Associate Category Manager, Technology

Columbia Sportswear Company; United States; Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with company match

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Life insurance and disability coverage

Employee discounts

Job summary

Columbia Sportswear Company is seeking an Associate Category Manager to support our global procurement organization from our Portland area HQ. This hybrid role involves working onsite four days per week with flexibility based on business needs.

You will help develop category strategies, analyze spend data, manage supplier relationships, and lead sourcing initiatives to create value and improve performance across brands and regions.

Qualifications

• 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.
• Experience with category strategy development, business planning, and translating objectives into category initiatives.
• Experience with strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, contract management, and procurement processes.
• Strong analytical and data management skills, including spend data interpretation and trend identification.
• Experience managing supplier performance through scorecards, governance programs, and business reviews.

Responsibilities

• Support development, maintenance, and execution of category strategies by analyzing spend data, supplier performance, market intelligence, and industry trends.
• Contribute to multi-year category plans, sourcing roadmaps, savings targets, and stakeholder priorities.
• Partner with Supplier Relationship Management to support supplier segmentation, governance, and performance for strategic suppliers.
• Track key performance indicators, prepare supplier business review materials, and drive continuous improvement.
• Lead and execute sourcing initiatives and supplier Negotiations aligned with category strategies and business needs.
• Manage sourcing projects through the procurement lifecycle to ensure timely delivery of objectives and value.

Skills

Category management

Procurement

Strategic sourcing

Supplier management

Data analysis

Stakeholder collaboration

Communication

Project management

Team collaboration

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

ERP systems

Job description

About the Position

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.

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.

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.

Qualifications

• 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.
• Collaborative mindset with a passion for continuous improvement, problem‑solving, and driving business results.
• Ability to travel up to 10%.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes a 401(k) plan with generous company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, flexible spending accounts, a health savings account, and a range of voluntary benefits such as accident and critical illness coverage. Additional services include an employee assistance program, wellness programs, employee discounts, and a generous time‑off policy.

Columbia Sportswear 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 is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities.

Additional Information

Hybrid work model: hybrid role with onsite presence most days; flexible arrangements may be considered based on business needs. #Hybrid #LI‑LC1