Indirect Category Manager

Category Manager

Graco manufactures and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. What does that mean? Well, we pump peanut butter into your jar, and the oil in your car. We glue the soles of your shoes, the glass in your windows and the screen on your phone. We spray the finish on your vehicle, coatings on your pills, the paint on your house and texture on your walls. Graco is part of your daily life.

As a Category Manager at Graco, you will drive procurement initiatives across Corporate Marketing, Human Resources, and Professional Services. In this strategic role, you will champion cost optimization, foster innovation, and support operational excellence in key indirect spend categories. You'll leverage your expertise in category management, sourcing, and contract negotiation, working collaboratively across various teams to influence stakeholders at all levels. Utilizing market intelligence and data-driven insights, you will enhance supplier performance, mitigate risks, and contribute significant value to the business.

What You Will Do at Graco

Category Strategy & Planning

• Act as a trusted procurement advisor to teams across Operations, Marketing, Human Resources, and other departments, building strong partnerships and supporting business goals.
• Develop and execute multi-year category strategies for Marketing, and Human Resources.
• Leverage market intelligence, spend analysis, and supplier benchmarking to identify cost-saving opportunities, streamline vendor relationships, encourage innovation, and minimize risk.

Sourcing & Procurement Execution

• Manage full-cycle sourcing processes such as RFIs and RFPs, which encompass defining business needs, setting evaluation standards, recommending contract awards, and guiding suppliers through onboarding.
• Lead commercial negotiations encompassing pricing, service level agreements (SLAs), data privacy, intellectual property rights, and liability clauses.
• Identify and implement opportunities for strategic supplier rationalization, demand management, and cost avoidance.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the primary procurement consultant for designated groups.
• Facilitate productive cross-functional collaboration and provide strategic guidance to promote alignment in sourcing strategies, supplier selection procedures, and contract negotiations.

Supplier & Contract Management

• Oversee and nurture supplier partnerships, ensuring compliance with service level agreements (SLAs), key performance indicators (KPIs), and regulatory requirements.
• Facilitate contract renewals and renegotiations to maximize cost-efficiency while mitigating commercial and legal risk.
• Monitor and report essential procurement metrics, including cost optimization (savings and avoidance), contract coverage, supplier performance, and adherence to project timelines.

Continuous Improvement

• Maintain awareness of emerging technology trends, industry standards, and innovations relevant to procurement and assigned categories.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What You Will Bring to Graco

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Supply Chain, MIS, or a related field required; MBA preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in strategic sourcing or category management, ideally within Indirect spend such as Marketing, or Human Resources.
• Strong knowledge of Professional Services contracts.
• Demonstrated success in negotiating complex contracts, managing vendor performance, and delivering measurable cost optimization.
• Adaptability to changing business conditions.
• Great project management and influence skill

If you're passionate about driving innovation and making a real impact, we want to hear from you. Become part of Graco's dynamic team and shape the future with us!