Category Manager

Hitachi • Raleigh, NC

2d • Onsite

About The Position

As a Category/Commodity Manager within Hitachi Energy’s Grid Automation business, the 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 supplier performance. The position supports tendering, project execution, supplier quality, and cost-reduction initiatives, working closely with proposal and project execution teams, engineering, operational buying, supplier quality, and global category teams. The role is based in a fast-paced tender and project execution environment and contributes to supplier partnerships, total cost of ownership, quality and delivery performance, and supply chain resilience.

The position also offers opportunities to work across global supply chain networks, collaborate with experienced professionals, and build expertise supporting complex power industry projects and innovative energy technologies. Candidates must already have US work authorization permitting employment with Hitachi Energy. Travel flexibility of up to 25% is required.

Requirements

• Already have work authorization permitting employment with Hitachi Energy in the United States.
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management or a similar field; 8–10 years of experience may be considered in lieu of education.
• At least 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%.

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 company match and contribution.
• Life/AD&D insurance and disability insurance.
• Family-related support, including legal, pet, auto, home, and identity theft services, special needs support, and adoption assistance.
• Enhanced leave programs, including FMLA, military service leave, maternal and paternal leave, adoption leave, vacation, and holidays.
• Permissive time off with no accrued hours.
• Employee Resource Groups, depending on location.
• Tuition reimbursement program.
• On-demand learning platforms.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level