Category Buyer - Cowling

Brunswick; Fond du Lac (WI); Hybrid; USD 74,000 - 106,000; Full time

Job summary

Brunswick, a global marine leader, is hiring a Category Buyer in Fond du Lac, WI. This role focuses on highly engineered direct materials procurement, reporting to the Category Manager, and driving supplier collaboration to improve cost, quality, and delivery.

You’ll work in a hybrid environment with 3+ in-office days, travel about 20% of the time, and relocation is available. This position supports Mercury’s global manufacturing operations and product development efforts.

Qualifications

• Experience in direct materials procurement for engineered products.
• Ability to develop and execute sourcing strategies with suppliers.
• Strong supplier relationship management and risk assessment skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead supplier selection, evaluation, and performance reviews.
• Collaborate with Category Managers to drive cost, quality, and delivery improvements.
• Visit suppliers to assess capabilities and risks and support strategy execution.

Skills

Procurement Strategy

Supplier Management

Cross-functional Teams

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's in Supply Chain or related field

Tools

ERP systems

MS Excel

Job description

Are you ready for what’s next? Come explore opportunities within Brunswick, a global marine leader committed to challenging conventions and innovating next‑generation technologies that transform experiences on the water and beyond. Brunswick believes “Next Never Rests™,” and we offer a variety of exciting careers and growth opportunities within united teams defining the future of marine recreation.

Location: Fond du Lac, WI

Workplace Category: Hybrid; 3+ days in office per week

Travel Required: 20%

Direct Reports: Yes

Pay Range: $73,600 – $106,200

Visa Sponsorship: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Relocation: Yes

The Category Buyer is a key individual contributor in Mercury’s global direct material procurement organization, focused on highly engineered and complex cowl systems. Reporting to the Category Manager, the Category Buyer helps develop and execute sourcing and supplier management strategies to continuously improve cost competitiveness, quality, delivery, and innovation to support Mercury’s global manufacturing operations and product development efforts. At Brunswick, we have passion for our work and a distinct ability to deliver.

Essential Functions

• Supplier Management
  • Proactively build and maintain constructive business relationships with suppliers and internal customers to understand needs and facilitate collaboration across all stakeholders to deliver expected results.
  • Demonstrated behaviors should include the ability to effectively: Proactively support the Category Team in strategy development, execution, and communication while providing supplier and market intelligence to support decision making.
  • Visit current and potential suppliers to evaluate capabilities, assess risk, develop category