Category Manager, Solar and BESS Equipment

Pivot Energy•Chicago, IL

About The Position

As the Category Manager, Solar and BESS Equipment, you will lead Solar PV and Energy Storage sourcing activities & supplier management to implement opportunities to improve cost, quality, delivery, and reliability to reach organizational goals. This role will shape Pivot Energy’s category management strategy by developing processes and procedures that will ensure best practices for key equipment categories.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
Minimum 3+ years of procurement experience (preferably within industries with engineering, procurement, and construction projects, with a focus on procurement)
Experience in negotiations, including RFI, RFP, RFQ, and contract development
Benchmarking, Market Analysis, Competitive Intelligence, and Procurement Projects Management skills
Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
Self-starter with the ability to work autonomously and within a team.
Passion to learn new things through self-study and structured settings
Demonstrated abilities to coordinate across internal and external teams

Nice To Haves

Experience in Category or Commodity Management of Hardware / Direct Materials
Experience in C&I solar and battery storage
Experience with vendor management, including purchase order issuance, execution, and administration.

Responsibilities

Direct the segmentation of assigned spend into category and subcategory groupings to create levers for operational excellence.
Lead the development of overall category strategies to meet organizational goals by improving Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), securing supply continuity, domestic content feasibility, and identifying/mitigating risks and opportunities.
Maintain and deepen category knowledge by researching and tracking industry trends, best practices, and competitive offerings.
Execute the category strategy by managing the Preferred Supplier List (PSL), rationalizing non-preferred suppliers, and rewarding preferred partners with business awards tied to Long-term Agreements (LTA).
Develop, negotiate, and manage supplier contracts and pricing.
Initiate and lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and other business reviews with strategic suppliers to align on strategy and goals.
Assess, review, and scout new suppliers for continuous improvement and development.
Manage day-to-day supplier relationships and escalated supplier disputes.
Lead regular strategic partnership meetings with key suppliers to set commercial goals, address technical considerations, and develop opportunities for additional business.
Coordinate and approve supplier onboarding and manage the contract repository and renewals.
Drive Continuous Improvement (CI) across the supply chain, focusing on reducing lead times, improving cycle time, and ensuring transparency.
Improve key metrics such as savings, payment terms, on-time delivery, and risk mitigation (including inflation).
Support Responsible Sourcing & ESG Risk initiatives.
Capture and maintain the latest part pricing for Procurement.
Enforce procurement policies.
Develop productive working relationships and collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., Engineering, Tech Ops, Project Management, Delivery, and Procurement).
Create presentations and analysis for strategic meetings (e.g., supplier relationship management, category strategies, risk mitigation proposals, and gap analysis).
Maintain professional and technical knowledge through ongoing learning (workshops, publications, professional societies).
Have Fun and do not take yourself too seriously.
Additional duties, as required.

Benefits

Excellent health/dental/vision insurance benefits with up to 100% of premiums covered by the company
Four weeks of vacation (prorated in first year)
Company-paid life insurance and short- & long-term disability coverage
Generous parental leave
401(k) matching
Home Office set-up stipend for new employees
Public transit reimbursement
PTO for volunteering in the community
Charitable donation matching up to $500/year
Professional development and educational reimbursements