Procurement Specialist (Category Manager)

Salary: $90,000 - 110,000/year

About the Company

In this role, you will lead high-impact category management initiatives—focusing on raw materials, specialty chemicals, industrial equipment, or specialized MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) services. You will serve as the commercial subject matter expert, leveraging market intelligence to negotiate favorable terms, mitigate supply chain volatility, enforce compliance, and drive total cost of ownership (TCO) reductions.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute multi-year strategic sourcing plans across direct and indirect spend categories (e.g., raw feedstocks, specialty chemicals, logistics, field services).
• Analyze global market trends, commodity price indexes, and supplier cost structures to identify risks and commercial opportunities.
• Drive cost-reduction initiatives without compromising quality, safety, or regulatory adherence.
• Lead end-to-end commercial contract negotiations, including Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Long-Term Agreements (LTAs), SLAs, and pricing formulas (e.g., index-based pricing tied to ICIS, Platts, or Nymex).
• Partner with Legal and Risk departments to ensure robust terms regarding indemnification, liabilities, force majeure, ESG standards, and intellectual property.
• Oversee contract lifecycle management, ensuring compliance, volume commitments, and timely renewals or re-bids.
• Issue, evaluate, and manage complex RFPs, RFIs, and RFQs (Request for Proposals / Information / Quotes).
• Manage stakeholder alignment across Engineering, Operations, EHS (Environmental Health & Safety), and Plant Management to capture technical requirements.
• Utilize ERP/e-Procurement tools (e.g., SAP S/4HANA, Ariba, Oracle) to track spend, issue POs, and execute sourcing projects.
• Establish KPI frameworks (on-time delivery, quality, cost variances, safety) to measure supplier performance.
• Assess supply chain vulnerabilities, single-source dependencies, and geopolitical risks, creating risk mitigation and backup sourcing plans.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience: 3 to 7+ years of dedicated strategic sourcing, procurement, or commercial contract management experience within the Chemical, Petrochemical, Oil & Gas, Energy, or Heavy Manufacturing industries.
• Contract Expertise: Proven track record of drafting, negotiating, and executing high-value commercial agreements (MSAs, LTAs, index-linked pricing).
• Technical & Industry Knowledge: Understanding of chemical supply chains, hazardous material handling, industrial equipment, or energy sector regulatory environments.
• Tools & Systems: Proficiency with enterprise ERP/Procurement software (SAP, SAP Ariba, Coupa, or Oracle) and advanced Microsoft Excel skills (data modeling, spend analysis).