Category Manager; Direct

Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

• Develop and execute global sourcing and category strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Lead strategic sourcing activities for:
• Metals and metal-related components
• Machined parts
• Mechanical assemblies
• Fabricated components
• OEM/distribution products
• Tier 2 mechanical suppliers
• Support strategic sourcing and supplier management initiatives for IT hardware and software, professional services, travel/P-Card spend, legal services, and marketing services.
• Analyze spend, market conditions, supplier capabilities, cost drivers, and business requirements to identify opportunities for cost reduction, supplier consolidation, and improved commercial terms.
• Develop category strategies, sourcing roadmaps, and pipelines of cost savings and cost-avoidance initiatives.
• Lead RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, competitive bidding, supplier evaluations, and sourcing events.
• Identify opportunities to leverage enterprise-wide purchasing volume and optimize the supplier base.

• Manage strategic sourcing for metals, machined parts, fabricated components, mechanical assemblies, high-volume parts, OEM/distribution products, and other direct materials.
• Develop a strong understanding of manufacturing processes, materials, supplier capabilities, capacity constraints, and industry trends.
• Partner with Engineering and Operations on value engineering/value analysis, design optimization, product cost initiatives, and make-versus-buy decisions.
• Ensure suppliers can support current and future production requirements and business growth.
• Develop sourcing strategies that balance cost, quality, delivery, capacity, technology, and supply risk.
• Establish and maintain strong strategic relationships with key suppliers.
• Lead supplier selection, qualification, onboarding, development, and performance management.
• Monitor supplier quality, delivery, capacity, cost, service, and overall performance.
• Conduct regular supplier performance reviews and Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs).
• Establish measurable supplier performance objectives and drive corrective actions when requirements are not met.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for significant supplier quality, delivery, capacity, commercial, and service issues.
• Collaborate with suppliers on capacity planning, technology capabilities, product roadmaps, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop and execute negotiation strategies that achieve business objectives and reduce total cost of ownership.
• Drive year-over-year cost savings and cost avoidance through competitive sourcing, supplier negotiations, supplier consolidation, benchmarking, value engineering, process improvements, and market intelligence.
• Conduct total cost, pricing, benchmarking, and should-cost analysis.
• Monitor commodity, raw material, labor, logistics, technology, and market trends affecting supplier pricing.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, lead times, capacity commitments, service levels, warranties, and other commercial terms.
• Establish measurable savings targets and maintain visibility to the sourcing pipeline and realized savings.

• Negotiate and manage supplier commercial agreements across assigned categories.
• Ensure NDAs, SOWs, purchase agreements, master service agreements, software agreements, and other applicable contracts are executed in a timely manner.
• Manage the contract lifecycle, including renewals, amendments, pricing reviews, and changes to commercial terms.
• Partner with Legal and internal stakeholders to ensure appropriate contractual protections and compliance.
• Maintain accurate documentation of sourcing decisions, supplier agreements, pricing, and commercial terms.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, or a related discipline.
• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management, procurement, or supplier management.
• Significant experience managing direct procurement and manufacturing-related categories, particularly metals, machined parts, mechanical components,…