Senior Category Manager

Briggs & Stratton•Milwaukee, WI

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Category Manager Senior, your goal is to lead category strategies for multiple purchase areas and/or of significant total spend across the enterprise. You'll lead strategic sourcing activities for assigned commodities by data gathering, identifying suppliers, quote preparation, supplier qualification, and gap analysis to make robust decisions regarding supplier selection and sourcing needs. Additionally, you'll manage supplier relationships and performance and identify cost reduction opportunities. You will do this by conducting supplier contract negotiations, supplier selection, and contract life cycle management; communicating expectations and results with suppliers; developing and executing sourcing and supplier management strategies to improve supply, cost, risk management, product development, and innovation; defining and communicating the category vision and expectations for suppliers and internal team members outlining performance and gaps to goals, and improvements to ensure business objectives are met; collaborating to resolve issues, execute projects, and grow the organization’s category expertise; coaching and mentoring Category Analysts to develop their category-specific expertise; developing and maintaining effective business relationships with internal and external stakeholders; managing and reporting on category annual operating planning cycle activities; assuring overall continuity of supply and active risk mitigation; working with plants to resolve quality, delivery, capacity and other issues as required; and leading continuous cost reduction / value improvement activities by developing and executing projects, competitively quoting, conducting negotiations, and developing/executing cost models. The above statements are intended only to describe the general nature of the job and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of position responsibilities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management or related field OR equivalent experience and education
Minimum seven years of experience in purchasing or related field
Proficiency with spreadsheet software
Experience with SAP preferred
Expert in category strategy, strategic sourcing, supplier management, spend analysis, and contract negotiation skills
Strong written and verbal communication skills for report writing, presentations and interactions with diverse groups of people inside and outside of the Company
Ability to work in a team environment and to build and manage business relationships
Project management experience
Ability to lead sophisticated partnership arrangements
Ability to influence stakeholders
Process improvement and implementation

Nice To Haves

ambitious and driven
able to think strategically
a strong and experienced negotiator

Responsibilities

Conducting supplier contract negotiations, supplier selection, and contract life cycle management
Communicating expectations and results with suppliers
Developing and executing sourcing and supplier management strategies to improve supply, cost, risk management, product development, and innovation
Defining and communicating the category vision and expectations for suppliers and internal team members outlining performance and gaps to goals, and improvements to ensure business objectives are met
Collaborating to resolve issues, execute projects, and grow the organization’s category expertise
Coaching and mentoring Category Analysts to develop their category-specific expertise
Developing and maintaining effective business relationships with internal and external stakeholders
Managing and reporting on category annual operating planning cycle activities
Assuring overall continuity of supply and active risk mitigation
Working with plants to resolve quality, delivery, capacity and other issues as required
Leading continuous cost reduction / value improvement activities by developing and executing projects, competitively quoting, conducting negotiations, and developing/executing cost models