Regional Category Manager The Regional Category Manager serves as the primary commercial and strategic point of contact for assigned suppliers and categories supporting Molex Aerospace & Defense Solutions (ADS). This role is responsible for building strong supplier partnerships, driving supplier performance, mitigating supply chain risk, and ensuring continuity of supply for mission-critical aerospace and defense products. The Regional Category Manager partners closely with Procurement, Engineering, Quality, Operations, Program Management, and Supply Chain teams to align sourcing strategies with business objectives, support new product development activities, and create long-term value through supplier collaboration and continuous improvement. Molex Aerospace & Defense Solutions designs and manufactures high-reliability interconnect solutions supporting aerospace, defense, space, industrial, and mission-critical applications. The complexity of our products requires strong supplier relationships, disciplined risk management, and strategic sourcing partnerships capable of supporting stringent quality, regulatory, and customer requirements. As part of the Global Procurement Organization, you will work cross-functionally across multiple business functions and manufacturing locations to ensure supplier capabilities align with business growth, operational objectives, and customer commitments. Serve as the primary relationship strategic categories. Develop and execute supplier relationship strategies that improve quality, delivery, responsiveness, innovation, and total cost performance. Build strong partnerships with key suppliers and internal stakeholders to support operational and strategic business objectives. Lead supplier business reviews and performance discussions, utilizing scorecards and key performance indicators to drive continuous improvement. Monitor supplier performance metrics including delivery, quality, lead time adherence, responsiveness, capacity, and risk indicators. Identify and mitigate supplier risks including capacity constraints, financial stability concerns, geopolitical impacts, regulatory requirements, and sole-source dependencies. Support new product development initiatives by engaging suppliers early in the development process to drive innovation, manufacturability, and competitive cost structures. Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Supplier Quality teams to support supplier qualification, onboarding, and development activities. Drive supplier development initiatives focused on quality improvement, lead-time reduction, operational efficiency, and cost optimization. Lead escalation management efforts and coordinate root-cause analysis and corrective action plans to resolve supply chain disruptions. Partner with Procurement and Legal teams to support commercial negotiations, contractual obligations, supplier performance expectations, and renewal activities. Ensure suppliers meet ADS requirements related to quality, regulatory compliance, ethical sourcing, and responsible business practices. Support business continuity planning and supply chain resiliency initiatives. Identify opportunities for supplier-led innovation and collaborate with engineering teams to bring new technologies and capabilities into the organization. Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.5+ years of experience in procurement, category management, supplier management, strategic sourcing, or supply chain leadership. Experience managing supplier relationships, supplier performance programs, and business reviews. Strong negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills. Experience working in a manufacturing environment with direct materials suppliers. Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities. Experience utilizing ERP systems and procurement or supplier management platforms. Ability to influence and collaborate across a matrixed global organization. Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally as business needs require. Experience within aerospace, defense, military, electronics, or highly regulated manufacturing environments. Knowledge of AS9100, ITAR, DFARS, NADCAP, or other aerospace and defense regulatory requirements. Experience supporting high-reliability electromechanical products, connectors, cable assemblies, machined components, or electronic assemblies. Knowledge of supplier quality systems including APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, control plans, and audit processes. Experience supporting New Product Development (NPD) and New Product Introduction (NPI) programs. Professional certifications such as CPSM, CSCP, CIPS, or equivalent. Experience managing global suppliers and international supply chains. Proficiency with data visualization and reporting tools such as Power BI and advanced Excel analytics. Experience leading supplier development and continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean or Six Sigma methodologies. At Molex ADS, We Create Value Through Strategic Supplier Partnerships Supply Chain Resiliency Aerospace & Defense Compliance New Product Development Support Supplier Innovation Cost Competitiveness Risk Mitigation Principled Entrepreneurship As a Koch company, Molex is a leading global provider of electronic solutions, driving innovation and enabling progress across industries including aerospace and defense, transportation, medical, industrial, data communications, and consumer electronics. Our people, technologies, and manufacturing expertise help customers solve complex challenges through advanced connectivity, signal transmission, and electronic solutions that power the world's most critical applications. Aerospace & Defense Solutions (ADS) Molex's Aerospace & Defense Solutions (ADS) Division delivers mission-critical connectivity, signal technologies, and electronic solutions designed for the most demanding environments. Drawing on decades of engineering excellence and innovation, we support aerospace, defense, space, and other high-reliability markets where performance is essential and failure is not an option. From enabling next-generation communications and data transfer to providing rugged interconnect and electronic solutions for mission-critical systems, our technologies help customers advance capabilities across air, land, sea, and space. At ADS, we combine deep technical expertise, operational excellence, and a culture of principled entrepreneurship to create value for our customers, communities, and one another. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense through innovation, reliability, and purpose-driven solutions. Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results. Equal Opportunities In order to comply with U.S. export control laws and regulations, this position requires applicants to either provide proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status or be eligible to receive an export authorization (a license) under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and/or the Export Administration Regulations.
