Category Manager - Logistics Procurement

SI Group•The Woodlands, TX

About The Position

The Category Manager – Logistics Procurement will develop and execute sourcing strategies for transportation, warehousing, and logistics services across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This role involves managing commercial relationships with carriers, third-party logistics providers, warehouse operators, and other service partners. The primary goals are to drive cost optimization, service reliability, risk mitigation, and supply chain resilience. The Category Manager will collaborate with various internal departments such as Supply Chain, Operations, Manufacturing, Customer Service, Finance, Legal, and site logistics teams to ensure logistics solutions align with business objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
Minimum of 8 years of relevant logistics experience including operations management, planning, logistics, and procurement in a large, preferably multinational, chemical company
Demonstrated experience with creating value and driving cost out of logistics
Excellent knowledge of all Microsoft office tools

Nice To Haves

SAP experience is preferred
Third Party Logistics (3PL) or transportation carrier experience preferred

Responsibilities

Develop and implement category strategies for truckload, LTL, bulk liquid, rail, warehousing, terminals and 3PL services.
Lead RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, bid events, should-cost reviews, rate benchmarking and supplier selection processes.
Negotiate freight rates, accessorial schedules, fuel mechanisms, service requirements, liability provisions, payment terms and contract renewals.
Translate market intelligence, network requirements and business forecasts into sourcing plans and capacity strategies.
Manage strategic relationships with trucking carriers, railroads, tank truck providers, terminal operators, 3PLs and warehouse operators.
Establish supplier segmentation, governance routines, scorecards and corrective-action processes.
Lead quarterly or periodic business reviews focused on service, cost, safety, compliance, capacity, innovation and continuous improvement.
Coordinate supplier onboarding, qualification and performance escalation with operational and functional stakeholders.
Deliver measurable savings, cost avoidance, working-capital improvement and total-cost-of-ownership value.
Manage logistics spend, budgets, forecasts, rate files and commercial assumptions.
Analyze freight cost drivers, including fuel, labor, equipment, capacity, tolls, port charges, detention, demurrage and cross-border costs.
Build executive-ready business cases for sourcing decisions, network changes and supplier transitions.
Monitor supplier financial health, capacity availability, operational performance and geographic concentration risk.
Develop contingency plans for weather events, force majeure, strikes, border disruption, equipment shortages and regulatory changes.
Support business continuity planning through alternate carriers, lanes, modes, terminals, routes and inventory-positioning options.
Ensure sourcing decisions account for safety, legal, trade, environmental and operational requirements.
Partner with Logistics Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Customer Service, Finance, Legal, EHS and site teams.
Facilitate stakeholder alignment on specifications, service priorities, sourcing recommendations and implementation plans.
Support transportation network optimization, mode conversion, consolidation and warehouse strategy initiatives.
Communicate market conditions, risks, decisions and required actions to senior leadership.
Analyze transportation spend, lane data, shipment profiles, supplier performance and contract compliance.
Build and maintain dashboards and scorecards using Excel, Power BI, TMS and ERP data.
Identify savings opportunities through lane rationalization, mode optimization, bid compliance and accessorial reduction.
Track benefits realization and report sourcing outcomes against approved baselines.