Senior Category Specialist

CV Resources is partnering with a global manufacturer in search for a Senior Category Specialist to join their team.

The Senior Category Specialist coordinates and executes category management, sourcing, supplier performance, and stakeholder activities for assigned spend categories. Working under general supervision, this role applies a complete understanding of procurement standards, processes, concepts, and systems to address moderately complex needs, develop recommendations, and support cross-functional or global initiatives.

This position is based in Libertyville, IL with an onsite requirement of 4 days in office weekly.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development, maintenance, and execution of category plans for assigned spend categories based on business needs and market conditions.
• Lead moderately complex sourcing initiatives, including project planning, RFx execution, supplier assessments, commercial analysis, negotiations, recommendations, and implementation support.
• Partner with stakeholders to understand demand, specifications, service expectations, budgets, timelines, and risk considerations and convert them into sourcing strategies.
• Analyze spend, market, supplier, contract, and total cost information to identify opportunities and develop data-driven sourcing and supplier recommendations.
• Coordinate supplier performance reviews, resolve performance issues, monitor improvement actions, and identify opportunities for additional value.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, Compliance, and business stakeholders to support contracting, approvals, supplier due diligence, and procurement risk management.
• Identify and advance savings, value creation, supplier optimization, compliance, risk mitigation, and procurement process improvement opportunities.
• Independently determine approaches to moderately complex procurement issues and evaluate information to identify causes of errors, gaps, or inefficiencies.
• Prepare and present category updates, business cases, sourcing recommendations, supplier insights, and project results to relevant stakeholders.
• Serve as an informal resource to stakeholders and developing team members by sharing procurement processes, tools, and category management practices.

Education & Work Preferences

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, or a related professional discipline and a minimum of 5 years of related experience; or a master’s degree and a minimum of 3 years of related experience; or equivalent work experience.
• Experience managing sourcing projects, supplier relationships, contract support, and assigned spend categories.
• Experience developing analyses, recommendations, business cases, and supplier performance materials.
• Experience in a multi-site, global, or matrixed organization.