Category Manager - Corporate Services

Ingevity•North Charleston, SC

About The Position

Ingevity is seeking a Category Manager - Corporate Services to lead global corporate categories (IT, HR, Finance). This role involves leading cross-functional teams through sourcing and procurement processes, developing global category plans based on market conditions, and understanding the corporate category supplier base. The position requires leading complex sourcing strategies and projects, partnering with executive stakeholders to align initiatives with enterprise priorities, and proactively engaging executive leadership to shape category strategies and influence key decisions. The Category Manager will serve as a trusted advisor to drive enterprise-wide decision-making, bring industry-leading Sourcing and procurement practices, and manage a supplier relationship management program for key strategic suppliers. Responsibilities include developing negotiation strategies aligned with business strategies, leading negotiations to completion, analyzing financials, market risk, and supply risk, and mitigating risk while delivering value. Knowledge of legal and commercial terms and conditions is essential for negotiating and drafting legal language. The role drives results through analytics, business acumen, leadership, and developing business cases. The Category Manager will consolidate spending, provide thought leadership, and ensure adherence to Ingevity's policies and core values.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management or Business or an equivalent combination of education, training and relevant work experience.
At least five years of sourcing experience or equivalent experience in relevant business categories.
Successfully lead negotiations for global, multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts in in direct categories.
Demonstrated experience building and managing relationships with senior and executive leadership stakeholders, including influencing decisions, presenting to executive audiences, and driving alignment on strategic initiatives.
Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and executive-level presentation skills, with the ability to effectively influence and communicate with C-suite and senior leadership.
Must be a team player and adapt well to a multitasking, fast paced environment with changing priorities and challenges.

Nice To Haves

MBA and/or CPM / CPSM preferred.
Proven experience supporting or presenting in executive forums (e.g., steering committees, leadership reviews, board-level discussions) is strongly preferred.
Project management skills preferred.
General knowledge of Coupa and SAP enterprise software is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead large cross-functional project teams through the sourcing and procurement process for corporate categories (IT, HR, Finance) globally.
Develop a global category plan based on current market conditions and the business environment.
Lead development and execution of complex sourcing strategies and projects over the medium and long term, partnering directly with executive stakeholders.
Proactively engage executive leadership to shape category strategies, present business cases, and influence key investment and supplier decisions.
Articulate, influence, and gain alignment from senior managers and executive leadership on sourcing strategies.
Bring industry leading Sourcing and procurement practices to execute upon the developed strategies.
Responsible for the development, implementation, and management of the supplier relationship management program for key strategic suppliers.
Develop negotiation strategies which are aligned with the business strategies and lead those negotiations to completion while pursuing full value and mitigating risk.
Analyze financials, market risk, and supply risk for each project and be able to mitigate risk while bringing the best value to Ingevity.
Drive results through analytics, business acumen, personal leadership and developing business cases to support Sourcing initiatives.
Consolidate spending and provide thought leadership to achieve organization outcomes while ensuring that Ingevity’s policies and core values are upheld and adhered to.