OverviewWe are seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Manager, Global Category Management to lead enterprise-wide sourcing initiatives and oversee a team of category managers. This role combines hands-on ownership of high-impact categories with leadership responsibility for guiding global sourcing strategy, supplier performance, and cost optimization across the organization.
Operating within a matrixed, global manufacturing environment, the Senior Manager partners closely with Engineering, Operations, Planning, and Finance to ensure supply continuity, strengthen supplier relationships, and drive long-term value creation.
Key ResponsibilitiesCategory Ownership & Strategy
- Lead global category strategies for assigned direct material categories.
- Manage end-to-end sourcing activities including RFx development, negotiations, and supplier selection.
- Deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, and value engineering outcomes.
- Monitor commodity markets and develop proactive mitigation strategies for cost and supply risks.
- Build and maintain strategic supplier relationships for critical categories.
Leadership of Category Management Team- Provide direction, coaching, and oversight to category managers and analysts across multiple categories.
- Ensure consistency and quality in category strategies, sourcing approaches, and supplier management practices.
- Review and challenge category plans to ensure alignment with business, operational, and financial objectives.
- Foster a collaborative, performance-driven culture focused on capability development and continuous improvement.
Supplier Strategy & Executive Engagement- Lead executive-level supplier relationships for both owned and team-managed categories.
- Establish governance frameworks for strategic suppliers, including performance reviews and innovation initiatives.
- Oversee supplier risk management and continuity planning across the category portfolio.
Cross-Functional Collaboration- Partner with Engineering on product qualification, specification optimization, value engineering, and cost modeling.
- Align with planning teams to support demand/supply balancing and long-term sourcing strategies.
- Collaborate with site procurement teams to ensure global strategies are executed effectively at the local level.
Cost & Value Leadership- Achieve individual category savings targets and support team delivery of broader cost and productivity goals.
- Identify and execute value engineering opportunities and supplier innovation initiatives.
- Monitor commodity trends and develop forward-looking cost mitigation strategies.
Procurement Excellence & Governance- Ensure compliance with procurement policies, contracts, and ethical sourcing standards.
- Drive standardization of sourcing processes, tools, and data across regions and business units.
- Support digital procurement initiatives including eSourcing, analytics, and ERP enhancements.
Key Performance Indicators- Cost savings and cost avoidance (absolute and percentage).
- Supplier on-time delivery and quality performance.
- Strategic spend under management and contract coverage.
- Supply continuity and risk mitigation effectiveness.
- Contribution to working capital improvements (inventory, payment terms).
- Team capability development and performance outcomes.
Qualifications & SkillsRequired Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or a related discipline; an MBA is a plus.
- 7-10+ years of experience in strategic sourcing or category management, ideally focused on direct materials.
- Background working within global or multi-site manufacturing environments.
- 3-5+ years of leadership experience managing teams across regions or within a global structure.
- Strong negotiation capabilities, analytical thinking, and stakeholder management skills.
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence outcomes within a matrixed organization.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage and present effectively at the executive level.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint), data visualization tools such as PowerBI, and project management applications.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience sourcing metals, electrical components, or other technical direct-material categories.
- Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and develop procurement talent.
- Familiarity with ERP and eSourcing platforms (e.g., JDE, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Oracle, Ariba, Coupa).
- Background in Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
- Professional certifications such as APICS or ISM (CPIM, CPM, CIRM) are advantageous
Pay Range: $145,000 - $155,000 per year
