Category Sourcing Manager

About the role

The Category Sourcing Manager will lead strategic sourcing activities across indirect and direct spend categories. This role will manage competitive bidding events, negotiate commercial terms, evaluate suppliers, and partner with cross-functional teams to identify cost savings and value-generation opportunities. The role will also support supplier transitions and ensure sourcing activities align with applicable FDA-regulated change control processes.

Location: Johnson City, TN or Nashville, TN | Hybrid | Relocation Assistance Available

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key Strategic Sourcing contact for assigned spend categories and maintain an understanding of industry dynamics, supply market conditions, and key suppliers.
• Identify cost reduction and value-generation opportunities across assigned categories and develop sourcing strategies aligned with business needs.
• Lead end-to-end RFQ and RFP processes, including developing sourcing packages, evaluating supplier proposals, analyzing total cost of ownership, and presenting award recommendations.
• Lead contract negotiations with business and legal stakeholders to secure favorable commercial and legal terms while minimizing transition risk and cost.
• Source direct materials, including chemicals, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and packaging components, in alignment with FDA regulations and cGMP standards.
• Partner with Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, and other cross-functional teams to qualify suppliers, manage change control activities, and address supply disruptions.
• Partner with corporate and commercial teams to develop scopes of work for professional services and negotiate commercial terms, SLAs, and KPIs.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, including MSAs, SOWs, software license agreements, order forms, and supply agreements.
• Partner with stakeholders to evaluate supplier performance and implement cost-saving and process improvement initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree & more than 5 years of directly related experience. Experience with indirect sourcing, specifically professional services.

Qualifications

Experience working within an FDA-regulated industry, including pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, or cosmetics. Experience in strategic sourcing, category management, competitive bidding, contract negotiation, and supplier management. Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Supply Chain Management. Professional certification through ASCM, ISM, PMI, or ASQ is a plus.

Skills

• Strategic Negotiation: Demonstrates the ability to balance firmness with collaboration, navigate challenging negotiations, and secure favorable outcomes while maintaining strong supplier relationships.
• Relationship & Stakeholder Management: Builds trust and effectively navigates complex interpersonal dynamics with suppliers and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Communication & Influence: Communicates clearly and confidently, adapts communication style to the audience, and effectively influences stakeholders toward business objectives.
• Resilience & Problem Solving: Remains composed and solution-oriented when faced with pushback, competing priorities, or unexpected supply chain challenges.
• Conflict Resolution: Uses active listening and sound judgment to understand underlying concerns, de-escalate challenging situations, and move conversations toward productive outcomes.

Pay

Competitive Compensation including base salary and annual performance bonus.

Benefits

• Flexible PTO, holidays, and parental leave.
• Generous healthcare benefits, HSA match, 401k match, employer paid life and disability insurance, pet insurance, wellness discounts and much more!

Schedule

Hybrid work schedule.