Strategic Sourcing Category Manager

JOB SUMMARY

The Strategic Sourcing Category Manager will be a leader on the Direct Procurement team with oversight of multiple categories of direct spend. The ideal candidate will be well versed in multiple categories with specific experience in manufacturing, with preference given to those with an understanding of industrial manufacturing.

The role requires management of multiple contract negotiations and strategic sourcing initiatives (e.g. RFPs) at any given time. The selected candidate will partner with stakeholders globally at all levels, document results, manage escalations, and highlight concerns for various stakeholder parties.

This candidate will partner with Direct Procurement leadership to review team processes, and reporting, as well as plan for future growth and expanded footprint in the organization. The candidate will help shape policy and process rollout among business units and stakeholders. The position is critical for advancing our procurement organization, maximizing value of any supplier relationships, and optimizing pricing and other terms.

We are a truly collaborative team and culture that values strong project management, attention to detail, and a good-natured spirit. We have unlimited value creation opportunity and are very proud of the work we do and what we’re able to accomplish each year.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Act as a strategic leader for several categories of direct spend, including heaters, Bearings and motors.
• Execute sourcing initiatives and lead RFPs based on identified opportunities.
• Create innovative and stakeholder informed category strategies.
• Identify, establish, and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement activities within assigned spend portfolio – optimize internal demand.
• Identify areas of opportunity that relate to the assigned categories outside of today’s accountabilities; collaborate with appropriate stakeholders to yield value for Davis-Standard.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of the department’s strategic, operational, and tactical processes.
• Identify areas of rogue or maverick spend and seek to consolidate.
• Team with Legal counsel to develop contracts ensuring quality and adherence to legal standards.
• Ensure data integrity in all procurement systems for designated areas of spend.
• Conduct diligence on new suppliers and project manage onboarding of them.
• Contribute to the documentation of initiatives and supplier records in Procurement’s systems.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, finance, or logistics.
• 5-8 years progressive purchasing experience.
• Excellent negotiation skills, verbal and written communication and a self-starter.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
• Willingness to dive deep into problems and data to develop solutions.
• Strong leadership, project management, and organization skills.
• Knowledge in contract development, including key contracting principles, standard terms, laws/regulations and industry standards.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite; advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills preferred. Must be comfortable creating presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint and presenting to stakeholders and senior leadership.
• Strong business acumen, demonstrated ability to work as part of a team, ability to strategically link long-range business goals to daily activities, demonstrated ability to work with others to develop talent for the organization, and desire to use organizational knowledge to assist and influence others to specific action.

LOCATION

This role is located in Chicago, IL.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Competitive compensation and benefits package commensurate with experience.