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Job Title: Category Manager – Indirect Procurement & MRO
Department: Supply Chain / Procurement
Reports To: VP of Procurement
Direct Reports: None
FLSA Status: Exempt
Employment Type: Full-Time
Work Location: Hybrid (Can be based out of the Lexington office)
Position Summary
The Category Manager – Indirect Procurement & MRO is responsible for developing and executing strategic sourcing strategies that optimize cost, quality, service, supplier performance, and operational efficiency across assigned indirect procurement categories.
This position has primary responsibility for Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) categories and supports the organization’s indirect spend strategy across multiple manufacturing facilities. The Category Manager partners closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Finance, Plant Leadership, and other stakeholders to ensure reliable access to critical materials and services while driving cost savings, supplier consolidation, inventory optimization, standardization, and continuous improvement.
The role requires strong strategic sourcing, negotiation, analytical, supplier relationship management, and project management capabilities within a complex manufacturing environment.
Key Responsibilities
Essential Functions & Responsibilities
Responsibility | % of Time |
Develop and execute strategic sourcing strategies for assigned indirect and MRO categories. | 20% |
Identify and implement cost savings and cost avoidance initiatives. | 20% |
Lead supplier consolidation, rationalization, and standardization initiatives. | 15% |
Establish and manage Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) programs. | 15% |
Negotiate contracts, pricing, rebates, and service agreements. | 10% |
Analyze spend, supplier performance, market conditions, and procurement trends. | 10% |
Lead sourcing projects and support capital, facility, and operational initiatives. | 10% |
Strategic Sourcing & Category Management
- Develop and execute strategic sourcing initiatives for assigned indirect and MRO categories.
- Establish category strategies aligned with company cost, quality, service, and operational objectives.
- Develop sourcing plans based on spend, supplier capabilities, business requirements, and market conditions.
- Identify opportunities to consolidate spend and leverage enterprise-wide purchasing volume.
- Develop preferred supplier strategies for key indirect categories.
- Monitor market trends and supplier capabilities to identify opportunities and risks.
- Ensure sourcing strategies support plant and operational requirements.
Cost Savings & Total Cost of Ownership
- Identify and implement cost savings and cost avoidance opportunities.
- Utilize:
- Strategic negotiations
- Competitive bidding
- Supplier rationalization
- Value engineering
- Standardization
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis
- Volume leverage
- Analyze spend and pricing trends to identify cost reduction opportunities.
- Develop annual cost savings objectives for assigned categories.
- Track and validate realized savings in partnership with Finance.
- Identify opportunities to reduce freight, inventory, transaction, and other procurement-related costs.
Supplier Consolidation & Standardization
- Lead supplier consolidation initiatives to reduce supply base complexity.
- Identify opportunities to standardize MRO products, parts, materials, and services across facilities.
- Partner with Maintenance, Engineering, and Operations to reduce part proliferation.
- Develop preferred supplier and catalog strategies.
- Leverage enterprise-wide purchasing opportunities.
- Ensure supplier consolidation maintains or improves quality, service, availability, and pricing.
Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)
- Establish, implement, and manage Vendor Managed Inventory programs.
- Identify appropriate MRO categories and suppliers for VMI implementation.
- Establish inventory levels, replenishment requirements, and service expectations.
- Partner with suppliers and plant teams to ensure appropriate inventory availability.
- Monitor VMI performance and supplier compliance.
- Reduce inventory carrying costs while maintaining availability of critical materials.
- Develop and track VMI performance metrics.
Contract & Commercial Management
- Negotiate pricing, contracts, service agreements, rebates, and long-term supply agreements.
- Manage commercial relationships with strategic suppliers.
- Ensure contracts support company requirements and business objectives.
- Monitor supplier contract compliance.
- Identify opportunities to improve pricing, payment terms, warranties, service levels, and other commercial conditions.
- Partner with Legal and Finance on significant supplier agreements.
