Airgas Incorporated

Sr. Category Specialist

Airgas Incorporated$95K — $115K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of progressive experience in category management or related fields.
  • Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, or other business fields.
  • Experience in creating and deploying short and long-term category strategies.
  • Expertise in supplier governance and operational performance.
  • Ability to handle complex negotiations and strategic sourcing events.

Responsibilities

  • Creates and implements category strategies and business plans for sustainable value.
  • Guides strategic sourcing events and manages agreement lifecycles.
  • Aligns commercial terms and legal conditions with market insights for savings.
  • Develops meaningful performance indicators and improvement plans for suppliers.
  • Partners with stakeholders on demand planning while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • 401(k) plan with company match and tuition assistance.
  • Paid holidays, vacation, and sick time from day one.
  • Life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and pre-tax commuter benefits.
Full Job Description


Location:
Houston, TX (HO) - Support functions - Hub Corporate

How will you CONTRIBUTE and GROW?

Air Liquide is hiring for a Sr. Category Specialist in Houston, TX.

We are looking for you!

Comprehensive Family Benefits: Air Liquide offers a full benefits package designed to support your whole life, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, and Disability Insurance.
Future Security: 401(k) Retirement Plan with company match, Tuition Assistance, Paid Holidays, Vacation, and Sick time.
Early Access: Your benefits start on the first day of employment.

Responsible for the governance and operational performance of Suppliers, driving continuous improvement. Creates and deploys short and long-term category strategies. Manages spend, including strategic sourcing, contract negotiation and management, commercial negotiations, supplier relationship management support, demand planning, and customer interface. Assists in the development and deployment of Category Management strategies.

Job Responsibilities:
  • Creates and implements category strategies and business plans to create sustainable value and Total Cost of Ownership Strategy Development:
  • Guides and facilitates strategic sourcing events and nurtures the lifecycle of agreements and frame contracts Sourcing & Contracting:
  • Builds alignment on commercial terms and legal conditions while integrating market insights to identify savings and ensure stability Negotiation:
  • Fosters supplier growth and excellence through the development of meaningful indicators, periodic business reviews, and continuous improvement plans Supplier Governance:
  • Stakeholder & Compliance: Partners with internal stakeholders on demand planning and supports alignment with all regulatory requirements and internal policies


Are you a MATCH?

Required Qualifications
  • Candidates must have valid employment authorization in the U.S. and must not require visa sponsorship now or in the future. This position is not open for non-immigrant visa sponsorship.
  • Experience Level: The Sr. Category Specialist requires a minimum of 5 years of progressive experience, whereas the Category Specialist requires only 2-3 years
  • Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, or other business related fields required
  • Strategic Responsibility: The Sr. Specialist is expected to "create and deploy" short and long-term category strategies. In contrast, the Specialist primarily "assists" managers and team members in developing these strategies
  • Supplier Governance: The Sr. Specialist has a specific mandate for the "governance and operational performance of Suppliers" and driving continuous improvement. The Specialist focuses more generally on proactive spend management and providing support
  • Competency Proficiency: The Sr. Specialist requires higher-level behaviors within their key competencies, such as "Making Complex Plans" (Analytical Thinking) and "Using complex influence strategies" (Impact and Influence), indicating a need for greater autonomy and sophistication in execution.


Preferred Qualifications:
  • Prior industrial gas experience


Benefits

We care about and support our Airgas Families. This is evident not only through our competitive compensation but also through a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision plans, short-term and long-term disability, life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), pre-tax commuter transportation benefit, parental leave, vacation, sick time, floating holidays, jury duty and funeral/bereavement leave, and paid holidays for all eligible full-time employees.

Additionally, we offer our eligible employees a 401k plan with company matching funds, tuition reimbursement, discounted college tuition for eligible employees' dependents, and an Airgas Scholarship Program for dependent children.

Associates who are members of collective bargaining units should review their bargaining agreement to determine whether they are eligible for some or all of the benefits described here and to see any special terms or conditions for eligibility.

Your DIFFERENCES enhance our PERFORMANCE

At Airgas, we are committed to building a workplace that embraces the diversity of our employees, our customers, patients, community stakeholders and cultures across the world.

About Airgas Incorporated

Airgas, an Air Liquide company, is a leading U.S. supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, as well as hardgoods and related products; one of the largest U.S. suppliers of safety products; and a leading U.S. supplier of ammonia products and process chemicals. Airgas was founded in 1982, and acquired by Air Liquide in 2016. The company operates through two segments: Distribution and Production. The Distribution segment offers a wide range of industrial, medical and specialty gases, as well as hardgoods and related products, to customers in various industries, including manufacturing and health care. The Production segment offers nitrogen, oxygen, and argon gases for use in steelmaking, welding, and other industries.
Learn more about Airgas Incorporated
Size
18,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1982

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