Seeking a Category Manage in Lansing, Illinois for a leading automotive coatings manufacturer. The Category Manager is a key contributor to the Strategic Procurement team, responsible for developing and executing category strategies that drive cost savings, value creation, and operational efficiency. This role serves as both a strategic thought leader and project manager, partnering with technical, operations, finance, and global teams, and leverages a strong understanding of industrial chemicals and raw materials to manage assigned categories, strengthen supplier relationships, and support the organization's overall procurement strategy.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Develop and execute category strategies for assigned raw materials (solvents, acids, bases, chloral alkali compounds, minerals), overseeing $50-$80MM in annual spend across North America Build and manage supplier relationships, including performance reviews, non-conformance resolution, and toll manufacturing partnerships to improve cost, capacity, and supply continuity Identify and drive cost reduction opportunities, negotiating supply contracts for favorable pricing, terms, and rebate structures while mitigating inflationary and geopolitical risk Evaluate categories for supply risk and lead cross-functional teams through disruption resolution and root cause analysis Manage cost-savings and supplier quality audit projects with technical and quality stakeholders, and develop raw material price forecasts for commercial leaders Create and streamline procurement processes for raw material introduction, contract review, and supplier corrective actions Support sustainability initiatives (e.g., Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 3) and ensure compliance with chemical regulations during new material introductions Develop procurement analytics for spend risk, vendor performance, and savings tracking

Required Qualifications:

More than 5 years of experience in Procurement and Category Management, including 2+ years of cross-functional project management experience Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related field Ability to travel up to 30% domestically and globally

Preferred Qualifications:

MBA or MS in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field SAP Purchasing and

ISO/IATF

Quality Management System experience Chemical industry background, particularly related to automotive OEM Bilingual in

English and Spanish Pay:

$96,081.38 - $115,710.91 per year

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Health insurance Paid time off Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person