Purpose

A Category Manager works within the Supply Management organization to maximize the value that is delivered using a category management framework. The role collaborates with senior internal stakeholders, supply chain teams, and suppliers to use continuous improvement techniques to improve internal Business Unit and supply chain outcomes. The role ensures Supply Management is perceived as a positive, significant, value-adding partner to the business by providing solutions to business and operational supply chain challenges, improving processes to reduce total costs of ownership, and maintaining a strategic approach to procurement and supply management.

Accountabilities

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  Typically manages between $1M - $50M in annual spend [threshold may be lower for inventory managed in the case of materials]. Leads negotiations, oversees all stages of strategic procurement, helps facilitate supplier performance measurement, and collaborates with key suppliers to identify potential areas for improvement. Manages and identifies supplier alliance opportunities. Supports internal utility Business Unit’s supplier management efforts.
• Works with clients to develop and manage tools necessary to track supplier performance (ex: scorecards), communicates supplier performance metrics to relevant stakeholders on a regular basis, interfaces with all levels of Supply Management and Business Unit clients, including senior management, leads and participates in cross-functional teams, including representatives from Business Unit clients, DBE & Supplier Excellence, Information Technology, Metrics, procurement operations, and/or Legal.
• Develops and maintains category plans that identify opportunities for operational efficiencies, drive cost savings, manage risk, improve safety, drive innovation, and ensure the continuous development of categories managed.
• Supervises, plans, manages, and assumes complete responsibility for all activities and processes associated with the categories assigned.
• Performs thorough analysis to support the development of category plans, including but not limited to:
  • Meeting with internal customers to understand their needs, requirements, and plans
  • Determining the impact of joint efforts on supplier KPI’s
  • Analyzing historical spend
  • Forecasting future spend based on demand planning
  • Building should cost models
  • Calculating total cost of ownership (TCO)
  • Creating supplier profiles
  • Conducting market research to identify new suppliers, to predict stresses on the supply base, and to manage pricing (e.g., index pricing and volume discounts)

Education and Experience

• Bachelor degree in Business Administration, or other advanced academic training
• 7+ years of experience in procurement
• Professional Certification, such as CPM or CPSM
• Project management expertise in the utility industry
• A demonstrated ability to attain skill development in addition to work duties
• Demonstrated analytical ability (using data to solve operational problems)
• A working understanding of utility and/or energy environments, operating procedures, and economics or regulation
• Deep commodity or domain expertise with materials, construction services, EPC contracting, professional services procurement, sourcing, and/or project management