Category Manager, Electrical

VoltaGrid•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Category Manager leads the sourcing and management of electrical equipment, materials, and services for data center environments, including large-scale transformers, high-, medium-, and low-voltage commodities, and all associated switchgear, panels, boards, and distribution systems. This role manages contractor selection for installation and maintenance, ensures compliance with electrical codes, regulatory and safety standards, and supports data center electrical upgrades, expansions, and infrastructure reliability initiatives. Serving as a key change agent, the Category Manager partners closely with engineering, project, and operational teams to qualify suppliers, manage long-lead and complex equipment, and negotiate commercial terms that support capital and energy initiatives. Reporting to Supply Chain Leadership, the role drives sourcing excellence, strengthens strategic supplier relationships, mitigates supply and operational risk, and influences global sourcing outcomes while supporting sustainability and long-term business growth.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university/college or equivalent industry experience with at least 8 years of experience in Supply Chain for consideration including ASCM, CPSM or other accredited Supply Chain Certifications.
Strong leadership and influencing skills and experience working in diverse cultural environments and understanding cross-cultural dynamics.
Proven ability to collaborate effectively both independently and within cross-functional teams, fostering strong, trusting relationships with stakeholders.
Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, ensuring compliance and performance.
Sound strategic, problem solving and critical thinking capabilities. Including the ability to assess and mitigate risks in the global supply chain.
Proficiency in sourcing tools and systems.
Willingness to travel up to 20% as needed.

Responsibilities

Build successful business partnerships with supplier base in support of creative strategies across product service lines.
Drive process improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, quality, and cost effectiveness across supply chain.
Proactively engage and collaborate with key stakeholders across functions and regions to ensure alignment and buy-in for sourcing strategies and initiatives.
Develop a network of subject matter experts within our functional groups for direct and indirect categories.
Lead supplier segmentation, selection, and development, ensuring high-quality supplier relationships and operational management.
Leverage market intelligence and spend analysis to reduce costs and increase value.
Leads end-to-end commercial negotiations from sourcing strategy through contract execution and implementation.
Ensures contracts are commercially sound, risk-balanced, and aligned with business, legal, and operational requirements
Drives spend analysis, including counter measures for projects that fall short of plan and makes decisions to remedy the issues to get the teams back on track to meet or exceed plan.
Develop and execute recovery plans for suppliers that fall short of expectations.
Ensure compliance with internal policies, quality systems, and legal requirements.
Provide leadership and mentorship to team members or direct reports.
Travel to job sites and vendor locations to support operations and support supplier oversight.