Category Leader

About the Role

• Drive transformation & change management – Facilitate implementation of step-change initiatives within category to significantly improve business performance • Collect, analyze, and interpret data on the global supply market, competitors, and price-setting mechanism for Starch; understand and benchmark the competitive landscape to identify threats/opportunities; conduct marginal analysis to develop actionable insights and drive strategic priorities • Set & communicate category vision and strategy to maximize value with Business, Operations, and Sourcing leadership • Own and track category spend, suppliers, savings, and category strategy adherence • Own category customer relationship management – including GP operations and business partnerships, lead category cross-functional teams, and support cross-Koch company stakeholder development and alignment • Plan and execute effective negotiations that align with business risk tolerance Bring strong curiosity and demonstrated problem-solving skills to the role, showing the capacity and willingness to learn, be proactive, and multi-task across competing priorities • Own category supplier management – including supplier pioneering & development, dispute management/resolution, supplier performance management; identify supplier risk areas and quantify risk exposure within category portfolio and execute risk mitigation actions • Apply category management knowledge processes, including should-cost, value chain, and other market analyses, to build robust knowledge networks and develop profitable insights • Frame up category opportunities using economic thinking with supporting financial analyses; identify and size new TCO opportunities, prioritize and execute initiatives, and demonstrate intelligent risk-taking to drive maximum value • Develop and manage appropriate PCM (price change mechanisms) consistent with the category and contract strategy

Key Responsibilities

• ▸data analysis
• ▸spend management
• ▸supplier management
• ▸negotiations
• ▸category strategy
• ▸risk management

What You Bring

• Demonstrated experience developing and executing best-practice market processes re: category strategies/points-of-view (POV’s), competitive bidding/benchmarking, should-cost analysis, price-setting mechanisms • At least 5 years of experience in managing total cost of ownership (TCO) and/or P&L ownership across multiple spend and/or product categories • Ability to travel at least 10-25% • Proven track record in delivering year-over-year cost savings and driving cost reduction and transformational change projects • Program Management experience, either in leading or driving Program Management Office (PMO) activities or transformational change projects • Advanced Degree or MBA • Experience leading cross functional teams in a matrixed environment • Sourcing / Category Management, Consulting, or Finance experience • Bachelor’s Degree

Requirements

• ▸program management
• ▸mba
• ▸cost savings
• ▸cross-functional
• ▸tco
• ▸category management

Work Environment

Hybrid