Project Procurement Category Manager

American Electric Power • Columbus, OH

15h • $136,539 - $177,503

About The Position

The Category Manager, Project Procurement plays a critical role in coordinating the procurement of goods and services for major strategic initiatives within AEP’s capital project portfolio. This position is responsible for developing and executing enterprise-wide sourcing strategies for assigned projects, partnering closely with project teams to plan, monitor, and report on procurement activities, and ensuring alignment with project execution requirements. The role leads complex category projects and portfolios involving large, cross-functional teams and carries significant strategic impact for AEP. At AEP, we’re more than just an energy company — we’re a team of dedicated professionals committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions. Guided by our mission to put the customer first, we strive to exceed expectations by listening, responding, and continuously improving the way we serve our communities. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact and being part of a forward-thinking organization, this is the company for you!

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required; preferred fields include Finance, Business, Economics, Engineering, or related disciplines.
• Ten (10) or more years of progressively responsible experience in project management, category management, strategic sourcing, purchasing, consulting, cost accounting, finance, or related PMP/SCM fields.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with strong influencing and persuasion capabilities.
• Demonstrated innovation, initiative, leadership, and management experience.
• Ability to lead teams in a matrixed organization, across geographical and functional reporting lines.
• Proven experience negotiating large, complex commercial agreements.
• Ability to independently manage supplier relationships and performance.
• Expertise in project planning, development, and execution, with a track record of achieving measurable results in supplier negotiations.
• Ability to apply market intelligence and insights to the project schedule.
• Strong understanding of the strategic sourcing process.
• Advanced negotiation and project management skills-project management fluency (understand P6 schedules, Critical Path Method (CPM) etc.).
• Thorough knowledge of purchasing, accounts payable, work management, and financial systems; familiarity with AEP systems (e.g., SAP, Ariba) preferred.
• Ability to analyze and interpret complex business issues using tools such as TCO, NPV, and cost/price analysis.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including Excel (Pivot tables, VLOOKUP) is required; familiarity with visualization tools is preferred (Tableau, PowerBI, or SQL).

Nice To Haves

• MBA, JD, or other relevant graduate degree preferred.
• Candidates with an advanced degree or doctorate will be considered with five (5) or more years of relevant experience.
• Professional certifications such as PMP, SCMP, CPSM, or equivalent preferred.
• Thorough knowledge of purchasing, accounts payable, work management, and financial systems; familiarity with AEP systems (e.g., SAP, Ariba) preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including Excel (Pivot tables, VLOOKUP) is required; familiarity with visualization tools is preferred (Tableau, PowerBI, or SQL).

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary representative of Procurement to AEP business units and implement sourcing strategies that optimize spend.
• Act as the main point of contact for project teams, strengthening partnerships, improving service levels, and driving key Supply Chain performance metrics.
• Oversee coordination between Project Procurement professionals and other Supply Chain teams and resources to support project delivery.
• Ensure adherence to AEP and regulatory standards, policies, and procedures across all project procurement activities.
• Collaborate with Project Procurement professionals and Supply Chain teams to fulfill all material and service requirements for assigned projects.
• Represent Supply Chain in project meetings, phase gate reviews, and other forums, ensuring clear communication and alignment.
• Lead escalation and resolution of project material issues, including developing corrective actions and recovery plans.
• Partner with project managers to develop procurement matrices and plans covering material supply, contracting, logistics, and expediting.
• Develop and manage comprehensive Project Procurement Execution Plans, including pricing, PO/MR tracking, order timelines, contractual need dates, and delivery expectations.
• Support project engineers, managers, and contractors in procuring goods and services in accordance with approved procurement plans.
• Monitor and report on all procurement planning activities, including material requisitions, supply tracking, shortage identification, and expediting.
• Assess and communicate quality, cost, and schedule impacts arising from Supply Chain activities; develop mitigation strategies to reduce project risk.
• Address escalated issues and ensure timely communication of resolutions to project and Supply Chain stakeholders.
• Identify potential schedule delays or changes and evaluate associated cost, schedule, and resource impacts.
• Build and maintain strong relationships across AEP’s procurement organization.
• Develop and sustain collaborative networks with internal stakeholders and suppliers to support demand planning, forecasting, strategy development, and contract utilization.
• Lead cross-functional teams including technical subject matter experts and other stakeholders in the development and execution of sourcing strategies.

Benefits

• In addition to a competitive compensation, AEP offers a unique comprehensive benefits package that aims to support and enhance the overall well-being of our employees.

What This Job Offers

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