Category Manager

Solmax; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Solmax is seeking a Direct Materials Category Manager to lead the strategy and commercial performance of roughly $100 million in annual non-resin direct-material spend across the Americas. You will guide multi-year category strategies, optimize total cost, and mitigate supply risk across six manufacturing facilities.

You will negotiate complex agreements, manage supplier performance, and collaborate with production, engineering, R&D, and QA teams to drive innovation and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered
• Minimum 8-10 years of progressive strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing category strategies, leading complex supplier negotiations, and managing high-value direct material spend on a regional or global scale.
• Documented, repeatable track record of delivering material, audited cost savings (e.g., 5-8%+ annually) through strategic sourcing and negotiations.
• Strong understanding of global trade economics, commodity markets, and cost drivers.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as an independent business owner, prioritizing opportunities, managing stakeholders, and delivering results with limited oversight.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Executive-level communication skills, with the ability to clearly present savings, risks, and decisions to senior leadership.
• A commitment to upholding ethical and professional standards.

Responsibilities

• Category Management: Develop, execute, and continuously refine multi-year category strategies with quantified savings targets, cost driver transparency, and clear execution roadmaps tied to business objectives.
• Supplier Management: Actively rationalize and manage the supplier base, challenging incumbents, introducing competition, and holding suppliers accountable to cost, service, and productivity commitments.
• Negotiation: Lead complex, high-impact negotiations to secure favorable pricing, terms, and service levels, including long-term agreements, index-based pricing, and cost validation, while ensuring supplier compliance and performance standards.
• Market Analysis: Own supply market intelligence and continuously monitor industry, commodity and competitive trends to inform decisions, challenge cost increases, and protect margins.
• Cost Optimization: Implement cost reduction initiatives and value engineering programs to improve overall profitability and cost competitiveness.
• Risk Management: Proactively identify and mitigate supply chain risks to ensure uninterrupted material availability and minimize disruptions.
• Quality Assurance: Collaborate with quality assurance teams to maintain and improve product quality and compliance with industry standards.
• Collaboration: Partner with production, engineering, R&D, and quality teams to support innovation, product development, and operational efficiency.

Skills

Category Management

Supplier Negotiations

Market Analysis

Cost Reduction

Risk Management

Quality Assurance

Cross-functional Collaboration

Advanced Excel

Power BI

Executive Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Position Overview

The Direct Materials Category Manager is responsible for the strategy and commercial performance of approximately $100 million in annual non-resin direct-material spend across the Americas supporting 6manufacturing facilities. Reporting to the Director of Sourcing, this position leads cross-functional category governance and recommends supplier awards, commercial strategies, and risk-mitigation actions within established policies and delegated authority.

Category scope includes finished and semi-finished goods, woven and nonwoven materials, additives, colorants, and packaging. The position applies supply-market intelligence, cost-driver analysis, commodity insights, and emerging technology trends to develop and execute short- and long-term category strategies. Key objectives include optimizing total cost, delivering measurable savings, strengthening supplier performance, mitigating supply risk, and supporting material planning and business continuity.

Key Responsibilities

• Category Management: Develop, execute, and continuously refine multi-year category strategies with quantified savings targets, cost driver transparency, and clear execution roadmaps tied to business objectives.

• Supplier Management: Actively rationalize and manage the supplier base, challenging incumbents, introducing competition, and holding suppliers accountable to cost, service, and productivity commitments.

• Negotiation: Lead complex, high-impact negotiations to secure favorable pricing, terms, and service levels, including long-term agreements, index-based pricing, and cost validation, while ensuring supplier compliance and performance standards.

• Market Analysis: Own supply market intelligence and continuously monitor industry, commodity, and competitive trends, leveraging cost models, market benchmarks, and external insights to inform decisions, challenge cost increases, and protect margins.

• Cost Optimization: Implement cost reduction initiatives and value engineering programs to improve overall profitability and cost competitiveness.

• Risk Management: Proactively identify and mitigate supply chain risks to ensure uninterrupted material availability and minimize disruptions.

• Quality Assurance: Collaborate with quality assurance teams to maintain and improve product quality and compliance with industry standards.

• Collaboration: Partner with production, engineering, R&D, and quality teams to support innovation, product development, and operational efficiency

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered

• Minimum 8-10 years of progressive strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.

• Demonstrated experience developing and executing category strategies, leading complex supplier negotiations, and managing high-value direct material spend on a regional or global scale.

• Documented, repeatable track record of delivering material, audited cost savings (e.g., 5-8%+ annually) through strategic sourcing and negotiations.

• Strong understanding of global trade economics, commodity markets, and cost drivers.

• Demonstrated ability to operate as an independent business owner, prioritizing opportunities, managing stakeholders, and delivering results with limited oversight.

• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Advanced skills in Excel, Power BI, Tableau, and other Procurement analytics tools

• Executive-level communication skills, with the ability to clearly present savings, risks, and decisions to senior leadership.

• A commitment to upholding ethical and professional standards.