Category Manager

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As a Category Manager your goal is to lead a set of commodities in the development and implementation of strategic sourcing activities across the enterprise. You'll execute the strategic sourcing process for assigned commodities by data gathering, identifying suppliers, quote preparation, supplier qualification, and gap analysis to make robust decisions regarding supplier selection and sourcing needs. In addition, you'll develop global commodity sourcing strategies, be responsible for managing supplier relationships and performance, and lead cost reduction for assigned commodities.

You will do this by:

• Evaluating broad purchasing practices, quotes and reviews cost/price and value analysis to select, reviews alternative suppliers
• Building and managing high level supplier relationships: communicating supplier performance & gaps to goals, and outlining improvement to ensure business objectives are met
• Ensuring supplier training for relevant processes and procedures
• Establishing and managing strategic sourcing goals and metrics for cost reduction, supplier performance, and sourcing decisions
• Researching and evaluating the benefits of contracts, open-market purchases and out-sourcing
• Negotiating, writing and verifying legal issues of supply agreements
• Recommending and implementing changes in processes or procedures for assigned areas
• Defining, resolving, and providing permanent solutions to systemic supplier performance issues
• Leading continuous cost reduction / value improvement activity by developing and executing projects, competitively quoting, conducting negotiations, and developing/executing cost models
• Developing and implementing communication plans to key stakeholders

The above statements are intended only to describe the general nature of the job and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of position responsibilities. 

You are the kind of person who is/has:

• self-motivated and ambitious
• collaborative and team oriented

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Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management or related field OR equivalent experience and education
• Minimum five years of experience in purchasing or related field
• Proficiency in MS Excel and/or Google Sheets

Preferred Qualifications:

• Project management experience
• Experience at a corporate level overseeing multiple plants/sites

Additional Knowledge & Skills:

• Comprehensive knowledge of strategic sourcing and supply strategies, purchasing function concepts and of supplier commodity processes and practices
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for report writing, presentations and interactions with diverse groups of people inside and outside of the corporation
• Ability to work in a team environment and to build and manage business relationships
• Ability to lead sophisticated partnership arrangements
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes and component applications, Statistical Process Control and other significant quality management techniques
• Strong knowledge of basic Geometric Dimension & Tolerance (GD&T) principles
• Fluent in English and primary language used in area of responsibility and/or location

Travel Required: 

• % of Travel: 10-20%
• How often: Once a Month
• Where: Domestically

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Location: 

• Wauwatosa, WI (hybrid eligible)