Liberty Utilities Co.

Category Manager - Utility Procurement

Liberty Utilities Co.$110K — $160K *
Energy & Utilities
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent education needed.
  • Minimum of 8 years in strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement.
  • Experience managing complex category portfolios with annual spend of $50M to $100M.
  • Strong commercial, analytical, and financial skills required.
  • Proficient in procurement and ERP systems such as Ariba and SAP.
  • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills vital.
  • Experience in regulated industries like utilities or construction preferred.

Responsibilities

  • Own and execute category strategy for capital commodities.
  • Manage financial performance including spend planning and savings tracking.
  • Lead sourcing events, negotiate contracts, and execute agreements.
  • Monitor and manage supplier performance to improve service and compliance.
  • Provide market and supplier intelligence for informed sourcing decisions.
  • Utilize analytics and visibility tools to track and enhance savings performance.

Benefits

  • Company-funded pension program.
  • 401k plan with company matching.
  • Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits.
  • Flexible working environment.
  • Share purchase/match plan available.
  • Defined Contribution savings plan offered.
  • Participation in the Top Talent Program.
  • Paid volunteer days for employee engagement.
  • Employee Assistance Program for support.
  • Achievement fund to recognize employee contributions.
Full Job Description
Purpose

This is a high-impact category leadership role responsible for capital commodities and support for additional enterprise categories as needed. The Category Manager will shape category strategy, lead complex sourcing and commercial negotiations, and influence key business decisions across cost, risk, quality, reliability, and continuity of supply. This role offers significant visibility across Procurement, Operations, Engineering, Legal, Finance, and senior leadership, and is well suited for a commercially strong, analytically driven leader who thrives in a dynamic, regulated environment.

#LI-Hybrid

Accountabilities

  • Own category strategy and execution for capital commodities and assigned spend areas, translating business demand, market conditions, and risk considerations into actionable sourcing plans.
  • Own the financial performance of assigned categories, including spend planning, forecasting, savings pipeline development, benefits tracking, and leadership reporting; must demonstrate prior experience managing approximately $50 million to $100 million in annual category spend.
  • Lead competitive sourcing events, commercial negotiations, and contract execution, including pricing structures, terms and conditions, service levels, and governance mechanisms.
  • Manage supplier performance through scorecards, business reviews, and corrective action plans to improve cost, service, safety, compliance, and resiliency.
  • Provide market intelligence, pricing insight, and supplier due diligence to inform decisions, manage volatility, and strengthen continuity of supply.
  • Use spend analytics and visibility tools to identify opportunities, monitor results, and recommend corrective actions where performance, savings, or supply assurance is off track.


Education and Experience

  • University - Bachelor degree or equivalent
  • 8+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement, including complex negotiations, contract management, and supplier governance.
  • Demonstrated success managing complex category portfolios with approximately $50 million to $100 million in annual spend accountability.
  • Strong commercial, analytical, and financial acumen, including spend analysis, total cost of ownership, cost modeling, forecasting, and benefits tracking.
  • Experience using procurement and ERP systems such as Ariba and SAP, along with spend visibility tools such as Sievo or similar platforms.
  • Executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams, challenge constructively, and build alignment in a matrixed environment.
  • Utility, infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, capital projects, or other regulated-industry sourcing experience.
  • Experience with commodity contracting, pricing structures, supply market analysis, logistics considerations, and risk management concepts relevant to capital commodities.
  • Familiarity with utility operating environments, including safety expectations, service continuity requirements, emergency response planning, and cross-functional coordination with operations and engineering teams.
  • Professional certifications such as CPSM or CPM, and an MBA or other advanced degree, are valued.


Compensation Data

Full base salary range $110,000.00- $160,000.00 per year*Liberty considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education, training and skills, and geographic location.

What we offer

Company funded Pension program

401k with Company match

Full insurance benefits (health/dental/vision/life)

Collaborative environment with a genuine flexible working policy

Share purchase/match plan

Defined Contribution savings plan

Top Talent Program

Volunteer paid days off

Employee Assistance Program

Achievement fund

We are focused on building a diverse and inclusive workforce. If you are excited about this role and are not certain you meet the all the qualification requirements, we encourage you to apply to further investigate the opportunity.

About Liberty Utilities Co.

Liberty Utilities is a regulated utility company that provides electricity, natural gas, and water services to customers in the United States and Canada. The company serves residential, commercial, and industrial customers in various regions including Arizona, California, and Missouri. Liberty Utilities is committed to providing safe, reliable, and affordable services to its customers. The company was founded in 1987 and has since grown to become one of the leading utility providers in North America.
Learn more about Liberty Utilities Co.
Size
2,000 employees
Industry
Net Income
$50 million
Founded
1987
5 Year Trend
+10%
Revenue
$1 billion

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