Category Manager

Mueller; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401k with 5% company match

ESPP

Job summary

Mueller Water Products, Inc. in Atlanta, GA, is seeking a Category Manager to lead enterprise-wide strategies across indirect spend categories and drive cost optimization.

The role involves cross-functional collaboration with suppliers, the wider supply chain, and internal stakeholders, reporting metrics to leadership. The ideal candidate has a strong background in strategic sourcing, category management, and supplier economics, with experience guiding negotiations and performance management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years' experience in sourcing environment and familiarity with industrial operations.
• MBA or professional certifications (CPM, CPSM, CIRM, CPIM) preferred.
• Strong understanding of total cost of ownership (TCO) and supplier economics.
• Ability to manage multiple high-impact initiatives with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-wide category strategy and supplier partnerships for indirect spend categories (including packaging and facilities).
• Develop and manage category strategy optimizing affordability, availability, agility, and innovation.
• Oversee end-to-end strategic sourcing: opportunities, RFx, supplier evaluation, negotiations and contracts.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Category management

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Excel proficiency

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

Thank you for your interest in Mueller Water Products, Inc.

For more than 165 years, Mueller Water Products, Inc. has been building the future of water infrastructure. From lifesaving fire protection to data intelligence, we are committed to developing products and solutions that help cities and utilities deliver clean, safe drinking water to hundreds of millions of people across North America.

Our purpose is to connect communities to water, life's most essential resource, with exceptional, people solutions and products. Behind that purpose is a dedicated team, united by our shared values of respect, integrity, trust, inclusion and safety. With a vision to be the leader in water infrastructure solutions-solving challenges, enriching lives and safeguarding the future-we are making a positive impact that will last for generations.

By joining Mueller, you become part of a dynamic team dedicated to excellence and innovation, working collaboratively to achieve meaningful results. We champion our people because when they succeed, our communities thrive.

Category Manager

The Category Manager is a highly visible position within the business and operations. The role is responsible for building short and long-term category strategy to ensure operational optimization. This role is expected to establish cross-functional networks and foster collaboration with suppliers, the wider supply chain organization, and internal stakeholders across the organization. The Category Manager owns the vendor performance data and reports metrics to leadership and the Supply Chain teams.

This position is part of the Corporate Supply Chain team, which operates out of Mueller's corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia. The ideal candidate will be agreeable to a hybrid working arrangement, where work is conducted in the corporate office, plant locations and remotely, as needed to support the needs of the business. This position requires 10-20% travel at any given time.

Key Responsibilities

• This role will lead enterprise-wide commodity strategy, sourcing, supplier partnership management and cost optimization for multiple indirect spend categories, including packaging and facilities.
• Develop and manage a category strategy which optimizes affordability, availability, agility, and innovation.
• Lead the end-to-end strategic sourcing process, including opportunity assessment, strategy development, RFx execution, supplier evaluation, negotiations, contract reviews and performance management.
• Balance enterprise commodity strategies with site-specific technical and operational requirements.
• Analyze spend, pricing, consumption, supplier performance, and market data and provide recommendations to leadership.
• Support other procurement priorities based on business needs.
• Develop and maintain expert knowledge of respective supply markets, competitors, and product innovations

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• 5+ years' experience in sourcing environment and familiarity with industrial operations

Preferred Qualifications

• Sourcing or commodity-management experience with the facilities and packaging categories
• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, engineering, finance, or business
• MBA or professional certifications (CPM, CPSM, CIRM, CPIM)
• Strong understanding of total cost of ownership (TCO), cost drivers, and supplier economics.
• Ability to manage multiple high-impact initiatives and priorities simultaneously, with strong attention to detail and a disciplined process-oriented approach.
• Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook. Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills with ability to communicate insights to senior stakeholders.
• Experience with strategic sourcing and lean tools
• Strong knowledge of supply chain strategy (development and execution) and category specific experience
• Independently driven problem solver with appetite to address complex challenges in a fast-moving environment
• Proven track record of successful leadership, negotiation, and strategic communication
• Strong business acumen and experience collaborating across various levels within a diverse, global organization
• Ability to summarize ideas and present concisely to upper management and team members, to build support on category strategy, and implement in a matrix environment

Other Compensation & Benefits

Mueller offers an excellent salary and benefits package.

• medical
• dental
• vision insurance
• 401k plan with 5% Company match
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• short-term and long-term disability benefits
• vacation
• 100% paid parental leave
• tuition reimbursement program
• student debt retirement matching
• well-being program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• company-provided life insurance
• supplemental insurance at group rates
• and more