- Maintain accurate supplier and contract documentation.
Supplier Performance Management
- Develop strong strategic relationships with key suppliers.
- Establish supplier performance expectations and KPIs.
- Manage supplier scorecards and business reviews.
- Monitor supplier performance related to:
- Cost
- Quality
- Delivery
- Availability
- Responsiveness
- Service
- Address supplier performance issues and establish corrective action plans.
- Partner with Operations and Maintenance to resolve critical supply issues.
Spend Analysis & Procurement Analytics
- Analyze organizational spend across assigned indirect and MRO categories.
- Identify spending trends, sourcing opportunities, and contract compliance issues.
- Analyze supplier concentration and purchasing patterns.
- Monitor purchase price variance and market pricing.
- Develop category spend reports and dashboards.
- Provide data-driven recommendations to Procurement and business leadership.
- Track cost savings, cost avoidance, and procurement performance.
RFP / RFQ / RFI Management
- Lead Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ), and Request for Information (RFI) processes.
- Develop sourcing requirements in partnership with internal stakeholders.
- Evaluate supplier proposals based on cost, quality, service, capability, and risk.
- Lead supplier negotiations.
- Develop sourcing recommendations for leadership approval.
- Maintain documentation supporting sourcing decisions.
Capital, Facility & Operational Support
- Support new facility, equipment, expansion, and capital projects.
- Source required indirect materials, MRO products, equipment, and services.
- Partner with Maintenance, Engineering, Operations, and Finance to develop sourcing strategies.
- Identify qualified suppliers and competitive alternatives.
- Support project timelines and budgets through effective procurement planning.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
The Category Manager works closely with:
- Procurement / Strategic Sourcing
- Plant Leadership
- Operations
- Maintenance
- Engineering
- Finance
- Supply Chain
- Inventory Control
- Logistics
- Quality
- IT
- Legal
- Suppliers and Service Providers
Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
The Category Manager is accountable for:
Cost & Financial
- Annual Cost Savings
- Cost Avoidance
- Purchase Price Variance
- Total Cost of Ownership Reduction
- Supplier Negotiation Savings
- Working Capital Improvement
Supplier Performance
- On-Time Supplier Delivery
- Supplier Quality
- Supplier Responsiveness
- Supplier Performance Score
- Corrective Action Closure
Inventory
- Inventory Reduction
- Inventory Turns
- VMI Performance
- MRO Material Availability
- Inventory Carrying Cost
Procurement
- Supplier Consolidation
- Contract Compliance
- Procurement Cycle Time
- RFQ/RFP Savings
- Spend Under Management
Decision Making Authority
Authorized to Independently:
- Develop sourcing strategies for assigned categories.
- Conduct supplier research and market analysis.
- Lead RFQ, RFP, and RFI processes.
- Negotiate pricing within established authority levels.
- Recommend supplier consolidation and rationalization.
- Manage supplier performance reviews.
- Develop and monitor supplier KPIs.
- Recommend VMI opportunities.
- Identify cost savings and cost avoidance opportunities.
- Recommend preferred suppliers based on established sourcing criteria.
Requires Procurement Leadership Approval:
- Final supplier selection for significant strategic categories.
- Contracts exceeding established approval thresholds.
- Pricing commitments outside established authority.
- Long-term supply agreements.
- Significant supplier changes that could impact plant operations.
- Major VMI program commitments.
- Capital expenditures.
- Material changes to procurement policies or sourcing strategies.
Required Qualifications (Include Education, Experience, Certifications)
Experience
- Minimum 5 years of strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Strong experience managing indirect procurement and MRO categories.
- Proven track record of delivering measurable cost savings and supplier performance improvements.
- Experience implementing and managing Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) programs.
- Strong contract negotiation and supplier relationship management experience.
- Experience with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, Microsoft Dynamics, or equivalent.
- Advanced analytical skills with proficiency in Microsoft Excel and spend analysis tools.
