Eaton Corporation
Category Manager - Performance Chemicals
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Job Description: Category Manager - Chemicals
Our supply chain management team creates bottom-line impact by driving cost management and operational benefits. In this role, you will drive towards optimal conditions (cost, commercial, working capital, quality, delivery, resiliency, innovation, VAVE) for the business in the assigned categories within the Chemicals team by leveraging synergies across businesses and driving the “One Supply Chain” philosophy.
Within our supply chain, the Category Manager leads the development and deployment of the category strategy for Performance Chemicals for the Electrical business globally. This position develops the long-term category strategy, aligns the strategies with the enterprise roadmap, and develops and utilizes deep category expertise to understand the end-to-end supply chain and manage the supply base to deliver maximum enterprise value. The Category Manager is responsible for building and maintaining strong relations with stakeholders and manages resource deployment of supporting functions to achieve the objectives. Cross-functional collaboration is critical to success, as is the ability to solve supply continuity challenges.
Making what matters work at Eaton takes the passion of every employee around the world. We create an environment where creativity, invention, and discovery become reality, each and every day. It’s where bold, bright professionals like you can reach your full potential—and where you can help us reach ours.
What you’ll do:
- Establish strategies leveraging Eaton enterprise spend to ensure key metrics for the procurement function (Cost Out, Resiliency, Supply Continuity, and Working Capital Improvements) are achieved according to Business Profit Plans.
- Initiate, develop, and execute enterprise strategic initiatives to facilitate cross-business synergies and increased leverage across a rationalized set of global preferred supplier partners.
- Negotiate and manage key strategic supplier contracts and relationships.
- Establish, review, approve, monitor, and report compliance to category agreements and strategies based on Eaton SCM strategic directions.
- Lead the category to develop innovative business solutions, forecasts, and category projections to understand and manage economics, risks, and market drivers. Reviews both economic and market trends and advises the businesses on best sourcing strategies for assigned categories.
- Present to senior management new planning tools, methods, technical analysis, standards, and procurement opportunities that are aligned with SCM/Eaton strategic plans and cost reduction initiatives.
- Lead appropriate regional teams for supporting and managing supply chain strategic and operational goals and objectives.
- Identify and implement innovative solutions to business problems, independently and through high-performance cross-functional teams.
- Benchmark procurement processes to develop and implement best practices throughout Eaton and Supply Chain Management.
- Create alignment between corporate, supplier diversity, and business unit strategic and financial plans. Create and develop site intimacy with key customers and stakeholders in the decision-making process.
- Lead the team in conducting Supplier Business Reviews with top strategic suppliers on a regular basis annually and execute the negotiation calendar to negotiate strategic spend annually.
- Drive Eaton’s Global Procurement process to meet Enterprise goals and understand market gaps available in the category through Ariba RFQs, E-Auctions, Should Cost, Supplier Events, and market intelligence.
- Work closely with assigned category suppliers and Eaton manufacturing facilities to ensure that Eaton plants are supplied at all times at the most competitive price.
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Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, or Business Administration from an accredited institution.
- Professional Supply Chain related certification (e.g., CPM, CPIM).
- Minimum of 5-7 years of professional experience in Supply Chain or Operations.
- 3+ years of experience as a category manager.
- Prior experience with chemicals purchasing.
- 3-5 years' professional negotiating experience in a global business environment.
- 5 years’ professional experience with accountability across multiple manufacturing facilities.
Skills:
- Background in global category management. Clear understanding of cost drivers and industry best purchasing practices.
- Demonstrated Problem Solving Skills.
- Demonstrated ability to achieve results.
- Experience within a Multi-Location Manufacturing/Assembly plant environment is an advantage.
- Exhibits excellent communication, customer service, and interpersonal skills necessary to converse with a diverse group of stakeholders including senior management (internal and at the suppliers), operations, and supply chain management personnel.
- Demonstrates ability in strategic process creation and implementation, knowledge, and experience in successfully deploying category strategies and driving cost-out.
- Demonstrates ability to lead cross-functional/global teams in the development, implementation, and achievement of business results for cross-functional business initiatives and category strategies.
- Must be able to take a leadership role in driving change in the organization.
- Must be highly motivated with experience in managing multiple tasks globally.
- Must be able to identify and implement emerging supply management tools.
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
- Global business experience is required with experience in negotiating with global suppliers.
- Must have the ability to directly lead and manage and influence people within the organization without having direct reporting lines.
- Demonstrated ability to drive results via fact-based negotiations.
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Position Criteria
- Communication, customer service, and interpersonal skills necessary to converse with senior management, suppliers, operations personnel.
- Demonstrates ability to navigate competing priorities and drive results through influence and collaboration without direct authority.
- Demonstrate Negotiation Skills - Ability to drive results via fact-based negotiations.
- Ability to manage cost-out projects against scope, schedule, and budget.
- Ability to be a technology leader and push forward digitization with the team.
All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.
We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for job applicants and employees. Our recruitment processes use balanced selection criteria and avoid unlawful discrimination against applicants on the basis of their age, colour, disability, marital status, national origin, gender, gender identity, genetic information, race or racial origin, religion, sexual orientation, or any other status protected or required by law.
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