Category Manager - Indirect Procurement

EssilorLuxottica Group•Dallas, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Category Manager – Indirect Procurement owns category strategies across designated indirect spend categories, driving value creation, supplier optimization, risk mitigation, and long-term sourcing initiatives across the enterprise. This role applies strong analytical rigor, cost modeling, market intelligence, and data-driven decision making. The Category Manager partners with internal stakeholders to optimize total cost, service levels, supplier performance, and execution of multi-year category strategies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
3-6 years of relevant business experience
3+ years in procurement, strategic sourcing, or category management roles, preferably in indirect procurement
Strong analytical capabilities with demonstrated proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, modeling, data cleaning)
Understanding standard procurement practices, sourcing methodologies, and contract basics
Experience running competitive bid events (RFI/RFQ/RFP)
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing category strategies with measurable business impact.
Experience influencing senior stakeholders and leading cross-functional initiatives.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel required, PowerPoint and Word strong plus)
Strong problem-solving, analytical, data interpretation, and critical-thinking skills

Nice To Haves

Experience with procurement systems or e‑sourcing platforms, preferably Ariba or SAP
Exposure to category management principles in indirect categories
Experience supporting budgeting, forecasting, or financial analysis.

Responsibilities

Lead strategic sourcing initiatives, including RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs, and category transformation programs across assigned spend categories.
Conduct detailed financial and Excel-based analyses to support recommendations, including TCO models, bid comparisons, and scenario modeling.
Lead cross-functional project teams on category initiatives, supplier transitions, demand management, and cost optimization programs.
Evaluate supplier performance using KPIs and analytics; drive corrective action and performance improvement where needed.
Develop supplier portfolio strategies, including supplier consolidation, risk mitigation, innovation programs, and strategic partnerships.
Develop and execute multi-year category strategies aligned with business objectives, market dynamics, spend profiles, and enterprise priorities.
Identify opportunities for spend consolidation, process simplification, and improved purchasing compliance.
Build strong partnerships with internal stakeholders to understand requirements, gather specifications, and provide procurement insights.
Monitor category trends, spend patterns, and budget alignment; prepare quarterly reporting on savings, performance, and project status.
Support contract development and negotiation in collaboration with Legal and internal business owners.
Ensure timely procurement of goods and services from approved suppliers while maintaining compliance with sourcing policies.
Maintain accurate supplier and category data for reporting, analytics, and performance tracking.
Contribute to continuous improvement efforts in procurement processes, tools, templates, and systems.