- Experience with contract management.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Business Administration, Finance, Engineering, or a related field required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM).
- Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM).
- APICS/ASCM Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP).
- Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma experience.
- Experience supporting multiple manufacturing facilities.
- Knowledge of inventory optimization and supply chain best practices.
- Experience with Business Process Outsourcing (BPO).
- Experience supporting capital projects, facility expansions, or major operational initiatives.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSA’s)
Knowledge
Comprehensive knowledge of:
- Strategic sourcing
- Category management
- Indirect procurement
- MRO procurement
- Supplier relationship management
- Contract management
- Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI)
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
- Spend analysis
- Supplier performance management
- Inventory optimization
- Manufacturing operations
- Maintenance operations
- Supply chain principles
- Competitive bidding
- Negotiation strategies
- ERP and procurement systems
Skills
Demonstrated ability to:
- Negotiate complex commercial agreements.
- Develop strategic sourcing and category strategies.
- Analyze spend and financial data.
- Build strategic supplier relationships.
- Lead supplier negotiations and competitive bidding.
- Deliver measurable cost savings.
- Develop supplier scorecards and performance metrics.
- Lead cross-functional projects.
- Influence stakeholders without direct authority.
- Communicate effectively with suppliers, plant leaders, and executives.
- Manage multiple sourcing projects simultaneously.
Abilities
Ability to:
- Think strategically while executing tactical procurement activities.
- Balance cost, quality, service, availability, and operational risk.
- Analyze complex data and develop sound recommendations.
- Negotiate effectively in high-value commercial situations.
- Build collaborative relationships across multiple business functions.
- Manage difficult supplier conversations and performance issues.
- Travel to supplier and company locations as required.
- Work independently with minimal supervision.
- Make sound decisions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Work Environment
This position is primarily office-based within a manufacturing environment and requires regular interaction with Procurement, Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Finance, and Plant Leadership.
The Category Manager may regularly visit manufacturing facilities, maintenance areas, warehouses, supplier locations, and other operational environments. Travel may be required based on business needs.
The role operates in a fast-paced environment where supplier availability, operational requirements, cost pressures, and business priorities may change quickly.
Physical Requirements
The employee is regularly required to:
- Sit for extended periods while performing computer-based work.
- Occasionally stand and walk through manufacturing and warehouse environments.
- Travel to supplier and company locations.
- Occasionally lift up to 20 pounds.
- Wear required PPE when entering manufacturing, warehouse, or maintenance areas.
Success Measures
Success in this position will be demonstrated through:
- Achievement of annual cost savings and cost avoidance objectives.
- Successful supplier consolidation and rationalization.
- Reduction in MRO inventory and working capital.
- Successful implementation and performance of VMI programs.
- Improved contract compliance.
- Improved supplier on-time delivery and service.
- Reduced procurement cycle time.
- Improved total cost of ownership.
- Increased supplier accountability and performance.
- Strong cross-functional satisfaction with procurement support.
Success Profile
A successful Category Manager – Indirect Procurement & MRO:
- Thinks strategically while remaining focused on measurable business results.
- Builds strong relationships with suppliers, plant leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Consistently identifies opportunities to reduce cost without compromising operational reliability.
- Uses data, market intelligence, and TCO analysis to make sound sourcing decisions.
- Effectively negotiates commercial agreements and holds suppliers accountable for performance.
- Partners closely with Maintenance, Engineering, and Operations to standardize materials and simplify the supplier base.
- Demonstrates strong business acumen, analytical thinking, negotiation skills, and financial discipline.
- Drives continuous improvement and develops sustainable procurement strategies that support the company’s long-term growth, operational efficiency, and profitability.
ADA Compliance Statement:
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state and local law, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. Employees who require an accommodation should contact Human Resources.
EEO Statement:
The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants and employees receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran or military status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, training, discipline, and termination. The Company also prohibits harassment and retaliation of any kind.
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