The Senior Category Manager provides strategic leadership for assigned procurement categories by developing and executing enterprise sourcing strategies that optimize cost, quality, service, supply continuity, and long-term business value. This role serves as a trusted business partner to operations, engineering, manufacturing, finance, sales, legal, and executive leadership while leading complex sourcing initiatives, supplier negotiations, contract management, and category planning.

The Senior Category Manager is responsible for developing multi-year category strategies, strengthening supplier partnerships, identifying opportunities for cost optimization and operational improvement, mitigating supply chain risks, and driving procurement best practices across the organization. This position exercises a high degree of independent judgment, influences business decisions through data-driven analysis, and leads cross-functional initiatives that support organizational objectives.

In addition to managing strategic supplier relationships, this role is expected to mentor procurement team members, champion continuous improvement initiatives, and help shape the future direction of the Procurement organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Category Management

• Develop, implement, and continuously refine strategic category plans aligned with company objectives, operational requirements, and long-term business strategies.
• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives utilizing competitive bidding, market intelligence, total cost of ownership (TCO), spend analytics, and supplier capability assessments.
• Identify opportunities to improve cost competitiveness, supplier performance, quality, inventory optimization, working capital, and operational efficiency.
• Develop multi-year sourcing roadmaps and procurement strategies for assigned categories.
• Monitor commodity markets, industry trends, supply chain conditions, and emerging technologies to proactively identify opportunities and mitigate business risk.

Supplier Relationship & Contract Management

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with key suppliers while serving as the primary commercial contact for assigned categories.
• Lead complex negotiations involving pricing, commercial terms, contracts, service levels, capacity planning, quality expectations, and long-term agreements.
• Develop, negotiate, administer, and manage supplier contracts to maximize value and minimize organizational risk.
• Conduct supplier performance reviews using measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) and implement supplier development initiatives where appropriate.
• Evaluate supplier capabilities and develop contingency strategies to improve business continuity and supply resilience.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the primary procurement business partner for internal stakeholders including Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, Sales, Finance, Legal, Quality Assurance, and Executive Leadership.
• Lead cross-functional sourcing teams to deliver procurement solutions aligned with operational and strategic objectives.
• Influence business decisions through financial analysis, data visualization, market intelligence, and procurement expertise.
• Effectively communicate procurement strategies, supplier performance, project status, risks, and recommendations to leadership.

Procurement Operations & Continuous Improvement

• Oversee sourcing, contracting, purchase order strategy, inventory optimization, and supplier management activities within assigned categories.
• Review supply and demand forecasts to ensure supplier alignment and proactively resolve capacity or supply constraints.
• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance procurement efficiency, supplier performance, reporting capabilities, and customer service.
• Leverage ERP systems, procurement technologies, spend analytics, and business intelligence tools to support informed decision-making.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies, regulatory requirements, food safety standards, and ethical sourcing practices.

Leadership & Organizational Impact

• Serve as a senior resource and mentor to procurement team members by sharing best practices, technical expertise, and strategic procurement knowledge.
• Lead or participate in enterprise-wide initiatives involving procurement transformation, process improvement, supplier innovation, and organizational change.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer service throughout procurement activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Competencies

• Advanced strategic sourcing and category management expertise.
• Strong supplier relationship management (SRM) and supplier development capabilities.
• Demonstrated success negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Excellent financial, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong understanding of total cost of ownership (TCO), spend analytics, cost modeling, and procurement metrics.
• Experience utilizing ERP systems, procurement software, business intelligence platforms, Microsoft Excel, Power BI, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and executive relationship management skills.
• Strong project management, prioritization, and organizational abilities.
• Demonstrated sound business judgment and strategic decision-making capabilities.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and commitment to ethical business practices.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Finance, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain, or category management experience, including responsibility for high-value supplier relationships and strategic contracts.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex sourcing initiatives, supplier negotiations, contract administration, and cross-functional projects.
• Experience utilizing ERP systems, procurement technologies, spend analytics, and data visualization tools.
• APICS, ISM (CPSM), CSCP, CPIM, or other relevant professional certification preferred.

#tier3