MRO Category Specialist, Strategic Sourcing

Cinemark•Plano, TX

About The Position

This role will primarily support facilities and MRO-related categories, including janitorial services and supplies, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, landscaping, fire/life safety, equipment maintenance, and general maintenance supplies. The ideal candidate brings experience managing sourcing initiatives, supplier negotiations, and category strategies within facilities, maintenance, repair, and operations environments. This role partners closely with Category Managers, business stakeholders, Finance, Legal, Operations, and other functional teams to execute sourcing projects, manage supplier relationships, analyze spend and market trends, and deliver value through cost optimization, risk mitigation, supplier innovation, and operational excellence. Operating in a matrixed environment, the Category Specialist will manage sourcing initiatives, support category strategy development, conduct market intelligence and supplier analysis, and help drive procurement best practices across the organization. This position offers broad exposure to multiple business functions and sourcing categories and serves as a development opportunity for future Category Management leadership roles.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, Engineering, Operations, or a related field.
2-5 years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, supplier management, or supply chain.
Experience supporting sourcing projects and cross-functional initiatives.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.
Experience conducting supplier evaluations, market analysis, contract negotiations, and commercial assessments.
Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and data analysis tools.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Strong organizational and time management skills.
Attention to detail and accuracy.
Analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Customer service mindset.
Team-oriented approach with strong collaboration skills.
Proficiency in data analysis and reporting.
Effective communication skills, both verbal and written, capable of articulating concepts in a clear and persuasive manner.
Results-oriented with a clear emphasis on performance metrics

Nice To Haves

Experience sourcing or managing facilities and MRO-related categories, including janitorial services, janitorial supplies, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, landscaping, fire/life safety, equipment maintenance, and related indirect spend categories.
Experience supporting facilities, operations, or corporate services procurement functions.
Familiarity with supplier performance management, supplier scorecards, and KPI tracking.

Responsibilities

Support the development and execution of category strategies aligned with business objectives.
Demonstrates the highest level of ethics and integrity in all supplier interactions ensuring accountability, service excellence and long-term collaboration.
Execute sourcing projects from opportunity identification through contract implementation.
Lead or support competitive sourcing events including RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs.
Develop sourcing recommendations based on commercial, operational, and risk considerations.
Identify opportunities for cost savings, cost avoidance, supplier consolidation, and process improvement to meet established KPIs.
Work with Category Managers and department leaders in the development of category strategies, supplier strategies, and sourcing roadmaps.
Ensure sourcing activities comply with company policies and procurement standards.
Support the management of supplier relationships throughout the contract lifecycle.
Analyze spending data, supplier performance, and market conditions to identify sourcing opportunities.
Conduct supplier and industry research to understand market trends, cost drivers, emerging technologies, and potential risk
Manage sourcing events (RFQs, RFPs, and competitive bidding processes) for MRO and facilities-related spend categories.
Conduct detailed spend analysis, benchmarking, and cost modeling to identify sourcing opportunities and savings initiatives.
Develop supplier scorecards and monitor supplier performance against established service, quality, and cost KPIs.
Support negotiation of pricing structures, service-level agreements, annual escalators, payment terms, and multi-year agreements.
Review and administer contracts, including MSAs and Statements of Work (SOWs), ensuring compliance and commercial effectiveness.
Manage multiple sourcing initiatives simultaneously while maintaining project timelines and stakeholder expectations.
Coordinate cross-functional teams throughout the sourcing lifecycle.
Establish project milestones, monitor progress, and communicate status updates.
Identify and mitigate project risks, issues, and potential delays.
Support supplier onboarding and implementation activities following contract award.