Category Manager, NA - Indirect Procurement

Avery Dennison•Mentor, OH

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials science and digital identification solutions company. We are Making Possible™ products and solutions that help advance the industries we serve, providing branding and information solutions that optimize labor and supply chain efficiency, reduce waste and mitigate loss, advance sustainability, circularity and transparency and better connect brands and consumers. We design and develop labeling and functional materials, radio-frequency identification (RFID) inlays and tags, software applications that connect the physical and digital and offerings that enhance branded packaging and carry or display information that improves the customer experience. Serving industries worldwide — including home and personal care, apparel, general retail, e-commerce, logistics, food and grocery, pharmaceuticals and automotive — we employ approximately 35,000 employees in nearly 60 countries. Our reported sales in 2025 were $8.9 billion. Learn more at www.averydennison.com . At Avery Dennison, we are transforming our Global Procurement function to be a value creator. The journey to evolve from being a support function to a competitive advantage heavily relies on our talent who continue to remain our biggest asset. As Category Manager North America, you should enhance total value procured from the Indirect supply base by leading standardization and consolidation solutions across Avery Dennison businesses in North America. This position investigates all new developments relative to Indirect Materials & Services, and makes recommendations designed to reduce costs and improve quality. The Category Manager is also responsible for negotiating commercial terms and implementing procurement agreements with suppliers. This role is based on sustained delivery of business results, including supply assurance, cost, quality, service and innovation, which are required to meet the business needs. The Indirect Procurement Categories are Facilities Management, Utilities, MRO, Packaging, Travel, Professional Services, Capital Equipment, HR Services, Freight, IT and Marketing. This position will be assigned to manage specific procurement categories, or projects spanning multiple categories as required, and will report to the NA Regional Procurement Leader

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Operations, or Engineering.
Minimum of 5 years experience in Indirect Procurement
Strong negotiation, strategic thinking, commercial, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional and diverse teams.
In-depth knowledge of procurement best practices and industry trends in indirect procurement.
Self-starter with the ability to drive indirect procurement projects from initiation to conclusion, effectively collaborating with diverse individuals at all levels of the organization
Manage and lead multiple projects simultaneously.
Presentation experience and skills required.
Demonstrated success in leading change toward a centralized process.
Highly motivated with solid team-working skills

Nice To Haves

An MBA is good to have.
Proficient in Google workspace, Ariba and function-specific software is a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute strategic sourcing initiatives to optimize the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for assigned categories of goods and services, ensuring alignment with global Procurement transformational goals and objectives .
Lead the sourcing process for assigned categories, including RFP/RFI development, supplier selection, competitive bidding, and contract negotiations to secure best value for the organization.
Identify and deliver cost savings targets for assigned Categories or projects within North America & across Divisional Indirect Categories. Initiatives could cut across all Indirect Categories or other areas where opportunities exist
Coordinate regional and multi-site procurement activities, consolidating indirect spend to achieve volume economies and enhance procurement leverage
Work with key internal customers to implement best practices and ensure operational efficiencies are met
Aggressively manage supplier base across category area
Leverage Indirect spend across North America
Work with Global Category lead to develop and implement Global strategies.
Implement best practices and cost reduction initiatives across North America
Lead North American supplier negotiations and contract execution
Categorize spend data in support of overall Procurement strategies
Coordinate and consolidate multi-site / local unit Indirect Procurement process
Track and report savings
Support procure-to-pay process improvements within Category area
Develop and implement strategies to improve working capital
With assistance of cross divisional, cross functional team, develop and implement metrics, which objectively demonstrate success for each cost center and P&L affected
With assistance of cross-divisional team, develop method of objectively measuring and scoring the performance suppliers
Analyze suppliers and markets to identify trends, industry dynamics, opportunities for marketplace advantage, and new ideas for products, processes and services
Gather information about competitors’ materials, technologies, supply base, sourcing strategies, etc. to benchmark competitors’ costs, service, etc.
Work to develop/publish/implement strategies that enable high quality, delivery, and productivity cost savings.
Negotiate with suppliers to achieve the lowest cost consistent with considerations of quality, reliability of source and urgency of need.
Develop and maintain appropriate and productive supplier relationships.
Improve cooperation across geographic and organization boundaries by identifying barriers and working with Regional Procurement Leaders to eliminate barriers.
Develop and maintain appropriate and productive supplier relationships, including involvement in critical negotiations