Category Manager

Meet Life Sciences; Danvers (MA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading medical device company in Danvers, Massachusetts, is looking for a Category Manager, Indirect Procurement, to optimize spend and manage supplier relationships. You will lead sourcing strategies and ensure compliance in a highly regulated environment, collaborating with internal teams and external suppliers. The ideal candidate has over 6 years of experience in procurement and strong negotiation skills. This role offers opportunities for strategic impact and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years of professional experience in indirect procurement.
• Strong understanding of contract lifecycle management.
• Experience managing complex supplier relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead sourcing initiatives for cost savings and supplier performance.
• Manage RFx processes and supplier negotiations.
• Develop sourcing strategies for assigned portfolios.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder engagement

Sourcing processes

Business acumen

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field

MBA or MS preferred

Tools

SAP

Coupa

Power BI

Job description

Overview

Fuelled by innovation at the intersection of biology and technology, this organization develops the next generation of smarter, less invasive, and more personalized cardiovascular treatments. The team is dedicated to advancing solutions for heart recovery, electrophysiology, and stroke, continually elevating standards of care for patients worldwide.

We are seeking a Category Manager, Indirect Procurement to join a growing procurement organization supporting global operations within a highly regulated medical device environment.

Position Summary

The Category Manager, Indirect Procurement is responsible for optimizing spend performance and managing supplier relationships across defined indirect categories that support global operations. Reporting to the Director of Indirect Procurement, this role leads and/or supports sourcing strategy development and supplier management initiatives.

The Category Manager is accountable for delivering results in cost optimization, supplier quality, service levels, risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance. This role requires strong engagement with internal stakeholders—including professional services, sales and marketing, operations, facilities, and IT—and close collaboration with external suppliers to ensure procurement strategies align with innovation and compliance objectives.

This is a newly created role, and responsibilities may evolve based on business needs.

Key Responsibilities

Sourcing

• Lead or support sourcing initiatives to drive cost savings, value creation, and supplier performance across domestic and international indirect categories
• Manage RFx processes and supplier negotiations for medium- to high-complexity projects
• Engage business partners to understand requirements and incorporate them into category strategies
• Monitor supply market trends and competitive activity to inform proactive sourcing strategies
• Support new product development and business initiatives through effective sourcing of indirect services
• Develop and manage supplier partnerships to ensure performance delivery, risk mitigation, and supplier-enabled innovation
• Conduct regular supplier business reviews to evaluate performance and identify continuous improvement opportunities
• Cultivate strategic relationships with internal stakeholders and supplier leadership to optimize and diversify the supply base
• Ensure supplier compliance with applicable regulatory, quality, and corporate standards

Category Strategy Development

• Develop and support sourcing strategies for assigned indirect portfolios
• Assess business needs, conduct market intelligence, and evaluate suppliers to inform sourcing decisions
• Build and maintain a robust supply network through deep market analysis and industry insight

Contracting

• Manage contract creation, approval, administration, and compliance to maximize financial and operational performance while minimizing risk
• Partner with Legal to ensure agreements align with procurement and broader business strategies

Project Support & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Represent Procurement in end-to-end Supply Chain initiatives, including manufacturing network programs, capacity planning, digital tool adoption, and resiliency efforts
• Lead or support projects within defined spend scope to achieve procurement KPIs
• Contribute to the development and advancement of the Procurement vision
• Escalate risks or issues impacting Procurement or Supply Chain operations

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Operations, or related field; MBA or MS preferred
• Minimum 6 years of professional experience, including 5+ years of progressive indirect procurement or strategic sourcing experience
• Healthcare or regulated industry experience preferred
• Experience managing categories such as professional services, sales and marketing, operations, facilities, and IT preferred
• Proven track record developing and executing category strategies that deliver cost savings, mitigate risk, and improve supplier performance
• Strong understanding of sourcing processes, contract lifecycle management, and supplier governance
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to partner cross-functionally (IT, Legal, HR, Finance, Marketing)
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills with experience managing complex supplier relationships and high-value contracts
• Proficiency in procurement systems (e.g., SAP, Coupa, Ariba) and strong Excel capabilities; experience with analytics tools such as Power BI or Tableau is a plus
• Experience with eMarketplace platforms (e.g., Ariba Network) and digital procurement tools desirable
• Strong business acumen and ability to align sourcing initiatives to broader organizational goals
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including presenting to senior leadership
• Experience working in global or multi-country environments
• Continuous improvement mindset; Lean, Six Sigma, or process optimization experience preferred
• Knowledge of compliance, sustainability, and supplier diversity programs is an asset
• Willingness to travel up to 30% based on business needs