Procurement Category Manager - Direct Component/Hardware

Responsibility - % of Time: Develop and execute strategic sourcing strategies for assigned direct material categories. - 20%Lead cost reduction, supplier negotiation, and total cost of ownership initiatives. - 20%Manage supplier relationships, performance, contracts, and business reviews. - 15%Lead supplier consolidation and Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) initiatives. - 15%Analyze spend, market conditions, and supplier performance to identify opportunities. - 10%Lead RFP, RFQ, and RFI processes. - 10%Support new facilities, equipment, capital projects, and other strategic procurement initiatives. - 10%Strategic Sourcing & Category Management Develop and execute strategic sourcing plans for assigned categories. Establish category strategies aligned with company cost, quality, service, and operational objectives. Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation and rationalization. Evaluate sourcing alternatives based on cost, quality, capacity, lead time, risk, and service. Develop competitive sourcing strategies to improve supplier performance and reduce total cost. Monitor market conditions, commodity trends, and supplier capabilities. Develop long-term sourcing strategies that support business growth and operational requirements.

Cost Reduction & Total Cost of Ownership: Identify and implement cost-saving and cost-avoidance opportunities. Utilize:

• Strategic negotiations
• Competitive bidding
• Supplier rationalization
• Value engineering
• Should-cost analysis
• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis
• StandardizationAnalyze purchase price variance and market pricing trends.
• Develop annual cost reduction objectives and initiatives.
• Track and validate realized savings in partnership with Finance.
• Identify opportunities to reduce freight, inventory, quality, and other supply-related costs.

Supplier Management: Establish and maintain strong strategic relationships with key suppliers. Develop supplier performance expectations and KPIs. Lead supplier scorecards and business reviews. Monitor supplier performance related to:

Quality: DeliveryCostCapacityResponsivenessServiceDevelop corrective action plans for underperforming suppliers. Partner with Quality and Operations to resolve supplier performance issues. Evaluate supplier financial, operational, and capacity risks.

Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI): Establish, implement, and manage Vendor Managed Inventory programs. Identify categories and suppliers appropriate for VMI.Develop inventory parameters and replenishment expectations. Partner with suppliers and plant teams to establish appropriate stocking levels. Monitor VMI performance and material availability. Reduce inventory carrying costs while maintaining production continuity. Establish KPIs to measure VMI effectiveness.

Supplier Consolidation & Standardization: Lead supplier consolidation initiatives to reduce supply base complexity. Identify opportunities to standardize components and hardware across facilities. Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, and Operations to reduce part proliferation. Evaluate opportunities to leverage enterprise-wide purchasing volumes. Develop preferred supplier strategies. Ensure supplier consolidation does not negatively impact quality, service, capacity, or supply continuity.

Contract & Commercial Management: Negotiate pricing, contracts, rebates, service agreements, and long-term supply agreements. Maintain commercial terms for assigned suppliers. Ensure contract requirements are clearly documented and communicated. Monitor contract compliance. Identify opportunities to improve commercial terms. Partner with Legal and Finance on significant supplier agreements. Maintain accurate contract and supplier documentation.

RFQ / RFP / RFI Management: Lead competitive bidding processes for assigned categories. Develop RFQs, RFPs, and RFIs based on business requirements. Evaluate supplier proposals based on total cost, quality, service, capacity, and risk. Develop sourcing recommendations for leadership approval. Coordinate supplier negotiations and final selection. Maintain documentation supporting sourcing decisions.

Spend Analysis & Procurement Analytics: Analyze spend data to identify sourcing opportunities. Monitor spending trends and supplier concentration. Identify contract compliance issues. Analyze purchase price variance and cost trends. Develop category spend reports and dashboards. Track savings, cost avoidance, and procurement performance. Provide data-driven recommendations to Procurement and executive leadership.