Global Category Manager - Contracts and Purchased Finished Goods; remote

Global Category Manager

The Global Category Manager leads the strategic procurement category management for assigned categories, with a primary focus on third-party manufacturing, external supply partners, and purchased finished goods. This role drives value through cost optimization, supplier performance improvement, and risk mitigation while ensuring continuity of supply and service excellence. The successful candidate will lead cross-functional initiatives, manage strategic supplier relationships, and leverage data-driven insights, market intelligence, and benchmarking to deliver innovative procurement solutions aligned with business objectives.

This role also serves as the commercial owner of supplier contracts, including contract strategy, negotiation, execution, lifecycle management, and governance, and provides contracting support for purchased finished goods. The Global Category Manager partners closely with Legal, Quality, Finance, and business stakeholders to structure and manage agreements that optimize total cost of ownership, mitigate risk, and ensure compliance.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement category strategies globally, including identifying needs, project planning, collecting internal and external data, performing strategic analysis and identifying opportunities, formulating procurement strategies and developing implementation plans.
• Form, lead, and facilitate cross-functional teams as applicable to execute the procurement process and plans; enable supplier selection and decision process; lead/facilitate contract development, negotiation and execution process, including complex commercial negotiations involving pricing, service levels, risk allocation, liability, and performance incentives.
• Manage strategy alignment, long term security of supply, supplier performance, and establish preferred supply base.
• Ensure optimal supplier pricing, supply responsiveness, quality, and contractual compliance.
• Own the end-to-end contract lifecycle, including negotiation, execution, amendments, renewals, compliance monitoring, and terminations.
• Partner with Legal to structure and negotiate contract terms and lead resolution of disputes, claims, and performance gaps.
• Establish and maintain master agreements, long-term supply agreements, and SOW frameworks that support scalability, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency.
• Develop appropriate risk management strategies which anticipate and address an extensive range of commercial, supply, and contractual risk scenarios to assure supply of ICU Medical's requirements.
• Maintain industry intelligence on technology trends, sourcing options, and competitive pricing.
• Measure and report on commodity performance objectives, monitor supplier performance, conduct periodic business reviews, and initiate corrective action when necessary, including contract-based KPIs, SLAs, and scorecards.
• Review, negotiate, and maintain Supplier Agreements and supporting documentation.
• Benchmark prices and pricing information to ensure that the company is receiving the most cost-effective, highest quality products.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders to support the sourcing process.
• Coordinate with other functions and impacted stakeholders to assure timely implementation and compliance with the agreed sourcing strategies.
• Work on special assignments as they arise.

Knowledge &

Skills:

• Comprehensive understanding of strategic sourcing and category management.
• Demonstrated leadership including the ability to develop a vision, strategies, and tactics that will lead the organization to stated goals and objectives.
• Strong negotiating, project management, problem solving, relationship management and decision-making skills are essential, including experience leading complex, high-value, or high-risk commercial negotiations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal interactions skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Superior data management skills utilizing Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to multitask, work in a demanding environment, and meet deadlines.
• Adva…