Category Management Specialist III or Sr

This is a hybrid position requiring in-office work two to three days a week, based in either New Orleans, LA or The Woodlands, TX. Relocation assistance is not available.

About the Role

The Category Management Specialist drives Supplier Commercial Excellence across a diverse portfolio of Corporate Indirect sub-categories and business functions, including HR and Workforce Management—particularly Contingent Labor and Vendor Management Programs. This role leverages expertise in supply chain, category management, strategic sourcing, and contracting to execute end-to-end procurement and supply chain processes (plan-strategy-source-perform). As the strategic lead for Entergy's third-party spend, the specialist collaborates cross-functionally with internal stakeholders (e.g., business units, Supplier Development, Tax, Finance, Risk Management, Safety, Human Resources, Legal) and external suppliers to build and maintain teams that develop contracting strategies, execute sourcing processes, manage negotiations, and oversee post-award contract management. The primary objective is to create value through safety, cost, and performance, delivering end-to-end value for the assigned spend portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the single point of contact and strategic lead for Entergy’s third-party spend.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal stakeholders (e.g., business units, Supplier Development, Tax, Finance, Risk Management, Safety, HR, Legal) and external suppliers.
• Develop and execute end-to-end procurement processes: plan, strategy, source, and perform.
• Create prioritized sub-category profiles and contracting strategies.
• Lead strategic sourcing processes, including RFx development, bid comparison, and financial analysis.
• Manage negotiations and implement post-award contract management.
• Drive Supplier Commercial Excellence through safety, cost, and performance improvements.
• Apply project management principles to ensure systematic completion of assignments, identifying critical pathways and risks.
• Develop and deconstruct vendor pricing models to support financial analysis and bid comparison.
• Extract and apply market intelligence to assess supply market status and evolution.
• Create "cost to serve" analyses and coach others in this capability.
• Design negotiation strategies and lead supplier negotiations to achieve operational excellence in safety, price, quality, service, and innovation.
• Promote effective demand planning across business units (e.g., zero-based purchasing, proactive purchase planning, hedging).
• Provide detailed reports with data-driven insights and trend analysis.
• Coach supply chain personnel in category management tools and techniques.
• Build and maintain broad stakeholder relationships and networks.
• Manage change relative to supply chain and category management solutions.
• Understand and mitigate contractual, market, and supplier risks.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Accounting, Engineering, Legal, or a related discipline or equivalent experience.
• For Category Management Specialist III: 5+ years of category management, strategic sourcing, or related supply chain experience (9+ years without a degree). Minimum 2+ years of energy industry experience in category management or strategic sourcing.
• For Senior Category Management Specialist: 9+ years of category management, strategic sourcing, or related supply chain experience (13+ years without a degree). Minimum 3+ years of energy industry experience in category management or strategic sourcing.
• Preferred: Certification from an industry accreditation organization (e.g., CPSM, APICS).

Skills

• Understanding of Entergy’s business model and key interfaces across the business and supply chain.
• Strategic and creative problem-solving with data-driven decision-making.
• Deep proficiency in category management processes, including supplier diversity, safety metrics, and tools.
• Expertise in supplier relationship/vendor management principles and practices.
• Skillful application of pre-award and post-award contract management processes, including risk mitigation.
• Proficiency in developing and implementing sourcing strategies (used as exemplars across supply chain).
• Deep understanding of supplier capacity and cost structures.
• Extensive experience in RFx price breakdowns and deconstructing vendor pricing models.
• Ability to extract and apply market intelligence to assess supply market trends.
• Expertise in developing "cost to serve" analyses and coaching others.
• Extensive knowledge of negotiation strategies and leading supplier negotiations.
• Familiarity with Entergy’s purchasing/payment policies, supply chain systems, and processes.
• Highly proficient influencing skills for demand planning (e.g., zero-based purchasing, hedging).
• Strong project management skills to ensure thorough completion of assignments.
• Commercial skills and financial acumen applied to category management.
• Insightful business analytical skills for data interpretation and trend analysis.
• Strong internal/external stakeholder communication and relationship-building.
• Change management expertise related to supply chain and category management.
• Ability to present concise, relevant information to stakeholders.
• Understanding of contract terms’ impact on Entergy’s cost structure.

Schedule

Hybrid schedule requiring in-office work two to three days a week. Travel up to 25%.