies that protect performance, quality, reliability, and supply continuity.
• Lead implementation of sourcing decisions through site engagement, change management, training, and performance monitoring.
• Establish governance processes supporting specification management, supplier qualification, approval workflows, and category compliance.
• Drive enterprise adoption of approved suppliers, contracts, and category strategies, across multiple manufacturing sites.

• Measure category performance using total cost of ownership methodologies.
• Track and report savings, contract coverage, supplier performance, compliance, working capital improvements, and risk mitigation results.
• Present results,…