Category Manager

Pay Range: $52.56hr - $56.32hr Job Overview:
Ensure the implementation of a compliant and sustainable sourcing strategy at the HUB level to support business needs. Support the Grid Automation business in North America with strategic category ownership and tactical execution across tender, project execution, supplier quality, and cost-reduction activities. The role is an individual contributor role supporting the NAM HUB Head of Supply Chain and requires close collaboration with proposal, execution, operational buying, supplier quality, engineering, and global category teams.

Lead the development and implementation of sourcing strategies for assigned spend categories to meet targets on total cost of ownership, supply reliability, and performance. Negotiate contracts and service level agreements to deliver business results. Define and support from a Supply Quality and Development lens on supplier management activities, and collaborate with stakeholders to support bidding, design to value (DtV), and product and project level activities.

Main Accountabilities
- Responsibilities, Tasks & Interactions:
Lead and own assigned categories to ensure exceptional performance, meeting or exceeding SCM KPIs such as Cost Reduction, Cost Avoidance, Payment Terms, On-Time Delivery, Spend with Qualified Supplier, and Spend under Frame Agreement. Define and agree on the work split between BU level and HUB Category Managers for all sourcing activities and assign responsibilities/ownership for suppliers. Develop the Sourcing Strategy for the category and drive its execution in line with the Continuous Improvement Process for Sourcing (CIPS).

Maintain cross-HUB collaboration for the assigned category, aligning strategy with key stakeholders and communicating regularly. Align and deliver on KPI targets for BU spend, focusing on cost, quality, and timely delivery. Report on financial and supply performance. Review the balance of demand vs. supply for critical materials, taking measures to secure supply and anticipate changes or new requirements. Drive Supply Quality & Development, resolving supplier issues.

Execute and sustain strategic sourcing activities, running risk mitigation actions to meet current and future business requirements, ensuring availability, supply base performance, and optimum total cost of ownership. Negotiation and Contracting:
Negotiate and conclude regional and local contracts, leveraging local/regional volumes and other negotiation tactics to maximize organizational benefits. Make award decisions based on Total Cost of Ownership (Client) methodology, minimizing the risk of supply disruptions. Cost Control Processes:
Regularly update and release commodity guidelines for bidding processes. Analyze commodity spend, market dynamics, and price developments, comparing cost development vs. market development on a total cost of ownership basis. Improve tender and project material costing, running tender/order-specific RFx and negotiations where applicable. Supply Base Management:
Oversee supplier relationships, reviewing contract execution, supply performance, improvement activities, and future plans. Drive Supplier Relationship Management with selected strategic suppliers, developing the agenda and leading business reviews with preferred/strategic suppliers and management. Lead supplier qualification, perform risk assessments, and plan and participate in audits regarding Supply Quality & Development. Evaluate, define, and monitor improvement measures for selected suppliers based on performance data, organizing or requesting resources accordingly.

Act as the resolution owner for escalated topics related to performance targets for local and regional suppliers. Identify and address performance issues, escalating with corrective and preventive measures. Manage claims to maximize compensation for the organization. Research and scout new suppliers in collaboration with other functions (e.g., SQ, Engineering). Projects:
Work closely with other functions to initiate, promote, and support projects, bringing value in total cost of ownership, risk mitigation, quality, cash, lead time, and material availability. Propose and perform make vs. buy studies and run SCM implementation. Coordinate technical development activities to reduce costs, reduce/eliminate quality risks, and improve the supply chain, involving internal and supplier experts to implement various SCM initiatives.

North America Specific Scope:
Identify, qualify, and…