Associate Category Manager, Technology

Columbia Sportswear; Portland (OR); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k plan with company match

Medical, dental, vision

Life insurance

Disability coverage

FSA/HSA

Wellness programs

Job summary

Columbia Sportswear is seeking an Associate Category Manager to support global procurement through category management, supplier relationships, and strategic sourcing activities. You will analyze spend data, develop category strategies, and collaborate with stakeholders to drive value and supplier performance.

The role is hybrid, based near our headquarters in Portland, OR, with an onsite expectation of four days per week, subject to business needs. Travel up to 10% may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, or related field.
• 3–5 years in category management, procurement, strategic sourcing, supplier management, or related roles.
• Experience with category strategy development, business planning, and translating objectives into initiatives.
• Experience with strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, contract management, and procurement processes.
• Strong analytical and data management skills with spend data interpretation.

Responsibilities

• Support development, maintenance, and execution of category strategies using spend data, supplier performance, and market intelligence.
• Partner with Supplier Relationship Management to support segmentation, governance, and performance reviews for strategic suppliers.
• Lead sourcing initiatives and negotiations across the procurement lifecycle to deliver value creation.
• Build partnerships across functions, brands, and regions to provide insights on strategies and market trends.
• Maintain awareness of industry developments, cost drivers, and market conditions to identify opportunities and mitigate risks.
• Contribute to procurement capability building through knowledge sharing and process improvements.

Skills

Category management

Strategic sourcing

Supplier management

Stakeholder collaboration

Analytical skills

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

ERP systems

Job description

This position is designated as a hybrid role based out of our headquarters near Portland, Oregon. The current expectation is for employees to work onsite four days per week, subject to change based on business needs. This in-office requirement may be adjusted at the discretion of the company.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Associate Category Manager plays a key role in supporting Columbia Sportswear's global procurement organization through category management, supplier relationship management, and strategic sourcing activities. Working closely with Category Managers and business stakeholders, this role helps develop and execute category strategies that drive value, improve supplier performance, and support business objectives. The Associate Category Manager leverages market intelligence, spend analysis, and stakeholder engagement to build category expertise, strengthen supplier partnerships, and deliver sustainable business outcomes.

HOW YOU'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

• Support the development, maintenance, and execution of category strategies by analyzing internal spend data, supplier performance, market intelligence, and industry trends. Contribute to multi‑year category plans, sourcing roadmaps, savings targets, and stakeholder priorities.
• Partner with the Supplier Relationship Management team to support supplier segmentation, governance, and performance management activities for strategic suppliers. Track key performance indicators, prepare supplier business review materials, facilitate performance discussions, and identify continuous improvement opportunities.
• Lead and execute sourcing initiatives and supplier negotiations that align with category strategies and business requirements. Manage sourcing projects through the procurement lifecycle to ensure timely delivery of business objectives and value creation opportunities.
• Build strong partnerships with stakeholders across functions, brands, and regions. Provide insights on category strategies, supplier performance, market trends, procurement compliance, and sourcing opportunities to support informed decision‑making.
• Maintain awareness of industry developments, supplier capabilities, cost drivers, and market conditions within assigned categories to identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and improve category performance.
• Contribute to procurement team capability building by sharing knowledge, participating in training initiatives, supporting process improvements, and helping drive procurement best practices across the organization.

YOU HAVE

• A Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, or a related field.
• 3‑5 years of experience in category management, procurement, strategic sourcing, supplier management, or a category‑specific industry role.
• Demonstrated knowledge of assigned categories, including suppliers, market dynamics, industry trends, and emerging opportunities.
• Experience supporting category strategy development, business planning, and translating organizational objectives into actionable category initiatives.
• Experience with strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, contract management, and procurement processes.
• Strong analytical and data management skills, including the ability to interpret spend data, identify trends, and develop recommendations that drive value.
• Experience managing supplier performance through scorecards, governance programs, business reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Proven ability to build relationships, influence stakeholders, and collaborate effectively across multiple teams and levels of the organization.
• Strong communication, presentation, project management, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with procurement technologies, ERP systems, supplier management tools, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft Office applications.
• A collaborative mindset with a passion for continuous improvement, problem‑solving, and driving business results.
• Ability to travel up to 10%

Benefits: 401k plan with generous company match; medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, and voluntary benefit offerings. Employee assistance program with free confidential counseling services and extensive wellness and time‑off benefits.

Columbia Sportswear Company is an equal‑opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. Columbia Sportswear is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please notify your recruiter. If you need an accommodation/adjustment to successfully complete and submit your application, please reach out to [e-mail] with the Subject: Applicant Assistance Requested.