Senior Category Manager

Aston Carter•Hawthorn Woods, IL

7d•$160,000 - $170,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Senior Category Manager, you will be instrumental in developing and executing multi-year logistics category strategies across the Americas. You will work to align these strategies with global procurement objectives and business priorities, translating global category direction into regionally executable strategies while adhering to U.S. regulatory requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, engineering, or a related discipline.
5+ years of experience as a Category Manager or in a related role.
Deep expertise in US logistics regulations, cold chain requirements, and GDP standards.
Strong commercial judgment and advanced negotiation capability.
Proven experience managing high-value logistics contracts.
Demonstrated ability to deliver cost savings and service improvements through strategic sourcing.

Nice To Haves

MBA or professional certifications such as CPSM, CSCP, CIPS, Lean Six Sigma preferred.
10 years of procurement or category management experience.
Background in regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotech, or medical devices preferred.
Highly analytical with well-developed market intelligence and data analysis skills.
Experience with digital procurement platforms and AI technologies.

Responsibilities

Develop, own, and execute logistics category strategies for 4PL, transport, and distribution.
Translate global category direction into regionally executable strategies.
Lead category planning, demand forecasting, and initiative prioritization.
Ensure category strategies address service resilience, total cost of ownership, compliance, and sustainability.
Convert category strategies into structured annual sourcing roadmaps.
Lead complex sourcing events including RFPs, negotiations, and supplier selection.
Negotiate commercial and service agreements covering rates, SLAs, and innovative commitments.
Leverage market intelligence to drive sourcing decisions and stakeholder recommendations.
Ensure compliance with procurement governance, financial controls, and risk management standards.
Build and deploy strategic partnerships with logistics providers.
Implement structured supplier performance management including KPIs and continuous improvement plans.
Act as a trusted partner to Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, Finance, and Legal.
Support logistics-related transformations, network redesigns, and digital initiatives.
Deliver measurable outcomes in cost efficiency, service excellence, risk reduction, and environmental impact.
Drive initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of transport and distribution.
Improve cost transparency across sub-categories through standardized rate cards and spend analytics.