Category Manager 2

Woodward HRT/MPC; Rockford (IL); On-site; USD 105,000 - 168,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Stock contribution

Tuition reimbursement

Paid holidays

Health insurance

Vacation/Sick Time

Job summary

Woodward is seeking a strategic Category Manager to lead market analysis, develop long-term category strategies, and manage supplier relationships across multi-site operations from Rockford, IL. This role focuses on driving profitability and competitive advantage in energy control solutions.

The position emphasizes cross-functional collaboration, budgeting oversight, and data-driven decision making to deliver value for customers and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Strong business acumen with ability to frame work in terms of business value.
• Experience using market research and spend analytics to guide decisions.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and executive presence across stakeholders.
• Ability to generate insights from data, knowledge, and research to drive actions.

Responsibilities

• Market Analysis and Research: analyze trends to identify opportunities and threats.
• Category Strategy Development: create strategies for long-term category performance and profitability.
• Project generation, scope definition and maturation: manage project pipeline and lifecycle.
• ASL Management: align suppliers into strategic categories and ensure completeness across sites.
• Financial Management: oversee budgeting, forecasting and profitability for categories.

Skills

Business Acumen

Intelligence Gathering

Executive Presence

Insight Generation

Project Management

Stakeholder Management

Strategic Thinking

Communication and Influence

Intellectual Curiosity

Value Orientation

Job description

Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members. Our company and its members are committed to acting with integrity, being respectful and accountable to one another, and staying humble and driven, while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards.

We are steadfastly committed to attracting the best talent across our communities creating a rewarding workplace. Together we are fulfilling our purpose to design and deliver energy control solutions our partners count on to power a clean future.

Woodward supports our members' wellbeing and regularly benchmarks with other companies in our industry to offer an extensive Total Reward package for this position. Salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Estimated annual base pay: $105,000.00 (minimum) - $136,000.00 (midpoint) - $168,000.00 (maximum)

All Levels are eligible for the benefits below:

• All members included in annual cash bonus opportunity.
• 401(k) match (4.5%)
• Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%)
• Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities for all members
• 12 paid holidays.
• Industry leading medical, dental, and vision Insurance upon date of hire
• Vacation / Sick Time / Vacation Buy-up / Short Term Disability / Bereavement leave.
• Paid parental leave.
• Adoption Assistance
• Employee Assistance Program, including mental health benefits.
• Member Life & AD&D / Long Term Disability / Member Optional Life
• Member referral bonus
• Spouse / Child Optional Life / Optional AD&D / Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending
• Voluntary benefits, including:
  • Home / Auto Insurance discounts
  • Whole Life Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance / Legal Assistance / Military Leave

Key Responsibilities:

• Market Analysis and Research: Conduct market research and analyze trends to identify opportunities and threats within the category.
• Category Strategy Development: Develop and implement strategies to optimize the performance and profitability of assigned product categories for the long term. Anticipate needs of the business to posture supply base for the future.
• Project generation, scope definition and maturation: Manage project pipeline to identify and mature projects that support category strategy, product margin, and product lifecycle.
• Approved Supplier List (ASL) Management: Manage approved supplier list. Align suppliers into strategic categories based on alignment with stakeholders. Assign suppliers into sub categories based on the category of product they provide. Ensure completeness and consistency appropriate to multi-site suppliers.
• Financial Management: Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance for assigned categories, ensuring profitability and cost efficiency through effective financial planning.

Key Skills:

• Business Acumen: Understands the complex relationships between all functions of the business and wider economic context. Frames work in terms of business value and needs. Directs and coordinates the development of initiatives that cross organizational lines. Creates business cases for investments that would improve performance.
• Intelligence Gathering: Uses spend analytics and market research to make decisions and guide the category. Collaborates with suppliers on any strategy.
• Executive Presence: Able to influence others using communication and leadership skills. Demonstrates leadership capabilities when working with others.
• Insight Generation: Forms valuable insights backed in data, knowledge, experience, or research. Brings insights to others to guide processes.
• Project Management: Ties project to functional and business goals. Aligns all stakeholders and meets goals.
• Stakeholder Management: Identifies new stakeholders. Engages stakeholders. Ensures all stakeholders are aligned.
• Strategic Thinking: Able to think critically to solve problems and achieve goals. Generates and utilizes insights.
• Communication and Influence: Shares information effectively, is able to affect decisions across different audiences using specialized approaches. Sells own ideas by tying them into the values, needs, aspirations and goals of others.
• Intellectual Curiosity: Crafts innovative solutions. Constructively pushes against long-held assumptions in the function.
• Value Orientation: Manages projects and goals with little assistance. Establishes performance standards and measurements for work. Delivers on value proposition.

Application window is anticipated to close 7 days from original posting date.

This information is provided in compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and is the company's good faith and reasonable estimate of the compensation range and benefits offered for this position. The compensation offered to the successful applicant may vary based on factors including experience, skills, education, location, and other job-related reasons.

This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be U.S. Persons within the meaning of the ITAR and EAR, or eligible to obtain all required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (i.e., 'Green Card holder'), or a protected person (e.g., asylee, or refugee).

Woodward is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected under federal, state, or local laws.