Category Manager

About the role

As a Category Buyer, you are responsible for ensuring the best Quality, Cost and Delivery conditions for suppliers, implementing terms aligned with corporate strategy to achieve yearly cost reductions, supplier quality and delivery performance targets.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the representative/voice for Schneider Electric to suppliers in your category.
• Ensure the category meets business needs with suppliers and conduct business reviews to communicate needs and performance.
• Manage Request for Quotations and supplier selection consistent with commodity strategy.
• Lead business risk evaluations in your category and devise strategies to remove risk, including financial risk, capacity constraints, and long lead times.
• Execute the supplier strategy by translating multiple business unit needs into supply that meets Schneider’s needs, securing growth, improving margins (pay terms, inventory, part price), rebalancing, ensuring quality and delivery performance.
• Identify and implement technical productivities (QVE) and Supplier Change (COS) while collaborating cross‑functionally with internal teams.
• Lead a global approach to category ownership, including negotiation, should‑cost, and lean initiatives for allocated suppliers.
• Contribute to purchasing database/tool updates by providing necessary information to commodity managers, supplier leaders, and purchasing assistants.
• Act as the first escalation level for supplier crisis management.
• Communicate supplier strategy internally.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, supply chain, engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with the fabricated components category.
• 5+ years of proven experience as a category manager or similar role.
• Solid knowledge of category management, marketing, and sales principles.
• Supplier relationship management expertise.
• Strategic planning and global sourcing understanding.
• Understanding of data analysis and forecasting methods.

Benefits

• Medical (with member reward points), dental, vision, and basic life insurance.
• Benefit Bucks.
• Flexible work arrangements.
• Paid family leave.
• Well‑being programs.
• 12 holidays per year.
• 15 days of paid time off per year.
• Competitive pay and programs including base salary, incentives, company share ownership, and 401(k) with match.
• Performance discussions, global opportunities, Schneider Career Hub, and learning platforms like Coursera for skill development.
• Collaboration, recognition, sharing your voice, and an inclusive workplace.
• Volunteer leave, programs with the Schneider Electric Foundation, youth education initiatives, and military leave benefits.

Pay

Expected pay range: USD 101,600 – USD 152,