Position Summary:The Director of Category Management, Distribution & Logistics is a client-facing leader responsible for owning and leading category strategy on behalf of our client. Acting as the accountable category owner, this role defines the strategic direction, owns category planning, and orchestrates delivery through a centralized Center of Excellence (COE) to execute sourcing initiatives and contract negotiations. The Director serves as a trusted advisor to clients, translating business objectives into actionable category strategies that deliver measurable value.
Responsibilities:- Client Advisory & D&L Category Leadership
- Serve as the primary strategic category leader and advisor for assigned client and category or categories.
- Partner with client and functional leaders to understand business objectives, constraints, and priorities.
- Translate client goals into clear category strategies, value levers, and execution roadmaps.
- Category Strategy & Planning
- Own the development and ongoing management of category strategies, including market analysis, spend diagnostics, supplier landscape assessments, and risk considerations.
- Lead annual and multi-year category planning, defining initiatives, savings targets, timelines, and success metrics.
- Continuously refine category strategies based on market shifts, client needs, and performance results.
- Center of Excellence (COE) Orchestration
- Leverage a centralized COE to deliver sourcing events, negotiations, and contract execution on behalf of the client.
- Set strategic direction and priorities for COE resources, ensuring alignment to client objectives.
- Provide governance, decision support, and quality oversight throughout sourcing and contracting cycles.
- Sourcing, Negotiation & Contract Outcomes
- Support negotiation strategies, commercial objectives, and supplier positioning.
- Directly support complex, high-value, or highly sensitive negotiations.
- Review and support sourcing recommendations, supplier selections, and contract structures to ensure value realization and risk mitigation.
- Value Delivery & Performance Management
- Own category-level performance, including savings, value creation, service levels, and risk outcomes.
- Establish and track KPIs, ensuring transparent reporting and clear communication of results to clients.
- Proactively identify additional opportunities for value, optimization, and innovation.
- Stakeholder & Supplier Engagement
- Build and maintain strong relationships with client stakeholders.
- Facilitate alignment across client procurement, finance, legal, and business teams.
- Engage strategically with key suppliers to drive performance, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Leadership & Practice Contribution
- Promote consistent methodologies, tools, and best practices across client engagements.
- Contribute to the evolution of category management frameworks, playbooks, and intellectual capital.
Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred.
- 10+ years of experience in category management, strategic sourcing, procurement consulting, or outsourced procurement services.
- Proven experience owning category strategy and delivering results in a client-facing or advisory environment.
- Demonstrated success influencing senior-level stakeholders in complex, matrixed environments.
- Experience managing vendor relationships and supporting high-value contract negotiations.
- Highly skilled in diplomacy, consensus-building, and cross-functional leadership.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with a strong commitment to client service and value creation.
- Polished communicator and presenter, both formally and informally.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel-based financial analysis and PowerPoint presentations.
- Proven experience driving operational transformation and organizational change management.
- Strong problem-solving, judgment, and leadership capabilities.
- Ability to operate strategically while maintaining comfort overseeing execution details.
Measures of Success:- Delivery of committed client value (savings, cost avoidance, and broader business outcomes).
- Quality and impact of category strategies and plans.
- Client satisfaction, trust, and engagement longevity.
- Effectiveness of COE utilization and execution.
- Supplier performance and contract effectiveness.
Travel: This position will require travel.
Other Duties: This Position Description is not an exhaustive list of the duties and responsibilities, and the employee is expected to perform other duties as necessary and assigned. The duties and responsibilities of this position may be modified at any time to meet changing business needs.
NOTE: The listed compensation range reflects the anticipated base pay for this role. Final compensation will be determined based on location, experience, and job-related factors, and may include additional benefits consistent with applicable pay transparency laws.
Pay Range
$125,000-$185,000 USD
