Senior Category Manager

Senior Category Manager

Location: Houston, TX
Job Type: Full-Time | Permanent
Salary: Up to $125,000 + Bonus Eligible

Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Category Manager to lead strategic sourcing and category management initiatives across a multimillion-dollar portfolio of products and services. This is a high-impact role responsible for developing enterprise-wide category strategies, optimizing total cost of ownership (TCO), strengthening supplier partnerships, and driving cost savings while improving operational efficiency.

This position works closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to identify opportunities that improve supplier performance, enhance profitability, and support long-term business growth.

• Develop and execute enterprise-wide category strategies that deliver cost savings, margin improvement, and operational efficiencies.
• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives, supplier evaluations, RFPs, and complex contract negotiations.
• Manage supplier relationships and establish performance expectations, innovation initiatives, and continuous improvement plans.
• Analyze spending, inventory, sales trends, market conditions, and customer demand to make data-driven business decisions.
• Drive product assortment optimization and lifecycle management to maximize profitability and customer value.
• Identify opportunities to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), improve working capital, and increase revenue.
• Monitor supplier performance to ensure quality, service, compliance, and contractual obligations are consistently met.
• Research industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive markets to recommend innovative products and sourcing strategies.
• Prepare executive-level business cases, recommendations, and presentations that influence strategic decisions.
• Partner with stakeholders across Procurement, Operations, Finance, and other business units to achieve organizational objectives.
• Support additional procurement and strategic sourcing initiatives as needed.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Marketing, Finance, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in Category Management, Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, Merchandising, or Supplier Management.
• Strong experience negotiating supplier agreements and managing strategic vendor relationships.
• Excellent financial analysis and analytical problem-solving skills.
• Experience developing sourcing strategies that improve cost, quality, and supplier performance.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence executive leadership.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• High level of integrity and commitment to ethical business practices.
• Experience with ERP systems, preferably Coupa
  .
• Funeral or deathcare industry experience is a plus but not required.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Marketing, or Finance.
• ERP experience with Coupa or similar procurement platforms.
• Proven success managing multimillion-dollar spend categories.
• Experience driving supplier innovation and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Monday - Friday
• Standard business hours
• No regular work outside of 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

• Three interview rounds:
  • Microsoft Teams Interview
  • In-Person Interview
  • Final In-Person Interview

• Salary up to $125,000
  , depending on experience
• Bonus eligible
• Full-Time, Permanent opportunity
• Opportunity to lead enterprise-wide procurement initiatives and influence strategic business decisions.

If you're a strategic procurement professional who enjoys building supplier partnerships, driving sourcing strategies, and creating measurable business value, we'd love to hear from you.