Category Manager

Industry: Manufacturing / Functional Hardware & Components

Our client is a well-established global manufacturing company with more than 125 years of history
, headquartered in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. The organization is a recognized leader in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of functional hardware, ergonomic solutions, storage systems, and related components
.

The company serves a diverse customer base, including OEMs, specialty distributors, hardware retailers, and major home improvement centers
, with an established supply chain spanning North America and Asia
.

We are seeking an experienced Commodity Manager to lead strategic sourcing and supplier development activities for assigned commodity categories. This position will be responsible for developing supplier strategies, driving cost reductions, negotiating contracts, optimizing supply chains, and partnering with Engineering and Operations teams on new product development and value engineering initiatives.

• Develop and execute strategic commodity and category management strategies across North American and Asian supply chains.
• Identify, develop, and manage strategic suppliers for assigned commodity categories.
• Drive year-over-year cost reductions
  , payment-term improvements, MOQ optimization, and total-cost savings.
• Lead sourcing activities in partnership with New Product Development (NPD), Engineering, Operations, and Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE) teams.
• Negotiate supplier pricing, contracts, annual renewals, payment terms, and commercial agreements.
• Identify opportunities to optimize supply chains for new and existing products and services.
• Manage sourcing projects, action items, supplier timelines, and deliverables.
• Establish and maintain strong supplier relationships through scorecards, performance metrics, and quarterly business reviews
  .
• Monitor supplier performance related to cost, quality, delivery, and service.
• Follow established Procurement Management Operating System (PMOS) processes and requirements.
• Research industry trends, market conditions, supplier capabilities, and emerging sourcing opportunities and risks.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support business objectives and supply chain improvements.

• 5+ years of experience in Supply Chain, Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, or Commodity Management.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Sourcing, Business, or a related field
  .
• Experience managing suppliers and sourcing activities within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, cost reduction, and category management
  .
• Experience working with ERP systems
  .
• Experience using Business Intelligence (BI) tools and data to support sourcing decisions.
• Strong project management, analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.

• Global sourcing experience, particularly with North American and Asian suppliers
  .
• Experience with new product development, VAVE, supplier development, or value engineering
  .
• Experience managing supplier scorecards and quarterly business reviews.
• Strong understanding of total-cost analysis and supply chain optimization.