Associate Category Manager, Technology

Columbia Sportswear Company; Portland (OR); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Life Insurance

Disability coverage

Employee wellness program

Job summary

Columbia Sportswear Company is seeking an Associate Category Manager to support global procurement through category management, supplier relationship management, and strategic sourcing. You will analyze spend data, market intelligence, and stakeholder needs to build and execute category strategies that drive value and improve supplier performance.

You will lead sourcing initiatives, negotiate with suppliers, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to align with business objectives.

Qualifications

• This position requires a Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in category management, procurement, or strategic sourcing.
• Strong knowledge of procurement processes, supplier management, and category strategy development.
• Experience with supplier negotiations, contract management, and spend analysis.

Responsibilities

• Support development and execution of category strategies based on spend data and market trends.
• Partner with Supplier Relationship Management to manage supplier performance and governance.
• Lead sourcing initiatives and negotiations to deliver value and timely objectives.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across brands and regions to inform decisions.

Skills

Category management

Procurement

Strategic sourcing

Spend analysis

Supplier management

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Contract management

Negotiation

ERP familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business

Tools

ERP systems

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Procurement tools

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%

Hybrid

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company.

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. At Columbia Sportswear Company we're proud to offer regular full-time employees a benefits package that includes a variety of services and products to help make your life and work more rewarding. Our benefit programs contribute to overall employee well-being by aligning those programs with the fundamental elements of well-being: physical, social/emotional, financial, career and community. Benefits that can protect your family's financial future and help you save money through our 401k plan plus a generous company match. Columbia offers medical, dental, vision, life Insurance, disability, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, and an assortment of voluntary benefit offerings (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and legal services). In addition, Columbia offers EAP + which is free and confidential 24/7/365 counseling services. We have extensive wellness benefits, employee discounts and a generous time off program available. 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.