Category Manager - Technical Procurement

Tarter Gate Company, LLC•Dunnville, KY

3d•$53,100 - $90,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Procurement Technical Category Manager leads strategic sourcing activities that support New Product Integration (NPI) and drives Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VA/VE) initiatives to optimize cost, quality, manufacturability, and supply continuity. Partnering closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, and Plant Leadership, this role influences supplier selection, manufacturing processes, product design, and sourcing strategies early in product development to enable successful product launches and continuous cost improvement. Combining strategic category management expertise with technical knowledge of manufacturing processes for both new and existing products, the Procurement Technical Category Manager identifies opportunities to reduce total cost throughout the product lifecycle while maintaining quality, performance, and customer requirements.

Requirements

Minimum 5 years of experience in Strategic Sourcing, Engineering, Category Management, or Technical Procurement within a manufacturing environment.
Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) or New Product Development (NPD) programs.
Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes.
Experience with supplier negotiations and strategic sourcing initiatives.
Experience developing and executing category strategies.
Strong understanding of supplier cost structures and manufacturing economics.
Proven success leading VA/VE or cost reduction initiatives.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and manufacturing documentation.
Strong analytical, negotiation, and project management skills.
Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field required.
Comprehensive knowledge of strategic sourcing, technical procurement, category management, New Product Introduction (NPI), New Product Development (NPD), Value Analysis / Value Engineering, Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Cost (DFC), Design to Value (DTV), cost modeling, should-cost analysis, supplier development, contract negotiation, manufacturing economics, global sourcing, and supply chain risk management.
Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes including machining, metal stamping, forging, casting, plastic molding, metal fabrication, welding, assembly, and finishing processes.
Demonstrated ability to analyze supplier cost structures and manufacturing economics.
Demonstrated ability to develop strategic category strategies.
Demonstrated ability to lead technical sourcing projects.
Demonstrated ability to conduct supplier negotiations.
Demonstrated ability to develop cost models and should-cost analyses.
Demonstrated ability to identify and implement VA/VE opportunities.
Demonstrated ability to interpret engineering drawings and specifications.
Demonstrated ability to evaluate supplier manufacturing capabilities.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex cross-functional projects.
Demonstrated ability to influence Engineering, Operations, Quality, and supplier stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to communicate technical and financial concepts effectively.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.
Ability to translate engineering and technical requirements into sourcing strategies.
Ability to understand complex manufacturing processes and cost drivers.
Ability to influence product design decisions through procurement expertise.
Ability to balance cost, quality, manufacturability, delivery, and supply risk.
Ability to make data-driven sourcing recommendations.
Ability to build strong relationships with engineers, suppliers, plant leaders, and executives.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced product development environment.
Ability to travel to supplier and company locations as required.
Ability to lead projects without direct authority.

Nice To Haves

Engineering degree or significant technical manufacturing background.
Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement experience.
Six Sigma experience.
Experience with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Epicor, Microsoft Dynamics, or equivalent.
Knowledge of global sourcing and international supplier management.
Experience with international supplier negotiations.
Experience with advanced cost modeling or should-cost tools.

Responsibilities

Lead technical category management
Support New Product Integration (NPI) and New Product Development (NPD).
Lead Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VA/VE) and cost reduction initiatives.
Evaluate supplier capabilities, costs, technology, and manufacturing processes.
Lead supplier negotiations, sourcing events, and supplier development activities.
Conduct cost modeling, market analysis, and sourcing risk assessments.
Support continuous improvement and product lifecycle cost optimization.
Analyze spend, market trends, country of origin, supplier capabilities, capacity, and industry risks to identify cost-saving opportunities.
Support and execute global category strategies aligned with business objectives.
Develop sourcing strategies based on cost, quality, delivery, capacity, technology, and supply risk.
Build and maintain strategic supplier relationships focused on quality, cost competitiveness, innovation, and delivery performance.
Support supplier selection, RFQs, negotiations, and supplier rationalization initiatives.
Monitor market conditions and supplier cost structures.
Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, standardization, and cost optimization.
Serve as the Procurement representative during New Product Introduction programs.
Partner with Engineering to identify and qualify suppliers early in the product development process.
Evaluate supplier manufacturing capabilities, technical competencies, capacity, quality systems, and scalability.
Ensure sourcing decisions support product launch timelines, quality objectives, and cost targets.
Participate in design reviews and product development meetings.
Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Cost (DFC) initiatives.
Establish sourcing milestones and ensure procurement activities remain aligned with project schedules.
Identify potential supply risks early in the development process and develop mitigation strategies.
Support prototype, pilot, and production sourcing activities.
Lead cross-functional cost reduction initiatives involving Procurement, Engineering, Operations, Quality, and suppliers.
Identify opportunities for material substitutions, process improvements, design simplification, supplier innovation, make-versus-buy optimization, domestic versus global sourcing, standardization, Design to Value (DTV), manufacturing process optimization, and component consolidation.
Quantify and deliver measurable cost savings while maintaining product quality and performance.
Develop cost models and should-cost analyses.
Participate in design reviews to identify cost opportunities before production.
Evaluate the financial and operational impact of proposed engineering changes.
Track VA/VE projects through implementation and validate realized savings with Finance.
Identify strategic suppliers capable of supporting future technologies, products, and business growth.
Support supplier capability assessments and technical evaluations.
Evaluate supplier manufacturing processes, capacity, quality systems, technology, and scalability.
Support supplier development initiatives to improve quality, delivery, productivity, cost, capacity, and innovation.
Partner with Quality and Engineering to resolve supplier technical issues.
Establish supplier performance expectations and improvement plans.
Develop strategic supplier partnerships that support long-term product and business objectives.
Develop and maintain supplier cost models.
Analyze raw material, labor, overhead, tooling, freight, and other cost components.
Conduct should-cost and total-cost-of-ownership analysis.
Evaluate supplier quotes against market and manufacturing benchmarks.
Identify cost drivers and opportunities for improvement.
Provide financial analysis to support sourcing recommendations.
Partner with Finance to validate cost savings and cost avoidance.
Lead RFQ, RFP, and competitive sourcing events for assigned technical categories.
Develop sourcing strategies and supplier evaluation criteria.
Negotiate pricing, payment terms, tooling, lead times, quality requirements, and commercial agreements.
Evaluate supplier proposals based on total cost, quality, capability, capacity, risk, and strategic fit.
Develop sourcing recommendations for leadership approval.
Support contract development and commercial negotiations.
Identify supply chain risks related to supplier capacity, geographic concentration, country of origin, raw materials, geopolitical conditions, and financial stability.
Develop sourcing risk mitigation strategies.
Identify alternate suppliers and sources when appropriate.
Support dual-source and multi-source strategies for critical components.
Monitor supplier capacity and ability to support future product demand.
Partner with Supply Chain and Operations to protect production continuity.