Category Manager, Manufacturing

Fluidstack•Austin, TX

19h•$130,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

Manufacturing Category Manager will assist with the standing up of the manufacturing facility with capex purchase. Partner with strategic sourcing for a procurement strategy for indirect spend categories, including raw materials. Rollout and track and inventory strategy to meet assembly line performance needs. Assist with the MRO (maintenance, repair & operations), capital equipment, contract services, and packaging for the facility. This role partners cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Manufacturing Finance, and Engineering.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or Finace.
Demonstrated track record of delivering measurable cost savings and supply chain improvements.
Strong negotiation skills with experience.
Proficiency with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, or equivalent) and Microsoft Office Suite.
Solid understanding of manufacturing processes, BOM structures, and total cost of ownership modeling.
Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or supplier development programs.
Familiarity with e-sourcing platforms (Ariba, Coupa, Jaggaer).
Exposure to global sourcing, import/export compliance, and multi-currency contracting.
Advanced degree (MBA or MS) in a relevant field.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute multi-year category strategies aligned with manufacturing roadmaps.
Lead supplier selection, and assist with contract negotiations
Analyze spend data, market dynamics, and cost drivers
Manage strategic manufacturing supplier relationships, including quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and KPI scorecards.
Drive supplier development programs to improve quality, delivery, responsiveness, and total cost of ownership.
Lead dual-source and alternate-source qualification activities in partnership with Engineering and Quality.
Partner with Manufacturing, Engineering, and R&D to support new product introduction (NPI)
Collaborate with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, inventory and variance reporting for managed categories.
Serve as the primary procurement point of contact for plant operations and MRO programs.
Leverage ERP, e-procurement, and analytics tools to drive data-driven decision making.
Rollout Manufacturing KPI to measure performance using AI tooling
Maintain accurate spend, contract, and supplier data in procurement systems.