Job TitleSenior Indirect Category Specialist Technical MRO & Plant Services
The Senior Indirect Category Specialist, Technical MRO & Plant Services is responsible for developing and executing category strategies across technical MRO, maintenance services, production tooling, refractory products, engineered consumables, and other indirect categories, requiring cross-functional qualification and implementation. This role serves as the link between Procurement, Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, and Plant Leadership to identify sourcing opportunities, qualify supplier alternatives, and drive adoption of enterprise sourcing strategies.
The position is responsible for transforming fragmented plant-level spend into managed categories through supplier segmentation, category roadmaps, sourcing initiatives, qualification programs, and performance management. The role leads strategic sourcing projects focused on total cost of ownership, supply continuity, equipment reliability, and operational performance.
* We are an ITAR Regulated Company and to be considered for Employment with us you must be either a US Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident****This role is Onsite at our Golden, CO Global Headquarters location**Roles and ResponsibilitiesCategory Strategy & Portfolio Management- Develop and execute category strategies for technical MRO, maintenance services, production tooling, refractory products, engineered consumables, and other assigned indirect categories.
- Create category roadmaps that improve supplier performance, reduce cost, mitigate risk, and support operational reliability.
- Build and maintain category taxonomies, supplier segmentation models, opportunity pipelines, and sourcing roadmaps.
- Identify, prioritize, and execute strategic sourcing opportunities, across multi-site and global operations.
- Analyze internal and external data sources to identify opportunities for cost reduction, specification harmonization, supplier consolidation, and supply chain optimization.
Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Development- Lead strategic sourcing initiatives including market analysis, supplier identification, RFx development, negotiations, supplier selection, contracting, and implementation.
- Develop qualified-source strategies for technical and operationally critical categories.
- Lead supplier qualification programs, controlled trials, and validation activities, in partnership with Engineering and Operations.
- Establish and maintain supplier performance scorecards, business reviews, and continuous improvement programs.
- Evaluate supplier capabilities, cost structures, technical performance, capacity, risk, and geographic exposure.
Technical MRO & Plant Integration- Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, and plant leadership to understand equipment, process, and material requirements.
- Develop qualified alternative sourcing strategies that protect performance, quality, reliability, and supply continuity.
- Lead implementation of sourcing decisions through site engagement, change management, training, and performance monitoring.
- Establish governance processes supporting specification management, supplier qualification, approval workflows, and category compliance.
- Drive enterprise adoption of approved suppliers, contracts, and category strategies, across multiple manufacturing sites.
Performance & Value Management- Measure category performance using total cost of ownership methodologies.
- Track and report savings, contract coverage, supplier performance, compliance, working capital improvements, and risk mitigation results.
- Present results, business cases, sourcing strategies, and recommendations to senior leadership.
Risk Management & Compliance- Monitor supply markets, geopolitical events, commodities, regulations, and supplier risks, affecting assigned categories.
- Develop and execute supply continuity and risk mitigation plans.
- Lead supplier compliance initiatives, including regulatory requirements, customer flow-down requirements, supplier codes of conduct, and responsible sourcing activities.
- Support global procurement governance and category management best practices.
Education- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.
- Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
Experience Required- Minimum 5 years of strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, or supply chain experience.
- Minimum 3 years supporting industrial manufacturing environments.
- Experience leading RFx events, supplier negotiations, contract management, and sourcing implementations.
- Experience managing complex multi-site sourcing projects.
Preferred- 7 to 10 years of strategic sourcing or category management experience.
- Experience in technical MRO, maintenance services, tooling, abrasives, refractory materials, engineered consumables, industrial distribution, or manufacturing support services.
- Experience partnering with Engineering, Maintenance, and Operations teams.
- Experience developing category strategies from fragmented or decentralized spend environments.
- Experience leading supplier qualification programs, technical evaluations, and supplier trials.
- Global or multi-plant manufacturing experience.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities- Strong category management and strategic sourcing capabilities.
- Advanced spend analysis, supplier analysis, and market assessment skills.
- Ability to develop sourcing strategies based on total cost of ownership principles.
- Understanding of equipment reliability, manufacturing processes, maintenance operations, and technical supplier management.
- Strong analytical, negotiation, project management, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to build credibility with Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, and Plant Leadership.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across all organizational levels.
- Ability to independently prioritize and manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously.
Preferred Certifications- CPSM
- CIPS
- APICS / ASCM
- Lean Six Sigma
- Engineering or technical manufacturing background
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Target Hiring RangeAnnual Salary: USD 92,000.00 - USD 121,440.00
Actual compensation is commensurate with experience, skills and education.
