Category Manager – Chemicals

Xylem•Pittsburgh, PA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

Xylem is a Fortune 500 global water solutions company dedicated to advancing sustainable impact and empowering the people who make water work every day. As a leading water technology company with 23,000 employees operating in over 150 countries, Xylem is at the forefront of addressing the world's most critical water challenges. We invite passionate individuals to join our team, dedicated to exceeding customer expectations through innovative and sustainable solutions.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or category management (global preferred)
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience (business, supply chain, engineering, or related field)
Experience with ERP/MRP and procurement management software
Demonstrated performance sourcing and negotiating to deliver measurable results to KPIs
Experience partnering in a global environment (EMEA, Americas, APAC)
Proven ability to quickly establish credibility and influence others to drive change across an organization
Strong influence and change management skills, especially in a matrix environment with cross-functional stakeholders.
Ability to present information clearly and effectively to a variety of audiences (Verbal, Written, Presentation)
Ability to influence senior management, teams and individuals across multiple cultures, disciplines, and geographies.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to work collaboratively across business units’ hierarchy and functions.
Ability to analyze spend data and present insights, recommendations and strategies based on the needs of the audience.
Demonstrated experience working with cross-functional teams with proven abilities to influence others.
Fluent written/spoken English required.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree
Sourcing experience in a water-related industry, chemicals

Responsibilities

Own the global category strategy for Chemicals (direct material), aligning supplier capabilities to business needs.
Lead complex sourcing initiatives that improve cost, quality, delivery performance, and supply continuity.
Influence cross-functional stakeholders and suppliers to deliver measurable results in a global, matrixed environment.
Drive sustainable supplier performance against key performance indicators (KPIs), including productivity, quality, delivery, consolidation, risk management, sustainability, diversity, and working capital.
Build and strengthen partnerships with strategic suppliers by leveraging global spend and the supply base to maximize performance while minimizing business risk (including contract management).
Maintain an effective supply chain that consistently delivers optimal cost, quality, and delivery performance to Xylem manufacturing sites.
Partner with regional procurement leaders, R&D, Quality, and Engineering to develop category strategies and incorporate internal voice of the customer (VOC).
Predict future global trends and disruptions within the industry and utilize de-risking methodologies to effectively increase supply chain resiliency.
Stay current on changing technology and demand, with a clear understanding of product taxonomy down to the sub-tier level.
Identify and lead productivity opportunities and the sourcing efforts required to ensure successful project execution.
Identify & execute second sourcing and regional sourcing initiatives to meet company objectives and mitigate supply risk.
Facilitate regular cross-functional category project meetings, monitor progress against committed timelines, and establish and maintain a Corporate Category Council to educate stakeholders and collect VOC.
Drive a continuous improvement mindset in an environment with a track record of achieving significant KPI improvement (Productivity, Quality, Service Levels, Delivery and Cost) year over year.
Analyze spend data and present insights and recommendations based on the needs of the audience.
Ensure applicable suppliers have current Corporate Supply Agreements (CSAs) in place, are up to date with the latest corporate expectations, and remain fully compliant.