Senior Specialist, Category Management (R&D Services)

Role Summary

The Senior Specialist, Category Management executes sub-category procurement strategy as part of the larger category management team, reporting up to Category Managers and Directors. This role contributes to the end-to-end procurement process including contracting and supplier relationship management, ensuring that activities comply with defined processes and in line with broader category strategy. The Senior Specialist also enables the execution of procurement projects and continuous improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Category Directors and Associate Directors to execute subcategory-specific procurement strategies.
• Implement and monitor effectiveness of strategies for the relevant category, ensuring alignment with overall business goals.
• Report on supplier process and operational health, informing Category Leaders to enable strategic decision-making, incorporating industry trends, emerging technologies, and market dynamics.
• Monitor initiatives to drive value with category suppliers, tracking cost savings and enhancing overall procurement value.
• Enable sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) measures, working alongside suppliers to enhance sustainable and responsible sourcing practices.
• Execute Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) strategies, managing relationships with category suppliers and collaborating to enact creative and cutting-edge solutions that deliver on long-term business needs.
• Implement mitigation strategies to proactively manage procurement risk across the relevant category, maintaining process and policy compliance.
• Ensure effective project management from initiation to completion, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver strategic category-related projects. Assist category leaders with opportunities for process optimization and efficiency gains, executing continuous improvement programs that achieve strategic objectives.
• Assist with the end-to-end procurement process from sourcing strategy to contract negotiation and execution, enabling negotiations with category suppliers and facilitating decisions by developing the required analysis and gathering relevant data.
• Develop own capabilities and accumulates category expertise in accordance with individual learning path. Actively enable team goals, ensuring performance targets and objectives are delivered successfully.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Mgmt or related field. In lieu of degree, equivalent, relevant years of experience may suffice.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in procurement, supply chain, or related business or operations function.
• Previous experience in category management, contract negotiation, and supplier relationship management.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Power Platform).
• Fast learner comfortable navigating across a range of industries and sectors.
• High cross-functional collaboration abilities and teamwork skills, effectively navigating and coordinating diverse team dynamics.
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, facilitating empathetic interactions, effective communication, and robust relationship-building across a matrixed organization.
• Impactful executive functioning abilities and autonomous work ethic, maintaining efficient performance in challenging situations and building consensus in decision-making.