NA Chemicals and Ingredients Category Lead

Cargill•Wayzata, MN

20h•$108,000 - $130,000

About The Position

The NA Chemicals and Ingredients Category Lead develops and implements category strategies, identifying and capturing value from Cargill’s global scale and market insights. The role is accountable for category targets, providing strategic direction to sourcing teams and supplier partners, supporting strategy execution, and developing insights that connect value creation with local commercial viability. The role synthesizes technical, economic, and global market drivers across Chemicals & Ingredients and builds regional category expertise aligned with customer innovation, culinary, and nutritional solutions. It partners with functions across the business to advance food safety, operational reliability, sustainability, supply resiliency, and cost competitiveness. The Category Lead develops and executes multi-year strategies across complex subcategories, builds strategic supplier relationships, leads regional initiatives, and measures realized value creation. The position independently handles complex issues with minimal supervision and performs other duties as assigned. The expected salary range is $108,000–$130,000. Compensation may vary based on location, certifications, education, experience, and applicable geographic differentials. Relocation assistance and visa sponsorship are not provided. Cargill offers a comprehensive benefits program, with benefits dependent on the position and hours worked and subject to applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
At least four years of related work experience.
Experience partnering with cross-functional stakeholders to identify business needs and translate them into strategic initiatives.
Experience developing and executing multi-year category, business, or commercial strategies.
Ability to travel occasionally based on business needs.

Nice To Haves

Experience in purchasing and supply chain.
Experience with customer segmentation and pricing strategy.
Experience in chemicals, ingredients, process engineering, chemical manufacturing, or related technical categories.
Experience using market intelligence and supply-demand fundamentals to develop business strategies.
Experience leading complex cross-functional projects and influencing stakeholders without direct authority.

Responsibilities

Synthesize technical, economic, and global market drivers across Chemicals & Ingredients; build business partnerships, understand competitive dynamics, and develop regional category and Ingredients expertise aligned with customer innovation, culinary, and nutritional solutions.
Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, FSQR, Manufacturing Technology, Natural Resources, Commercial, Finance, and Sustainability to advance food safety, operational reliability, sustainability, supply resiliency, and cost competitiveness.
Develop and execute multi-year category strategies across complex Chemicals & Ingredients subcategories, using market positions to create competitive advantage and drive supplier-enabled innovation, strategic supplier relationships, market intelligence, and value-creation roadmaps.
Align with regional risk, sourcing, and business leadership to develop regional category strategies that optimize business value, manage risk, and strengthen long-term competitiveness.
Communicate global market drivers and local feedback and incorporate them into regional businesses to support long-term local competitiveness.
Communicate detailed market intelligence to appropriate audiences to support commercial approaches based on customer segment, competitive positioning, and market trends.
Lead regional category initiatives and convert strategy into measurable results through governance, stakeholder sponsorship, disciplined execution, and value-capture mechanisms; measure and report realized value creation.
Evaluate and deploy chemical and ingredients improvement actions and lead transitions in chemical and ingredients technology and category strategy with local formulation and supply chain teams.
Independently handle complex issues with minimal supervision, escalating only the most complex issues to appropriate staff.
Perform other duties as assigned.