Category Manager

The Category Manager, Mechanics is responsible for developing and executing category and supplier strategies that support business objectives, operational excellence, and sustainable material cost productivity. This role leads strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management, contract negotiations, cost optimization initiatives, and risk mitigation activities across assigned categories, such as sheet metal, machining parts, castings, extrusions and motion mechanics. Working closely with Operations, Purchasing, Quality and R&D, the Category Manager drives towards best-in-class supply chain that can provide timely execution of materials, quality, and cost goals. This individual must possess outstanding cross-functional leadership skills, strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop and effectively implement countermeasures to address critical issues.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities:

• Develops and drives supply chain strategy and objectives, including procurement, cost reduction, new material introduction and supplier selection.
• Owns supplier relationship management and visits major vendors to discuss and negotiate to drive strategic goals and maintain good relationships as required.
• Leads and participates in initiatives that review spending and manufacturing activity to identify ways to reduce costs while maintaining or improving quality, delivery, and inventory.
• Manages his/her supply base to ensure leveraging of purchasing strength to support operations excellence and materials cost reduction goals.
• Develops and leads negotiations for necessary contracts to support robust material flow including year over year savings, quality, inventory replenishment systems, Kanban, etc. with partnership with supply chain team.
• Manage suppliers and ensure contractual coverage to maximize working capital, inventory, quality, and delivery.
• Develop new supply chain sources to drive competitive advantage through differentiation and understanding of market drivers.
• Conducts market research, competitive analysis, overall market trends to quantify needed changes, improvements in material and commodity management strategy.
• Provides R&D support for sustaining engineering and represents Procurement in new product introduction programs.
• Develops, manages, and drives Procurement processes, especially the ones related to Quality Management System.
• Partners with Quality to reduce internal and external quality and out-of-box failures.
• Support Quality through management of supplier quality rating programs, resolution of non-conformities, and supplier audits.
• Conducts supplier risk management by reviewing sourcing restrictions, revenue impacts, supplier evaluation ratings, and supplier stability indicator scores.
• Actively engaged to understand materials contribution to production issues, quality constraints, and sales issues and actively participate in improvements and solutions.
• Understands compliance with all procurement domestic and international laws including import/export compliance.

Job Requirements:

• Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree, 3+ years of Procurement or Supply Chain experience in relevant field, Experience with and practical understanding of the use of continuous improvement tools, Proficient in the use of a computer, MS Office suite knowledge/experience required, Ability/willingness to travel domestically and globally.
• Preferred Qualifications: Master’s degree or bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, or related field, Ability to think critically and in tactical and strategic dimensions simultaneously, Possess clear and organized communications skills (written and verbal), Experience working in a global organization, Experience in an FDA regulated environment, Experience in leading continuous improvement efforts, in both quality systems and products, Proven ability to inspire followership and drive performance excellence, Perseverance and consistency in pursuit of successful outcomes, Engineering and/or technical knowledge and/or background, The ability to understand and read engineering drawings and specifications related to fit, form and functionally, preferred but not mandatory, Experience working with medical devices and in a Quality Management system (QMS) and a Change Control Board (CCB).