Category Manager 2 Strategic

Nouryon; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equal opportunity employer

Potential for 20% travel within the United States

Job summary

Nouryon is seeking a Category Manager – Specialty Materials in Houston, Texas. In this role, you will develop regional procurement strategies for a substantial spend, focusing on optimizing value across the supply base. You will engage with key stakeholders, manage supplier relationships, and explore cost-reduction opportunities.

The ideal candidate holds a Bachelor's or Master's degree and has 3-4 years of relevant procurement experience. Strong negotiation skills and a good understanding of the regional chemical market are necessary for this role, along with effective communication and stakeholder management abilities.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3-4 years of experience in strategic and operational procurement.
• Good understanding of regional chemical market dynamics.
• Ability to identify and assess supply risks and define mitigation actions.

Responsibilities

• Develop procurement strategies at a regional level for large spend.
• Engage with stakeholders to understand business requirements.
• Identify, assess and mitigate supply risks within the category.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder relationship management

Communication skills

Critical thinking

Conflict-resolution skills

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a business-related area

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Category Manager – Specialty Materials

Develop procurement strategies at a regional category level for a total annual spend of 30-50 million USD of direct materials, leveraging value chain analysis to identify opportunities to optimize value across the supply base and align procurement decisions with business needs.

Actively engage with key stakeholders from relevant Business Lines and sites to understand business and technical requirements, incorporating them into the supplier selection and decision‑making process while building long‑term partnerships with key suppliers.

Explore cost reduction opportunities and establish a total cost of ownership approach internally and with external suppliers, actively working to improve commercial terms in line with the company’s financial objectives.

Identify, assess and mitigate supply risks within the category, including supply continuity, price volatility and supplier dependency risks, ensuring appropriate contingency measures are in place.

Work with stakeholders across all levels of the organization, including the procurement team, senior management, site functions, and suppliers in North America.

Drive and contribute to regional and local continuous improvement projects.

Report to the Regional Procurement Manager in the Americas Region.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a business‑related area or industry, or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum 3‑4 years of experience in strategic and operational procurement.
• Good understanding of regional chemical market dynamics and ability to apply critical thinking to develop effective procurement strategies that balance value with risk mitigation.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Ability to build and manage stakeholder relationships, ensuring smooth collaboration internally and externally.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to engage people at all levels of the organization in a multicultural setting.
• Conflict‑resolution skills and ability to build organizational alignment.
• Ability to apply value‑chain thinking to category strategy, identifying levers to create and capture value across the supply chain.
• Ability to identify and assess supply risks and define appropriate mitigation actions to ensure supply continuity and business resilience.
• Proficient with MS Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.
• Willingness to travel 15‑20%, primarily within the United States.

Benefits

• 20% travel within the United States.

Nouryon is an equal‑opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.