Category Manager - MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Operations) Procurement

Summary

The Category Manager - MRO is a strategic individual contributor role within the procurement function focused on working with key stakeholders to set, execute and manage category spend strategies aimed at ensuring supply at the best overall value to HSC.  This role is responsible for the strategic sourcing and category management activities for HSC’s MRO spend categories.  This role will serve as the business manager for the spend and have oversight and influence on the overall procurement strategy.   This individual will be responsible for building collaborative relationships with the business functions it represents and serve as an advisor to the business on market trends, pricing and risk-mitigation.

Essential Functions

• Developing and executing MRO strategies focused on enhanced, optimized inventory levels and addressing tail spend. 
• Working across a broad range of suppliers to source MRO items to support manufacturing operations and avoid disruptions
• Collaboratively working with plant maintenance, planning, trades and warehouse personnel to ensure a smoth flow of daily supplies needed for operatios support.
• Strong negotiation skills and proven track record of supplier relationship management including setting slear supplier expectations.
• Awareness of new or emerging technologies that deliver value to the company and help manage MRO spends.

Additional Duties/Responsibilities

• Function as the company’s “business manager” of a spend area.
• Collaborate with business functions to develop and challenge requirements.
• Provide review of supply agreements and negotiate with suppliers.
• Develop supplier relationship management (SRM) strategies for key suppliers to drive value.
• Lead ongoing supplier performance management using supplier scorecards.
• Establish category targets with the Procurement Manager and be accountable to targets.
• Drive category knowledge development and maintain category profiles for key spends.

Skills

• Category Knowledge - Advanced understanding of assigned categories, supplier situation, market drivers, local or regional impacts and overall pricing pressures.  Studies the larger regional or global market situation, keeps current with market / industry news and keeps peers current with relevant information.
• Financial Acumen - Advanced understanding manufacturing process, cost structures and cost drivers in order to help set category strategies that deliver maximum overall value to the company.  Ability to propose qualified alternative sources with potential improved financial benefit.
• Stakeholder and Cross-functional Relationships - Excel at building relationships with end-users and stakeholders for assigned categories.  Viewed as a "Product Line Manager" by other functions and takes the lead on ensuring collaboration with them to gather information, review with the appropriate parties, set a strategy and execute to that strategy.
• Systems Agility - Skilled in using multiple software systems linked to procurement buy channels or workflows to understand spend and supplier analytics. 
• Coaching & Mentoring - Openly shares knowledge with the buyers from both a teamwork or awareness perspective as well as from a development standpoint. 
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, Office365, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, etc.

Behaviors

• Business Acumen - Understands how our business works and what drives success.  Knowledgeable in current and future policies, practices, trends, technology and information impacting their categories.  Aware of the competition and can apply appropriate strategies to achieve desired results.
• Organizational Agility – Knowledgeable about how the organization works and knows how to get things accomplished through both formal channels and informal networking.  Ability to explain the origin or reasoning behind policies, practices and procedures and understands the culture of the organization.
• Negotiating – Effective at negotiating both pricing and delivery terms as well as basic purchase or service contract language.  Focus is on executing purchases and their associated agreements in the most efficient manner as possible to meet internal customer and stakeholder needs. 
• Dealing with Ambiguity – Effectively manages through change and can readily adapt within a evolving business climate.  Comfortably handles risk and uncertainty without it impeding necessary day-to-day decision-making.
• Planning - Effective in setting goals and objectives as well as planning the necessary resources or data necessary to set category strategies.  Measures performance against goals and regularly evaluates results. 
• Presentation Skills - Effective communicator both inside and outside the organization.  Ability to command attention and manage the audience including being able to adjust the style or delivery if they sense something is not being messaged effectively.  Adept at tailoring the message and presentation to the audience.

Minimum Required Work Experience

• Minimum 5 years of relevant business experience.
  (Procurement, Supply Chain or Engineering Roles)
• Experience within the Category of MRO (Manufacturing Repair Operations).
• Proven stakeholder engagement skills and/or project portfolio leadership experience.
• Aligned experience working within or supporting a manufacturing environment.

Minimum Required Education/Certification

• Bachelor's Degree Required (in Business, Supply Chain, or Engineering)
• ISM or APICS Certification Preferred (CPM, CPSM, CPIM, etc)

Environment/Working Conditions

• Individual will primarily work in an office environment but may have to occasionally visit manufacturing areas and there could be some travel to suppliers (<10%).