Global Category Specialist Chemicals

Roquette•Geneva, IL

5d•$110,000 - $166,000•Onsite

About The Position

Roquette is seeking a Global Category Specialist Chemicals to join its Direct Materials Procurement team. The role combines operational management of purchasing activities and supplier performance with the development and execution of procurement strategies for a global chemicals portfolio. The portfolio includes petrochemicals, commodity chemicals—including chlor-alkali derivatives—and tail-spend raw materials. The position supports business growth, cost savings, risk mitigation, working-capital improvement, new-product development, and plant operating efficiency. The specialist owns portfolio performance, category strategies, strategic objectives, and supplier-base optimization. The role involves managing key supplier relationships, addressing supply concerns, and ensuring supplier performance supports business priorities. The specialist works closely with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Legal, Finance, R&D, and Manufacturing Technology, and coordinates with Procurement colleagues across regions to align global, regional, and local needs. This individual-contributor position requires effective leadership of multifunctional teams in a matrix organization. It is primarily office-based and may be located in Midland, Michigan; Wilmington, Delaware; or Geneva, Illinois. Other locations may be considered in consultation with Human Resources. Travel is required, primarily within North America, with occasional international travel. The estimated salary range is $110,000–$166,000. The position may also be eligible for performance-based incentive compensation. The specific offer depends on factors including skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or master’s degree; Business, Engineering, Economics, or Supply Chain is preferred.
At least five years of procurement experience in chemicals or related categories.
At least five years of negotiation experience.
Strong understanding of sourcing, contract management, and total-cost-of-ownership approaches.
Experience in the pharmaceutical or chemical industry, including understanding of relevant regulations.
Strong analytical skills and ability to make sound decisions in a fast-moving environment.
Experience with ERP systems such as SAP or Oracle.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365, procurement tools, and sourcing platforms.
Fluency in written and spoken English.
Ability to effectively lead multifunctional teams in a matrix organization.

Nice To Haves

A chemical background.
CPSM/ISM certification or an equivalent procurement qualification.

Responsibilities

Lead the sourcing strategy for the assigned chemicals portfolio with a high level of ownership and autonomy.
Develop and implement global and regional category strategies that deliver strategic objectives at the lowest total life-cycle cost, coordinating with other regions.
Apply strategic sourcing methods, including spend analysis, market intelligence, market assessment, supplier benchmarking, and portfolio optimization.
Identify, assess, and qualify new suppliers to diversify the supplier base, mitigate risk, and support security of supply.
Build supplier partnerships and apply Supplier Relationship Management principles to support growth, innovation, technology access, and continuous improvement.
Manage supplier performance, resolve performance issues, and negotiate claims when necessary.
Lead portfolio negotiations and contracting activities in alignment with Roquette objectives and stakeholder requirements.
Communicate effectively with internal stakeholders to align priorities and anticipate changes in business and operational needs.
Reduce working capital through supplier collaboration, payment-term negotiations, and other appropriate measures.
Analyze category performance and define KPIs for spend, supplier base, contractual coverage, savings, risk, and supplier performance.
Monitor market trends, regulatory developments, and supply risks to support decisions and anticipate change.
Ensure compliance with applicable Quality and Safety regulations, Roquette standards, and customer requirements.
Contribute to cross-functional and international projects, aligning project needs with category strategies.
Travel to develop and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders.