Senior Associate, Category Management
About The Position
The Senior Associate, Category Management supports supplier development, capacity expansion, and alternative-source development for composites, chemicals, and energetics. Working under the guidance of category management and supplier development leads, this individual contributor collaborates with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Procurement, and program teams to assess supplier capabilities, identify sourcing risks, and track actions supporting production readiness and supply continuity. The role is remote, follows a 9/80 schedule, and requires travel up to 30%, primarily domestic, with potential international travel to supplier and customer locations.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of two years of prior relevant supply chain experience; or a graduate degree and zero to two years of prior related supply chain experience; or, in lieu of a degree, a minimum of six years of prior related supply chain experience.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with composites, chemicals, energetics, or related manufacturing processes.
- Familiarity with Lean Six Sigma, manufacturing process improvement, quality inspection, or supplier capability assessments.
- Experience supporting supplier proposals, negotiations, or agreements, including long-term agreements (LTAs), memoranda of agreement (MOAs), and blanket purchase agreements (BPAs).
- Familiarity with FAR Part 15, cost/price analysis, and contracting practices in regulated environments.
- Experience in defense, aerospace, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
- Experience preparing business-case analyses, project updates, and presentations.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and PowerPoint, and familiarity with MRP/ERP systems.
- Master’s degree or formal concentration in supply chain, operations management, or business.
- Active U.S. security clearance.
Responsibilities
- Support supplier development and capacity-expansion activities by gathering information, coordinating stakeholder input, and tracking assigned actions.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to route and resolve supplier-related technical inquiries and support timely action closure.
- Assist in identifying sourcing risks and implementing approved mitigation plans.
- Support production ramp-up activities across multiple programs and geographic locations.
- Gather supplier capability information and coordinate Engineering and Quality reviews to support new product introduction and alternative-source qualification.
- Collect internal business requirements and support alignment with established commodity strategies and technology-development needs.
- Assist with supplier communications, proposal reviews, and preparation of agreement documentation under the guidance of category management and procurement leads.
- Consolidate program demand and forecasts to support supplier capacity planning and long-term schedule and pricing discussions.
- Provide approved forecasts to suppliers on a recurring basis.
- Support sourcing and purchase-order activities by maintaining accurate documentation and coordinating required inputs.
- Track supplier agreement status, expiration dates, and renewal actions to help maintain purchasing coverage.
- Maintain project trackers, analyze supplier data, and prepare status updates and presentations.
- Travel up to 30%, primarily domestically, with potential international travel to supplier and customer locations.
Benefits
- Health and disability insurance
- 401(k) match
- Flexible spending accounts
- Employee assistance program (EAP)
- Education assistance
- Parental leave
- Paid time off
- Company-paid holidays
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
