Category Manager Direct Materials

Albemarle • Charlotte, NC

274d

About The Position

Transformation of our procurement organization is a top strategic priority for Albemarle, and we believe this presents unique and exciting career opportunities. The world is rapidly changing, and we need to change with it to support the growth and success of our businesses. If you are a forward thinker, with the creativity and maturity to effectively challenge the status quo of our existing business and practices, this opportunity might be for you. We are building a world class global procurement function focused around; (1) Category Management focused on driving long term sustainable value for the business (2) Procurement Operations providing exceptional support and advisement to our business unit stakeholders and (3) Data Analytics, process excellence, and technology adoption to drive and enable procurement best practices and excellent end-user experience.

Requirements

• 6-8 years of strategic sourcing/category management and procurement experience.
• Excellent influencing without authority skills.
• Creative thinking and strategic agility.
• Excellent data analysis skills.
• Experience with category management frameworks and supplier relationship management.
• Strong understanding of the S2P (Source to Pay) process.
• Strong decision-making abilities and business acumen.
• Interpersonal skills to partner with stakeholders and functional groups.
• High learning agility, change agility, people agility, and results agility.
• Comfort dealing with ambiguity and higher management.
• Priority setting and negotiation skills.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Extensive knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, PowerBI, and procurement platforms.
• Familiarity with sourcing events and savings methodologies.
• Experience in Procurement spend data management and sourcing/contracting tools.
• Lean and Change Management experience.
• Experience with major ALB goods commodities preferred.
• Proficient in English; other languages such as Spanish/German/Chinese are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop complex category strategies at a global and regional level.
• Cultivate relationships and understand business goals to execute category strategies.
• Accountable for supplier performance to ensure cost competitiveness and high service levels.
• Coach and mentor associate category managers and provide leadership for the Procurement analyst.
• Assist regional teams in executing large and complex procurement projects.
• Set category strategy for the fiscal year and beyond to manage key supplier relationships.
• Achieve and report cost savings and track category improvements related to sourcing activities.
• Leverage spend and negotiate to achieve the best TCO for the business.
• Partner with Procurement Analysts to complete detailed spend analysis.
• Ensure sourcing activities comply with applicable company policies and guidelines.
• Drive global and regional RFI/RFQ/RFP projects as part of the competitive bidding strategy.
• Manage supplier relationships to mitigate risk and ensure consistency of value and quality.
• Support adoption of Procurement processes, procedures, and technology.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of sourcing, category best practices, and market data.
• Create and maintain category councils across multiple business units and teams.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• Comprehensive benefits package.
• Diverse array of resources to support professional and personal growth.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Chemical Manufacturing
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree