Category Management Director
Overview
Our client, a leading global motor vehicle manufacturing organization, is seeking a Category Management Director to lead strategic sourcing and category management initiatives across a highly complex and diverse direct materials portfolio. This individual will play a critical role in optimizing supply base performance, driving cost efficiency, and ensuring supply continuity across more than 100,000 active SKUs.
This is a high-impact leadership role with enterprise-wide visibility, responsible for shaping procurement strategy across a broad range of materials including chemicals, stamped metal components, plastic parts, and other critical production inputs.
Key Responsibilities
Lead Category Strategy Development
Develop and execute global sourcing strategies across multiple direct material categories, aligning with engineering, manufacturing, and product development objectives.Manage Large, Complex SKU Portfolio
Oversee procurement strategy and supplier performance for a portfolio exceeding 100K SKUs, spanning diverse material types and supplier ecosystems.Supplier Relationship Management
Build and maintain strategic partnerships with key suppliers, negotiating long-term agreements and ensuring performance against cost, quality, and delivery KPIs.Cost Optimization & Value Engineering
Drive cost reduction initiatives through should-cost analysis, benchmarking, and collaboration with engineering and suppliers on value design opportunities.Cross-Functional Leadership
Partner closely with operations, engineering, R&D, and finance teams to ensure alignment on sourcing decisions and risk mitigation strategies.Risk & Supply Continuity Management
Identify and mitigate supply chain risks, including geopolitical, capacity, and raw material volatility issues.Team Leadership & Development
Lead and mentor a team of category managers and sourcing professionals, fostering a high-performance, data-driven culture.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related field (MBA preferred)
- 10+ years of progressive experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, or category management within a manufacturing environment
- Proven experience managing complex, high-volume SKU portfolios (50K+ preferred; 100K+ ideal)
- Strong knowledge of direct materials including chemicals, metals, plastics, and engineered components
- Demonstrated success in supplier negotiations, cost reduction, and global sourcing strategy development
- Experience in automotive or motor vehicle manufacturing strongly preferred
- Exceptional leadership, stakeholder management, and analytical skills
What Sets This Role Apart
- Opportunity to lead procurement strategy at scale across a highly complex, multi-category supply base
- Direct impact on cost structure, supply resilience, and product innovation
- High visibility with executive leadership and cross-functional teams
- Environment that values data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement
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