Category Lead

Head Energy Group; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Permanent or project employment

Career guidance & mentoring

Courses and training access

Pension and insurance schemes

Job summary

Head Energy Group is seeking a Category Lead to shape strategy and own the category across suppliers, spend, and performance. The role starts with transactional execution and evolves into a governance-driven leadership position as procurement scales.

The successful candidate will drive governance frameworks, contract structures, NDAs, and supplier qualification to API Q2 / ISO standards while coordinating with Operations, Projects, Engineering, Finance and Quality teams.

Qualifications

• Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related discipline.
• Significant experience in supply chain / procurement within oil & gas or industrial environments.
• Proven capability in category ownership, commercial governance, and supplier management.
• Strong understanding of contracts, commercial risk, and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience operating in matrix, multi-regional organizations.
• Strong judgement, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain a category strategy, including scope, supplier segmentation, sourcing models, and risk profile.
• Act as the single accountable owner for all expenses, suppliers, and performance within the assigned category.
• Ensure procurement approaches are fit for purpose across operational, project, and regional needs.
• Own and enforce commercial frameworks, including contract structures, terms & Conditions, NDAs, and change management.
• Escalate and resolve commercial risks and ambiguities proactively.
• Oversee supplier onboarding, qualification, and revalidation in line with API Q2 / ISO requirements.
• Monitor and manage supplier performance, delivery reliability, and quality issues.

Education

Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related discipline

Job description

We are looking for Category Lead
Pnr: 23778

Job Description:

Category Strategy & Ownership

• Define and maintain a category strategy, including scope, supplier segmentation, sourcing models, and risk profile.
• Act as the single accountable owner for all expenses, suppliers, and performance within the assigned category.
• Ensure procurement approaches are fit for purpose across operational, project, and regional needs.

Commercial & Contractual Governance

• Own and enforce commercial frameworks, including:

  o Contract structures

  o Terms & Conditions

  o Non-Disclosure Agreements

  o Change management and deviations

• Ensure contracts are applied correctly and consistently
• Escalate and resolve commercial risks and ambiguities proactively

Supplier Management & Compliance

• Oversee supplier onboarding, qualification, and revalidation in line with API Q2 / ISO requirements.
• Ensure suppliers are approved, competent, and fit for use.

• Monitor and manage:

  o Supplier performance

  o Delivery reliability

  o Quality issues Commercial non-conformance

Transactional Version (Role Inception / Low Volume) Execution Model – Transactional

At role inception, there is no separation between Category ownership and Buyer execution. The Category Lead is responsible for both commercial ownership and day-to-day procurement execution.

Execution Oversight (Non-Transactional - Mature Role) (Applies once Buyer execution has been formally separated based on transaction volume, complexity, or risk)

• Provide oversight of procurement execution without performing day-to-day buying (once Buyer execution has been separated)

• Ensure that:

  o Purchase orders, invoices, and recharges align with approved category strategies, agreements, and commercial intent

  o Delivery and supplier performance are managed against contractual commitments

• Act as the single point of escalation where execution deviates from governance requirements, commercial expectations, or defined risk tolerance.

• Maintain ownership and accountability for:

  o Category strategy and sourcing approach

  o Supplier relationships and performance

  o Commercial frameworks, including contracts, Terms & Conditions, and NDAs

• Ensure Buyers operate in full alignment with category governance, commercial intent, and compliance requirements.
• Interface with Operations, Projects, Engineering, Finance, and Quality to resolve escalated execution, delivery, or supplier issues.

Qualifications:

• This transactional execution model remains in place until transaction volume, complexity, or risk explicitly justifies additional resourcing and functional separation. At that point, Buyer execution is formally separated and the role transitions to the
• Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or related discipline.
• Significant experience in supply chain / procurement within oil & gas or industrial environments.
• Proven capability in category ownership, commercial governance, and supplier management.
• Strong understanding of contracts, commercial risk, and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience operating in matrix, multi-regional organizations.
• Strong judgement, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• High level of accountability and ownership.
• Good communication skills/ good ability to communicate information
• Team oriented and inclusive

Personal traits:

• Proactive
• Flexible and independent
• High ability to cope with stress
• Solutions oriented and ability to work with both practical and administrative tasks

Applications will be evaluated continuously

Language:

• English
• Norwegian

In Head Energy you get:

• Permanent- or project employment with the best conditions.
• Access to the industry´s most exciting job opportunities
• Personal follow-up, mentoring and career guidance
• A large variety of project opportunities
• Good pension- and insurance schemes
• A pleasant and positive work environment
• Access to both specific and general courses.

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