Category Manager

American Electric Power•Columbus, OH

15h

About The Position

Project Procurement Management serves in a key commercial leadership role supporting development and construction of energy infrastructure, including natural gas generation, combined-cycle power plants, renewable energy projects, and infrastructure for large-load and data center customers. The Category Manager leads project procurement activities, including strategic sourcing, category management, contracting, and commercial management for major capital projects and construction programs. The role develops and executes procurement, contracting, sourcing, and supplier strategies from early project development and engineering through construction, commissioning, commercial operation, and contract closeout. The position leads negotiation, award, and administration of significant EPC, construction, engineering, major equipment supply, and professional services contracts, working with EPC contractors, OEMs, engineering firms, construction contractors, suppliers, and strategic partners. It collaborates with Project Management, Engineering, Construction, Legal, Finance, Risk Management, Supply Chain, and business leadership to establish commercial strategies that support project execution and protect the company’s contractual interests. The role provides commercial leadership throughout project execution, overseeing contract administration, change management, contractor negotiations, issue resolution, claims, milestones and payments, contractual notices, performance security, warranties, supplier performance, compliance, and closeout. It supports project teams in resolving commercial matters affecting cost, schedule, contractual risk, supplier performance, and execution. The role also develops strategic procurement and sourcing approaches using market intelligence, supplier capabilities, competition, total cost of ownership, enterprise spend, supplier relationship management, and lessons learned to improve terms, increase competition, mitigate risk, and deliver value. The position also develops and manages company strategies to control costs, generate savings, rationalize inventory, and maximize working capital. It manages program implementation, supplier relationship and contract administration functions, aligns buying strategies and contracts with inventory strategies and operating company needs, uses technology to improve internal processes, communicates performance metrics, works on demand management strategies, and helps optimize logistics processes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field and at least 8 years of relevant work experience; alternatively, an Associate’s degree in a related field and at least 9 years of relevant experience; or a high school diploma or equivalent and at least 10 years of relevant experience.
Project management skills, an investigative nature, and a process-oriented mindset.

Nice To Haves

MBA or purchasing certification.
Experience with lean manufacturing, kaizen, continuous improvement, or similar production tools.

Responsibilities

Lead project procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, contracting, and commercial management for major capital projects and construction programs.
Develop and execute project procurement, contracting, sourcing, and supplier strategies from project development and engineering through construction, commissioning, operation, and contract closeout.
Lead negotiation, award, and administration of EPC, construction, engineering, major equipment supply, and professional services contracts.
Collaborate with project, engineering, construction, legal, finance, risk, supply chain, and business leadership on commercial and contracting strategies.
Oversee contract administration, change management, change orders, contractor negotiations, commercial issue resolution, claims, milestones and payments, contractual notices, performance security, warranties, supplier performance, compliance, and closeout.
Support project teams in evaluating and resolving commercial matters affecting project cost, schedule, contractual risk, supplier performance, and execution.
Develop procurement and sourcing strategies using market intelligence, supplier capabilities, competitive sourcing, total cost of ownership, enterprise spend, supplier relationship management, and lessons learned.
Identify opportunities to strengthen commercial terms, increase supplier competition, improve contracting strategies, mitigate risk, and deliver sustainable value.
Develop and manage company strategies to control costs within budget, generate savings, rationalize inventory, and maximize working capital.
Manage implementation of company strategies by establishing timing, support resources, standardization events, and communication tools.
Perform supplier relationship management and contract administration functions for programs.
Work with Supply Chain teams to align buying strategies and contracts with inventory strategies and Operating Company needs.
Leverage technology to create internal process efficiencies and communicate program performance metrics to appropriate management levels.
Work with Business Units and Supply Chain on demand management strategies.
Assist in optimizing logistics processes and develop solutions to ongoing operating problems with supply chain colleagues.