Category Manager - Sterilization & Cross-linking

Zimmer, Inc.•Warsaw, IN

11d•$115,000 - $140,000

About The Position

The Category Manager leads end-to-end sourcing and commercial strategy for outsourced sterilization and polyethylene cross-linking services across Zimmer Biomet’s global product portfolio. The category includes ethylene oxide, gamma, electron beam, X-ray, steam, and related validated processing services. The role translates business, quality, regulatory, operational, and technology requirements into category and supplier strategies that strengthen supply continuity, secure capacity, improve service, manage total cost, and enable innovation. The position owns commercial relationships and category execution, partnering with Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Engineering, Research and Development, Finance, and Legal. It executes a global, multi-year sourcing roadmap; leads sourcing events, supplier selection, evaluations, and negotiations; develops category intelligence and total-cost models; and builds supplier governance and risk-mitigation plans. The role also coordinates with technical and quality teams on supplier qualifications, validations, change controls, product transfers, and regulatory-impact assessments, while monitoring emerging technologies and supplier investments. The role requires a bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline and at least five years of related experience, including ownership of complex sourcing initiatives in a regulated or highly controlled manufacturing environment. Preferred qualifications include direct experience with sterilization or other validated outsourced processing services, relevant technical and supplier-management experience, and an advanced degree or professional credential. Travel of up to 25%, including overnight and occasional international travel, is expected. Expected compensation is $115,000–$140,000.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, engineering, science, or a related discipline.
At least 5 years of experience in strategic sourcing, category management, supplier management, operations, engineering, or a related field, including demonstrated ownership of complex sourcing initiatives.
Demonstrated success developing category or supplier strategies, leading competitive sourcing, negotiating complex agreements, and delivering measurable business value.
Experience working in a regulated or highly controlled manufacturing environment, such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, or another life-science sector.
Strong commercial, analytical, project management, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to turn data into decisions and action plans.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to lead cross-functional, global teams.
Proficiency with enterprise resource planning, spend analytics, Microsoft Excel, and presentation tools.
Ability to travel up to 25%, including overnight and occasional international travel.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with contract sterilization, radiation processing, polyethylene cross-linking, or other validated outsourced processing services.
Working knowledge of ethylene oxide, gamma, electron beam, X-ray, and steam sterilization technologies and their commercial and capacity considerations.
Experience supporting supplier qualifications, process validations, change controls, technical transfers, or regulatory-impact assessments in partnership with Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and Engineering.
Experience managing global suppliers and business continuity plans in categories with constrained capacity or limited qualified sources.
Master’s degree, MBA, CPSM, C.P.M., PMP, or a comparable professional credential.

Responsibilities

Execute a global, multi-year category strategy and sourcing roadmap for sterilization and cross-linking services, including supplier, capacity, geographic, and technology plans.
Lead sourcing events, supplier selection, commercial evaluation, and negotiations across sterilization and cross-linking services.
Develop category intelligence from spend, demand, capacity, cost-driver, regulatory, technology, and supply-market data, and turn insights into recommendations and actions.
Create total-cost models and deliver sustainable value through commercial terms and service arrangements, including pricing mechanisms, capacity commitments, minimum volumes, storage, turnaround times, warranties, service levels, change notification, business continuity, and performance remedies.
Build strategic supplier relationships and lead governance using scorecards, quarterly business reviews, executive reviews, and corrective-action follow-up.
Identify and quantify supply risks, including single-source exposure, constrained capacity, site concentration, geopolitical risk, regulatory change, and business interruption; lead mitigation plans such as second sourcing, alternate sites, and alternate technologies.
Partner with technical and quality functions on supplier and site qualifications, validation plans, change controls, product transfers, and regulatory-impact assessments, while owning sourcing and commercial deliverables.
Integrate long-range demand, product launches, network changes, and supplier capacity plans to anticipate constraints and secure capacity.
Monitor emerging sterilization and cross-linking technologies and supplier investments, and connect relevant opportunities to technology and product roadmaps.
Lead cross-functional projects with defined scope, milestones, owners, risks, decisions, and executive-level status reporting; escalate issues early and drive actions to closure.
Ensure sourcing activity complies with company policies, quality requirements, ethical standards, and applicable laws and regulations.