Supply Chain Category Manager

Location: Houston, TX; Canonsburg, PA; Phoenix, AZ
Schedule: M/F are from home T-Th in office
Travel: No travel, no expenses
Note: This position has the potential to go perm for the right candidate. Please review with your candidate and submit only if interested in contract to hire.
Top Skills: Coupa experience is required (SME level), Communication Skills (executive level).
Job Title: Sr. Category Manager - Supply Chain

The Sr. Category Manager position is responsible for all spend analysis and strategic sourcing initiatives in their assigned category. This includes the development and implementation of sourcing strategies and initiatives to drive significant improvement in cost, quality and availability in a manner consistent with values, while working with internal stakeholder teams for full value solutions. Within this role, you will also be expected to manage the supplier relationship, providing relevant scorecard data and internal feedback in review sessions with the goal of continuous improvement and exceptional performance. In addition, this role will take administrative ownership of our Coupa platform to ensure optimal functionality and implementation. You will be instrumental in developing & facilitating training sessions on Coupa's modules, emphasizing both contract and RFx functionalities, as well as optimizing the functionality of the tool.

Essential Job Functions

• Manage a diverse spend portfolio of corporate services including IT software/hardware, consulting & travel.
• Lead and contribute to the development and execution of strategies that align with business objectives and cost-efficiency goals supporting teams' needs.
• Conduct RFX events in Coupa, prepare bid analysis, present sourcing recommendations to stakeholders and execute awards per team selections.
• Conduct quarterly business reviews (QBR) with top-tier vendors.
• Manage all new and existing contracts in conjunction with legal, business leaders, and suppliers to deliver performance results.
• Oversee and manage supplier initiatives for continuous improvement utilizing internal and external data, stakeholder feedback and Supply Chain best practices.
• Proactively identify potential supply chain business continuity risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.
• Lead change management when establishing new sourcing programs and drive on-going evaluations to ensure savings and supply, as well as supplier performance.
• Become expert in our suite of tools (, Coupa) and support internal processes (system management, audits, etc.).
• Train internal system users on processes and tools; create and update end-user guidance to drive self-service.
• Monitor functional performance (KPIs) and devise strategies for ongoing program optimization.
• Work with the Business Process Improvement and Data & Digital teams to understand improvements in our sourcing systems and how that impacts system functionality (, improved functionality and fixing of bugs/issues).

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Working knowledge and proven success crafting and redlining software as a service contracts, consulting service agreements, master purchase agreements, and terms & conditions.
• Analytical background with the ability to drive business decisions through data-driven analysis.
• Experience in establishing successful cross-functional relationships is critical.
• Ability to influence conversations and work through building relationships, thoughtful framing of issues, and building influence through excellent work.
• Assesses under performing results and implements plans to address to rectify and monitor.
• Develop and monitor strategy implementation and contract compliance for key spend categories.
• Provide creative solutions to business problems utilizing strategic and critical thinking.
• Effective collaboration and communication skills for engaging with diverse stakeholders.
• Assess system functionalities, recommend improvement opportunities, and train users for full functionality.
• Well organized and can prioritize multiple requests simultaneously.

Education/Certifications

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, Business, Engineering or a related field (Master's degree preferred)

Experience/Minimum Requirements

• Minimum of seven () years of experience in Supply Chain and/or IT Support roles.
• Experience with category management in one or more of the following: direct and indirect (software/hardware, consulting, and travel) materials, operational procurement, requirements analysis, business process design, catalog management, and vendor/supplier management
• Experience in a process-focused role is a plus. This could include procurement operations/sourcing, systems management, IT or consulting.
• Coupa experience is required (SME level).

Other Skills/Abilities

• Proficiency in JDE and Coupa (or similar spend management platforms) preferred
• Strong analytical and data-driven-making skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to interact professionally with a diverse group of executives, managers, and subject matter experts
• Good financial acumen
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build and maintain trusting relationships
• Ability to meet project deadlines and manage resources accordingly
• Strong organization and prioritization skills

Working Conditions: This role falls into our hybrid work model working in the office on Tuesday through Thursday. On Mondays and Fridays, teammates on the hybrid schedule will have the option to work from the office or home.