Associate Category Manager

Job Title

This job is responsible for creating and driving strategic sourcing for an assigned category of spend while building strong client business oriented relationships by contributing to client strategy and objective setting.

This is a hybrid based role in Pittsburgh, PA - onsite 3 days a week. T, W, Th.

Essential Responsibilities

• Lead creation and implementation of sourcing and demand management strategies for assigned categories of spend, manage the development of RFx materials, detailed analysis of proposals and vendor capabilities, negotiations and supplier selection. Plan, schedule and monitor category sourcing initiatives, ensuring proper resource allocation and on-time delivery of projects; exercise tight project management. Leverage key metrics to identify problem areas and adopt current and emerging business models with an entrepreneurial mindset and creative approach to drive best practice.
• Strategically partner with business unit leaders and contribute to client strategy by providing procurement expertise and strategic partnering for purchasing opportunities. Counsel internal business unit leaders regarding purchasing processes, technology capabilities and policies to assist in the procurement lifecycle
• Build and manage relationships with priority business executives, serves as a key member of the business unit leadership team to support implementation of business strategies through advanced procurement initiatives and team alignment, facilitate the entire sourcing process and closely collaborate with clients to select and award business to suppliers. Demonstrate a strategic business mindset, organizational savvy, present an executive-level presence, and balance multiple stakeholder interests simultaneously.
• Under the direction of Procurement leadership, create and drive long-term category strategies designed to anticipate enterprise-wide requirements and achieve maximum life-cycle value while optimizing forecasted shifts in both supply markets, industry trends and supplier economic cycles. Monitor strategy implementations on-going performance and ensure key issues, risks, and opportunities are elevated to the appropriate level.
• Lead the development and negotiation of contracts with new suppliers and/or renegotiate existing contracts to accomplish lowest total system cost and savings objectives
• Conduct category spend analyses and reporting, supplier stratification, supply market and category industry research.
• Perform ethical procurement practices of contracted goods and services which includes compliance with corporate and departmental policies and procedures as well as federal, state and local regulations
• Develop category expertise and leverage knowledge to proactively identify potential procurement opportunities through data analysis, category and industry knowledge, current and emerging business models and discussions with business units.
• Other duties as assigned or requested.

Experience

Required

• 0-1 years of experience in a procurement role

Education

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, Finance, Economics, Business Administration/Management, Accounting, Marketing, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain or relevant experience and/or education as determined by the company in lieu of bachelor's degree.