Senior Category Buyer - Energy & Strategic Categories

Vallourec North America•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Senior Category Buyer strategically sources and manages energy (electricity and natural gas), thread protectors, and other assigned strategic categories for Vallourec North America facilities. The role supports immediate operational requirements while driving long-term value through category strategy development, supplier relationship management, risk mitigation, market intelligence, and total cost of ownership initiatives. The position develops and executes electricity and natural-gas procurement strategies, monitors market and regulatory developments, evaluates energy pricing and risk-management alternatives, and leads evaluation and execution of Power Purchase Agreement opportunities and other energy-transition initiatives. It also coordinates cross-functional feasibility studies, manages project execution from opportunity identification through operational deployment, and monitors performance against business, cost, and emissions objectives. The Senior Category Buyer leads competitive sourcing, negotiations, supplier selection, contract administration, supplier performance and development, and continuous-improvement initiatives. The role works closely with Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, Finance, Quality, Supply Chain, Sustainability, and Legal stakeholders, and develops market intelligence, category dashboards, and performance metrics.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Business, Engineering, Finance, or a related field; alternatively, 10 or more years of relevant experience is acceptable.
At least 5 years of experience in strategic sourcing, category management, procurement, or supply chain roles.
Strong analytical, negotiation, financial, and contract-management skills.
Ability to understand technically specified products and evaluate supplier performance using total-cost and productivity metrics, particularly for thread protectors and strategic commodities.
Strong analytical capability with energy pricing, indexation, tariffs, consumption data, budgeting, and commercial scenario modeling.
Strong knowledge of strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, contract management, and supplier performance management.
Proficiency with ERP systems and Microsoft Office tools, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and operate effectively in a matrix organization.
Demonstrated leadership, ownership mindset, and ability to influence stakeholders without direct authority.
Commitment to compliance, ethical sourcing practices, and continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

At least 3 years of experience sourcing energy, industrial consumables, thread protectors, technical materials, industrial services, or other strategic categories.
Working knowledge of electricity and natural-gas procurement concepts, utility and supplier billing structures, and commodity-market risk.
Experience sourcing energy (electricity and/or natural gas), industrial consumables, tooling, thread protectors, or technically specified materials.
Experience with SAP.

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and maintain category strategies for electricity, natural gas, thread protectors, and other assigned strategic categories.
Identify and execute cost-reduction, value-creation, process-improvement, and supply-chain-optimization initiatives.
Lead competitive sourcing events, RFIs, RFQs, contract negotiations, and supplier selection activities.
Assess sourcing opportunities based on total cost of ownership, market conditions, operational requirements, and long-term business objectives.
Support integration and strategic management of additional categories assigned by management.
Develop and execute electricity and natural-gas procurement strategies.
Monitor energy markets, price trends, regulatory developments, and supply-demand fundamentals.
Analyze fixed-price, index-based, and risk-management alternatives.
Lead evaluation, development, and execution of Power Purchase Agreement opportunities and other energy-transition initiatives across Vallourec North America operations.
Conduct market assessments, financial analyses, risk evaluations, and business-case development to identify renewable energy solutions supporting economic and environmental objectives.
Coordinate cross-functional feasibility studies with internal and external stakeholders to assess technical, commercial, regulatory, and contractual impacts.
Develop implementation strategies and manage project execution from opportunity identification through contract negotiation, approval, and operational deployment.
Monitor performance and value realization of PPA and sustainability projects, aligning them with emissions-reduction goals, energy-cost targets, and business strategy.
Establish and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers.
Conduct supplier performance reviews, lead supplier-development initiatives, and mitigate supplier risks.
Negotiate commercial agreements and contract terms; ensure compliance with contractual obligations and procurement policies; manage renewals, amendments, and commercial negotiations.
Collaborate with Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering, Finance, Quality, Supply Chain, Sustainability, and Legal stakeholders, providing procurement expertise and market insights.
Monitor market trends, supplier developments, technological advancements, and regulatory changes.
Develop category dashboards and performance metrics, and benchmark suppliers and industry practices.