Category Management Specialist - Advanced

Category Management Specialist - Advanced

Location:

Spring, TX, US, 77389

We are seeking a highly strategic and analytically driven Procurement MRO Category Manager to join our team. This role is responsible for developing and executing global go-to-market commercial strategies that maximize value identification and capture by leveraging the Company’s scale across MRO and Safety categories. As part of a cross‑functional and high-performing organization, this role will translate internal and external market insights into actionable category strategies that position the Company to achieve best‑in‑class total cost of ownership (TCO).

The ideal candidate will possess a strong blend of strategic mindset, analytical rigor, and communication skills, enabling them to articulate a clear, compelling category vision and align stakeholders and teams around common objectives to drive sustainable value creation.

• Develop and execute global MRO category strategies that leverage scale to optimize cost, improve service levels, and drive sustainable value across the enterprise
• Identify, engage, and build strong relationships with key stakeholders across Procurement, Supply Chain Materials Management, Global Operations Maintenance, Engineering, and Safety to align on category priorities
• Define category strategy scope by assessing spend, demand patterns, supplier landscape, and value levers to enable best‑in‑class total cost of ownership (TCO)
• Build and manage strategic supplier relationships, driving collaboration, innovation, and long‑term value creation while ensuring alignment with business objectives
• Provide strategic guidance and direction to contract managers on sourcing strategies, negotiations, and contract execution to ensure consistency and value delivery
• Analyze internal spend data and external market insights to identify opportunities, risks, and trends that inform category decision‑making
• Collaborate closely with Supply Chain Materials Management teams to improve inventory optimization, standardization, and demand planning practices
• Partner with Global Operations Maintenance organizations to understand operational requirements and ensure supplier solutions support reliability and efficiency goals
• Lead strategic supplier relationship management, including development of KPIs, scorecards, and governance routines to drive accountability and continuous improvement
• Identify and mitigate supply risks, including supply continuity, market volatility, and supplier dependency issues

Skills and

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, Finance, or a related field
• Minimum of 5 to 10 years of relevant experience in Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Category Management, or Supply Chain, with a strong focus on MRO categories
• Proven experience developing and executing category strategies that deliver measurable value and total cost of ownership (TCO) improvements
• Strong analytical capabilities with the ability to interpret complex datasets, generate insights, and translate findings into actionable strategies
• Excellent storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and align cross‑functional teams around a shared vision
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing strategic supplier relationships, including negotiations and performance management
• Strong business acumen with a solid understanding of supply markets, cost structures, and commercial models within MRO categories
• Experience collaborating with cross‑functional organizations, including Supply Chain Materials Management, Operations, Engineering, and Finance
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, particularly Excel and PowerPoint, with the ability to build clear and compelling presentations
• Experience with procurement tools and systems (e.g., ERP platforms, spend analytics tools) and familiarity with data visualization tools is a plus
• Ability to work independently and lead initiatives in a fast‑paced, global, and matrixed environment
• Strong problem‑solving skills, with a proactive and results‑oriented mindset
• Willingness to travel as needed to…