Category Manager

Reference #: 103845-enUS

Subsidiary: Colas Inc.Colas Inc. is the corporate office of Colas USA, a materials and heavy highway/infrastructure leader that began operations in 1979 with the acquisition of Barrett Paving Materials. The headquarters office of Colas Inc. is located in Morristown, New Jersey, but our employees also work withinour eight (8) subsidiary companies operating throughout the United States from New York to Alaska.Throughout Colas USA, we provide competitive pay, outstanding benefits, career advancement opportunities, professional education, and extensive training for every employee. We pride ourselves on upholding the highest standards of safety, environmental conservation, and ethical conduct as we strive to grow our infrastructure products and services through empowering and developing our people, fostering innovation, utilizing new technology, and maximizing vertical integration at all levels of the company's value chain. To learn more about the Colas USA Family of Companies, please visit www.colasusa.com.The Colas USA Family of Companies is part of the Colas Group, the worldwide leader in transportation infrastructure construction and maintenance. For information on our international network visit www.colas.com.Job SummaryThe Category Manager will be responsible for managing categories of goods or services purchased by Colas USA. They will serve as an expert on these categories, understanding the entire supply chain and articulate the strategy to the rest of the Procurement team and business leaders throughout Colas USA and its subsidiaries. The Category Manager will analyze industry drivers, develop strategies, and oversee pricing and the sourcing process to improve profitability through cost reduction while maintaining supply for the business. Responsibilities include developing and managing procurement resources, finding opportunities through spend analysis, developing sourcing strategies for materials, assets, and services used in the construction industry, creating a Procurement Roadmap, and developing shared goals with the leadership of the region.Main ResponsibilitiesDevelops a deep and comprehensive understanding of their category of products through data analysis and leverages this knowledge to better position the business.

Manages and develops supplier performance, relationships, and agreements for their categories, while collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to create a competitive advantage for Colas

Manages cross-functional teams using analysis of historical spend data, market research, and cost modeling to identify and leverage high-value opportunities that deliver innovative and sustainable value, operational efficiencies, and risk mitigation to the business

Interacts with internal business partners to achieve involvement in procurement and proposal activities

Support low carbon initiatives and work with stakeholders to identify and implement good solutions

Develop strategic long-term plans to manage and optimize their product categories.

Coordinates sourcing activities with Corporate Procurement

Develops negotiation strategies for contracts, works with inside counsel to identify and incorporate appropriate levels of commercial protection, and conducts negotiations to achieve the best possible outcome for the business.

Provides market and opportunity analysis to stakeholders

Prepares and negotiates contract terms and conditions for agreements

Analyzes contract documents to determine contractual obligations, and prepares recommendations regarding acceptance or modifications

Identifies, vets, and selects new vendors and services

Establishes and maintains professional relationships with suppliers based on the highest ethical business practices.

Acts as the primary liaison to suppliers within your marketplace and uses market research and spend analysis tools to analyze supplier performance

Identifies and anticipates business needs; d velops recommendations and solutions

Develops, manages, and influences implementation of policies related to supplier commitmentsEducationBachelor's Degree Required, Master's Degree or M.B.A. preferred

Valid Drivers' License and ability to maintain a clean driving recordSkills/CompetenciesMinimum 2-4 years of strategic sourcing experience in a large manufacturing environment with exposure to engineering, plant operations, and/or maintenance required

Sourcing experience in the indirect, fleet, construction equipment, manufacturing equipment, materials, and/or services is a plus

Balance of strong negotiation and relationship-building skills is a must

Experience with spend analysis to develop a sourcing strategy

Ability to demonstrate leadership in category management and the Strategic Sourcing Process

Execution oriented, with a strong sense of urgency around tangible results

Networking and influencing skills

Project Management Skills - Ability to organize and execute tasks; manage multiple projects

Effective decision making

Well-developed communication and negotiation skills

Category strategy development and execution

Strong time management, organizational, and presentation skills

Ability to work under pressure with deadlines

Ability to transfer knowledge to others

Experience working with e-procurement tools

Ability to Travel 25-50% of the time to subsidiaries and supplier sites

Proficient in Microsoft Office specifically Word, PowerPoint, and Excel

Colas Inc. and its subsidiaries are an Equal Opportunity Employer. For details on the specifics of this commitment, please click here to view theEEO document.If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to:

to meet the requirements of the role in which you are applying

complete any part of the application process

access or use the online application process and need an alternative method for applyingPlease contact Colas Inc. at or send an email toColasRecruiter@colasinc.com.Colas Inc. and its subsidiaries are an Equal Opportunity Employer. For details on the specifics of this commitment, please click here to view the EEO document. If you need an accommodation to access the information provided on this website, please contact Colas Inc. 973-290-9082 or send an email to ColasRecruiter@colasinc.com