Senior Category Lead - Strategic Sourcing & ProcurementLocation: Mason, MI
Company: Dart Container
Dart Container is seeking a highly analytical and relationship-focused
Category Specialist to support strategic procurement and category management initiatives across key commodities. This role is responsible for developing sourcing strategies, managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, reducing supply chain risk, and driving measurable cost savings.
As a Category Specialist, you will serve as a key partner to stakeholders across the business, leveraging data, market insights, and procurement best practices to optimize supplier performance and deliver value. This is an excellent opportunity for a procurement professional who enjoys solving complex business challenges and influencing strategic decisions within a global manufacturing organization.
What You'll DoStrategic Sourcing & Category Management- Develop and implement sourcing strategies that reduce costs, improve supplier performance, and mitigate supply chain risk.
- Lead and support procurement initiatives across assigned commodities and categories.
- Drive continuous improvement and value creation opportunities throughout the supply base.
- Identify, qualify, and implement alternative sourcing solutions to ensure supply continuity.
Supplier & Stakeholder Partnership- Collaborate with business partners to align procurement strategies with organizational goals.
- Manage supplier relationships and negotiate favorable pricing, terms, and contracts.
- Facilitate contract execution between business partners and Legal teams.
- Serve as a trusted advisor and category expert for assigned spend areas.
Analytics & Performance Management- Analyze supplier spend, market trends, and procurement data to identify cost-saving opportunities.
- Establish, monitor, and report procurement KPIs and savings targets.
- Develop reports and presentations for business partners and senior leadership.
- Track financial results and provide regular performance updates.
Systems & Process Excellence- Utilize procurement systems to execute RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs.
- Maintain accurate supplier, spend, and procurement master data.
- Serve as a subject matter expert for SAP Ariba and related procurement technologies.
- Support continuous improvement initiatives through process documentation, reporting enhancements, and analytics development.
What You BringRequired Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, or a related field preferred.
- 10+ years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain, inventory management, or a related discipline.
- Strong understanding of purchasing, sourcing, supplier management, and materials management best practices.
- Experience with purchasing documents including purchase orders, requisitions, quotations, contracts, invoices, and bills of lading.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, and data analysis.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong communication, negotiation, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
Preferred Qualifications- Master's degree in Business, Supply Chain, or a related field.
- Experience with SAP ERP and/or SAP Ariba.
- Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including the ability to interpret statistical and financial data.
- Experience supporting manufacturing or industrial procurement environments.
Benefits: Dart Container full-time employees enjoy great benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) with company matching contributions, paid vacation, paid holidays, short-term disability, tuition assistance, product discounts and more.
