Senior Category Lead/Category Manager, Chemical & Raw Materials

Huntsman Corporation•Houston, TX

14d•Onsite

About The Position

Sr. Category Lead / Category Manager, Chemical & Raw Materials Strategic Sourcing Huntsman is currently seeking a dynamic individual to join our team as a Sr. Category Lead / Category Manager, Chemical & Raw Materials Strategic Sourcing at our Global Headquarters in The Woodlands, TX. In this role, you will lead the development and execution of advanced strategic sourcing initiatives for chemicals and raw materials, proactively identifying market trends and opportunities to optimize procurement outcomes and drive competitive advantage for Huntsman’s Polyurethanes and Performance Products business divisions. You will manage procurement strategies for chemicals within the assigned portfolio, ensuring an optimal, uninterrupted, and timely supply according to business objectives and established purchasing policies and guidelines. Responsibilities include supplier relationship management, performance monitoring, and contract development to ensure security of supply. You will act as a self-driven leader, continuously seeking innovative sourcing solutions and alternative suppliers to unlock new value streams for the business, while leveraging data-driven insights to deliver measurable cost savings and performance improvements. As the Sr. Category Lead / Category Manager, Chemical & Raw Materials, you will: Demonstrate expert negotiation skills in commercial agreements, consistently securing favorable terms and conditions that maximize business value. Take ownership of contract development, review, and management, ensuring all agreements align with strategic objectives and risk mitigation standards. Collaborate with Americas Business and Procurement leadership to develop and maintain strategic sourcing and category management strategies while ensuring productive multi-level supplier relationships. Support the Procurement Director by gathering and analyzing business requirements, key cost drivers, supplier capabilities, and industry trends to develop and implement sourcing strategies that optimize value while ensuring supply and quality. Develop and maintain stakeholder relationships across the Americas region to ensure alignment with category strategies and continuous improvement of supplier performance. Identify new raw material sources where appropriate and drive approval through the required processes; troubleshoot inbound supply chain constraints. Develop alternative suppliers for key product lines, working closely with the technical team throughout the qualification process. Collect and analyze key data to provide meaningful market intelligence and support strategic sourcing decisions. Utilize sourcing tools and techniques consistent with approved strategic methodologies. Apply financial indicators such as TCO, EBITDA, ROI, payment terms, Incoterms, market analysis, and savings measures to support informed business decisions. Develop and track project action plans to ensure timely delivery and achievement of expected results. Create, maintain, and review key business reports (KPIs, project updates, savings reporting, etc.) to provide valuable insights to stakeholders and management. Track and develop vendor performance and manage vendor relationships.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Purchasing & Supply Chain, Finance, Business Administration, or Engineering, with 5+ years of solid experience in Strategic Sourcing and Procurement within the Chemical, Oil & Gas, or Energy industry.
Proven experience in contract development, including thorough review and analysis of terms and conditions.
Professional-level English language skills (additional languages may be required or preferred depending on region).
Strong understanding of procurement and sourcing tools and processes (SAP, Ariba, etc.).
Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office, data management, data analytics, and market intelligence tools.
Experience with sourcing/procurement methodologies including RFI, RFQ, RFP, bid evaluations, cost models, and strong negotiation skills for both pre- and post-award processes.
Skills in root-cause analysis, decision-making, stakeholder management, supplier performance management, and problem-solving.
Demonstrated leadership skills with experience driving results and cost savings in a fast-paced environment; ability to positively influence, coach, and lead teams.
Ability to ensure effective cross-functional collaboration and alignment to achieve collective objectives.
Flexibility and adaptability to dynamic business needs and organizational priorities.

Nice To Haves

Professional certifications such as SCMP, CPSM, CPSD, CPSQ, or similar.
Knowledge of chemical raw materials, feedstocks, and Huntsman businesses and markets.

Responsibilities

Demonstrate expert negotiation skills in commercial agreements, consistently securing favorable terms and conditions that maximize business value.
Take ownership of contract development, review, and management, ensuring all agreements align with strategic objectives and risk mitigation standards.
Collaborate with Americas Business and Procurement leadership to develop and maintain strategic sourcing and category management strategies while ensuring productive multi-level supplier relationships.
Support the Procurement Director by gathering and analyzing business requirements, key cost drivers, supplier capabilities, and industry trends to develop and implement sourcing strategies that optimize value while ensuring supply and quality.
Develop and maintain stakeholder relationships across the Americas region to ensure alignment with category strategies and continuous improvement of supplier performance.
Identify new raw material sources where appropriate and drive approval through the required processes; troubleshoot inbound supply chain constraints.
Develop alternative suppliers for key product lines, working closely with the technical team throughout the qualification process.
Collect and analyze key data to provide meaningful market intelligence and support strategic sourcing decisions.
Utilize sourcing tools and techniques consistent with approved strategic methodologies.
Apply financial indicators such as TCO, EBITDA, ROI, payment terms, Incoterms, market analysis, and savings measures to support informed business decisions.
Develop and track project action plans to ensure timely delivery and achievement of expected results.
Create, maintain, and review key business reports (KPIs, project updates, savings reporting, etc.) to provide valuable insights to stakeholders and management.
Track and develop vendor performance and manage vendor relationships.