Category Manager - Capital & Plant Services

W. R. Grace & Co.•Columbia, MD

2d•$120,575 - $165,791•Hybrid

About The Position

The Category Manager – Capital & Plant Services reports to the Director, Global Indirect Sourcing and plays a critical role within the Global Procurement Organization. This leader is accountable for developing and executing global and regional sourcing strategies that optimize total cost of ownership (TCO), enhance supply reliability, and deliver measurable productivity across capital projects and plant services. The role oversees a $165M+ annual spend portfolio, partnering closely with Capital Projects, Engineering, and site Operations leadership, as well as external contractors and EPC firms. The plant services category includes industrial and commercial service providers spanning general contracting, electrical, mechanical, maintenance, and ISP (insulation, scaffolding, and corrosion prevention). This position requires a strategic mindset combined with strong operational execution, enabling best-in-class supplier performance, competitive sourcing outcomes, and alignment with enterprise growth and sustainability objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Engineering, Business, Operations, or related field
7–10 years of experience in global industrial or manufacturing environments
5+ years in strategic sourcing for capital projects and/or with indirect categories supporting capital projects
Demonstrated expertise managing complex capital project contracts (EPCs, contractors)
Proven success delivering category strategies across multiple manufacturing sites
Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management capabilities
Demonstrated ability to lead, influence, and operate across matrixed organizations
Advanced negotiation, financial acumen, and commercial decision-making skills
Strong analytical capability, including financial modeling and large dataset analysis (Excel/pivot tables)
Experience with procurement and analytics platforms (SAP Ariba, SAP Analytics Cloud, Salesforce, SharePoint)

Responsibilities

Develop and execute category strategies aligned to business priorities, optimizing TCO, resilience, and supplier performance
Lead strategic sourcing initiatives and complex RFPs to drive competitive advantage and value creation
Build and sustain trusted relationships with internal stakeholders, EPCs, contractors, and site leadership
Drive productivity outcomes, including cost reduction, avoidance, and cash flow improvements
Lead complex negotiations and influence senior stakeholders across internal and supplier organizations
Establish and expand preferred supplier networks, improving safety, quality, and execution consistency
Leverage digital procurement tools (SAP Ariba, SAP Analytics Cloud, Salesforce™, AI-enabled sourcing platforms) to enhance decision-making and transparency
Utilize data, market intelligence, and industry insights to inform strategies and anticipate risk/opportunity
Ensure contract governance and compliance, including responsible sourcing and ESG considerations
Proactively manage supplier performance, risk mitigation, and issue resolution, escalating as needed to leadership
Execute sourcing events, contract negotiations, and supplier selections
Review and approve purchasing activities within SAP Ariba
Manage contract lifecycle activities (sourcing, execution, compliance)
Monitor supplier performance and resolve operational issues
Partner with sites to support project execution and service delivery