Category Manager

Position Title: Category Manager I

Requisition : REQ-4147

Position Type: Full time

EPRI provides thought leadership, industry expertise, and collaborative value to help the electricity sector identify issues, technology gaps, and broader needs that can be addressed through effective research and development programs for the benefit of society.

Category Manager I

Charlotte, NC, North Carolina Home Office

Summary

The Category Lead I, Meetings, Events & Corporate Travel, manages EPRI's corporate travel and meetings and events categories. This role partners with internal stakeholders and external suppliers to deliver cost-effective, compliant, safe, and high-quality travel and event solutions. The position supports category strategy, supplier selection, contract negotiations, supplier performance, demand management, traveler and meeting-planner experience, and continuous improvement. The successful candidate may bring experience from sourcing and procurement, corporate travel management, meetings and events management, hospitality, travel operations, or supplier account management.

Formal sourcing experience is preferred but is not required when the candidate demonstrates strong commercial judgment, supplier-management capabilities, analytical skills, and the ability to learn EPRI's sourcing and contracting processes.

Under the direct supervision of the Sourcing and Procurement Manager, manages the Meetings and Events and Corporate Travel categories and negotiates agreements with domestic and international suppliers, including hotels, venues, travel management companies, airlines, ground transportation providers, event-service providers, and travel-technology suppliers. The Category Lead I negotiates pricing, discounts, rebates, concessions, service levels, implementation support, reporting, credits, and appropriate allocation of commercial and operational risk.

Key Responsibilities

Acquisition Terms Negotiation:

• Under guidance, negotiates sourcing agreements and acquisition terms with an understanding of contract risk; drafts agreement terms that ensure business needs and compliance are met while accurately reflecting the arrangement between the parties
• Negotiates favorable economic value with a "total cost" perspective, and tracks and reports cost savings and avoidance; evaluates financial proposals, brings to manager's attention sources with poor financial performance
• Supports in the development of a risk analysis matrix for moderate and high-risk arrangements and presents cases for, and documents business decisions

Vendor Management:

• Identifies strategic vendors, and assists in the development of a continuity-of-business plan with alternate sources of supply
• Identifies, and aids in the selection of, sources of supply
• Monitors vendor performance; engages with strategic vendors by developing collaborative relationships and under guidance works to align EPRI-vendor objectives; conducts routine review of the account/relationship
• With guidance, works to (1) identify opportunities for consolidation of supply base, and (2) identify RFX opportunities; with manager or designee support, (a) conducts RFX events and ensures objective, documented contract awards, and (b) formulates business cases with objective information/data
• Resolves vendor non-compliance, brings to manager's attention cases requiring dispute resolution, and performs agreement cancellations and terminations unrelated to performance issues

Market Analysis:

• Keeps updated on trends in industries related to assigned category, remains informed about developments in other parts of the organization that have impact on acquisitions/procurement
• Surveys market conditions; identifies, makes recommendations and aids in the selection of, best sources of supply

Spend Category Strategy Development:

• With guidance, develops category acquisition strategies, monitors, and reports progress
• Helps manage organizational change that results from implementation of category-based acquisition strategies

Internal Dynamics, Collaboration and Communication:

• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with internal clients and stakeholders, is aware of category budgets, client needs and departmental strategies, understands overall company objectives (raises conflicting objectives to the attention of manager); reviews acquisition scopes for value and compliance
• Develops ideas and strategies to improve operational…