Category Manager

Hitachi•Raleigh, NC

8d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Category/Commodity Manager within Hitachi Energy’s Grid Automation business, this role supports sourcing and supply chain activities for power infrastructure projects across North America. The manager owns assigned spend categories and develops sourcing strategies that balance cost, quality, supply reliability, and performance while supporting tendering, project execution, supplier quality, and cost-reduction initiatives. The role works in a fast-paced tender and project execution environment and collaborates with proposal and project execution teams, engineering, operational buying, supplier quality, and global category teams to ensure critical materials and equipment are available for project delivery. The position influences supplier performance, leads strategic sourcing activities, negotiates contracts and commercial terms, supports continuous improvement, and contributes to supply chain resilience. The work also supports supplier partnerships, total cost of ownership, quality and delivery performance, and projects that modernize and improve the reliability of the power grid. The position is based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is not remote. Travel flexibility of up to 25% is required. Candidates must already have work authorization permitting them to work for Hitachi Energy in the United States. Pre-employment background checks may be conducted, with additional screening for certain roles as permitted by law and business necessity.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management or a similar field, or 8–10 years of experience may be considered in lieu of education.
Minimum 5 years of Supply Chain Management experience, preferably in Category Management or Strategic Sourcing within multinational companies.
Experience driving strategic category strategies and developing new approaches for the demanding power automation business.
Knowledge of assigned categories and understanding of commodity impacts on final cost.
Experience sourcing industrial, electrical, electronic, automation, or capital goods used in project-based businesses.
Strong quality and continuous improvement aptitude in the supplier environment.
Ability to work across multinational matrix organizations and collaborate with supplier quality engineers, engineering teams, suppliers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
Flexibility to travel up to 25%.
Must already have work authorization that permits employment with Hitachi Energy in the United States.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute sourcing strategies for assigned categories to improve total cost of ownership, supply reliability, and supplier performance.
Manage category performance against supply chain metrics, including cost reduction, cost avoidance, payment terms, on-time delivery, and spend under frame agreements.
Negotiate contracts, service level agreements, commercial terms, pricing, lead times, and related supplier agreements.
Evaluate supplier quotations, support RFQ activities, and contribute to bidding, tendering, and project budgeting.
Build, qualify, develop, and manage supplier relationships to support business growth, quality targets, and supply continuity.
Lead supplier qualification, risk assessments, audits, performance reviews, and supplier development activities.
Support cost reduction, value engineering, Design to Value (DtV), supplier rationalization, and process improvement initiatives.
Collaborate with Marketing & Sales, Engineering, Quality, Operations, Project Management, Contract Management, Legal, supplier quality teams, and global category stakeholders to improve quality, material availability, and business performance.
Ensure compliance with applicable external and internal regulations, procedures, and guidelines.

Benefits

Health care, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Employer-sponsored pension and 401(k) program with generous company match and contribution.
Life/AD&D insurance and disability insurance.
Family support offerings, including legal, pet, auto, home, and identity theft services, special needs support, and adoption assistance.
Enhanced leave programs, including FMLA, military service, maternal, paternal, adoption, vacation, and holiday leave.
Permissive Time Off with no accrued hours.
Employee Resource Groups, depending on location.
Tuition reimbursement program.
On-demand learning platforms.
Opportunities to work on innovative technologies shaping the future of energy.
Collaborative environment with experienced professionals across the power industry.