Procurement Direct Materials Category Manager

The Procurement Category Manager for Direct Materials will play a critical role in optimizing the sourcing and procurement strategy to ensure cost efficiency, supplier performance, and risk mitigation. You will lead strategic category planning, supplier negotiations, and contract management to drive value, resilience, and sustainability across the supply chain. Partnering with and influencing key internal stakeholders and leveraging market intelligence, you will develop and execute category strategies that align with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices. This high-impact role requires a balance of analytical expertise, relationship management, and strategic vision.

Job Responsibilities

• Acts as subject matter expert for procurement of Direct Materials.
• Develops and implements category plans and sourcing strategies for medium-complexity categories that optimize cost, mitigate risk, and ensure supply continuity.
• Leads competitive bidding processes, including RFPs, RFIs, and negotiations to secure best-value agreements.
• Negotiates, drafts, and manages contracts to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, corporate policies, and industry standards.
• Develops and sustains mutually beneficial strategic relationships with category suppliers, conducting regular performance reviews, fostering collaboration on innovation and continuous improvement, and ensuring alignment with the company’s safety, reliability, and sustainability goals.
• Partners with and influences cross-functional stakeholders and teams to develop sourcing and negotiation strategies for medium-complexity spend categories.
• Maintains awareness of industry and market trends, supplier landscapes, and regulatory changes to drive informed decision-making and strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Conducts and documents market research and supplier risk analysis to verify the financial health of existing and potential suppliers.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a job-related discipline, or equivalent experience
• 8 years of work experience in procurement, sourcing, or supply chain management, preferably in the utility, energy, or infrastructure sectors
• Experience sourcing in Direct Materials
• Proven ability to lead high-value negotiations, develop contract structures, and drive favorable outcomes
• Strong analytical skills with experience leveraging spend analytics, cost modeling, and digital procurement tools to optimize category strategies
• Competency in building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
• Competency in developing strategic supplier partnerships, managing performance scorecards, and fostering supplier-driven innovation
• Competency in engaging and influencing senior stakeholders, operations leaders, and legal teams to align procurement strategies with business priorities
• Competency in building and leading strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals
• Competency in applying project management theories, concepts, methods, best practices, and techniques as needed to perform at the job level
• Knowledge of databases and information systems – e.g., ARIBA, SAP, etc. – as needed to perform at the job level

Desired Qualifications

• MBA or equivalent advanced degree
• Six Sigma, CPSM, or other related certification
• SAP/SRM proficiency desired