Senior Category Manager

About the role

The Senior Category Manager leads category strategies for multiple purchase areas and/or of significant total spend across the enterprise. This includes strategic sourcing activities such as data gathering, supplier identification, quote preparation, supplier qualification, and gap analysis to make robust decisions regarding supplier selection and sourcing needs. Additionally, the role involves managing supplier relationships and performance, identifying cost reduction opportunities, and collaborating to resolve issues, execute projects, and grow the organization’s category expertise.

Responsibilities

• Conducting supplier contract negotiations, supplier selection, and contract life cycle management
• Communicating expectations and results with suppliers
• Developing and executing sourcing and supplier management strategies to improve supply, cost, risk management, product development, and innovation
• Defining and communicating the category vision and expectations for suppliers and internal team members outlining performance and gaps to goals, and improvements to ensure business objectives are met
• Collaborating to resolve issues, execute projects, and grow the organization’s category expertise
• Coaching and mentoring Category Analysts to develop their category-specific expertise
• Developing and maintaining effective business relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Managing and reporting on category annual operating planning cycle activities
• Assuring overall continuity of supply and active risk mitigation
• Working with plants to resolve quality, delivery, capacity and other issues as required
• Leading continuous cost reduction / value improvement activities by developing and executing projects, competitively quoting, conducting negotiations, and developing/executing cost models

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management or related field OR equivalent experience and education
• Minimum seven years of experience in purchasing or related field
• Proficiency with spreadsheet software
• Experience with SAP preferred
• Expert in category strategy, strategic sourcing, supplier management, spend analysis, and contract negotiation skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for report writing, presentations and interactions with diverse groups of people inside and outside of the Company
• Ability to work in a team environment and to build and manage business relationships
• Project management experience
• Ability to lead sophisticated partnership arrangements
• Ability to influence stakeholders
• Process improvement and implementation

Qualifications

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Benefits

• Briggs & Stratton is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity. The Company conducts all employment practices without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran's status, pregnancy, genetic information, sexual orientation or any other basis prohibited by law.

Pay

• Details about pay are not specified in the job posting.

Schedule

• Details about the schedule are not specified in the job posting.