Category Manager - Direct Materials

The Chemours Company; Wilmington (DE); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive benefits

401(k) match

Employee stock purchase program

Tuition reimbursement

Commuter benefits

Learning and development opportunities

Inclusion and diversity initiatives

Volunteer day

Job summary

The Chemours Company is seeking a Category Manager - Direct Materials to lead global sourcing strategies and supplier management from our Wilmington, DE headquarters. You will partner with Commercial Operations, Supply Chain and senior leadership to drive cost savings, contract governance, and risk mitigation across multiple business units.

Responsibilities include developing category strategies, leading cross-functional negotiations, and implementing supplier performance metrics while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain or engineering.
• 7 years of experience procuring or managing categories related to the Chemical industry.
• Strong expertise in Strategic Sourcing or Supply Chain Management (Category Management, Vendor management, SRM, Supply Risk, Regulatory compliance, segmentation/taxonomy).
• Strategic leadership skills in developing and nurturing strong ties with site leadership and operations teams.
• Strong negotiation skills and experience negotiating contracts to meet business needs and objectives.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite, Outlook & Internet applications and be able to create and interpret key reports.
• Strong working knowledge in business analysis, market research, financial analysis, cost models, procurement/supply chain analysis and supplier performance management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to work autonomously and in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Drive category strategies and global sourcing to deliver cost advantaged, sustainable supply across units.
• Foster cross-functional partnerships and executive-level stakeholder engagements.
• Identify and mitigate supply risk and develop risk mitigation strategies for key materials.
• Lead negotiations and contract development to achieve best total cost of ownership while ensuring quality.
• Review and manage supplier contracts for compliance and performance with clear KPIs.
• Analyze spend data and market trends to optimize category portfolios and inform decisions.
• Develop dashboards and KPIs to monitor category performance and savings.

Skills

Strategic Sourcing

Vendor management

Supply risk

Regulatory compliance

Segmentation/taxonomy

Strategic leadership

Negotiation

MS Office

Data analysis

Communication skills

Business acumen

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain or engineering

Tools

SAP (S4/HANA)

GEP

Ariba

Keelvar

Job description

US - DE - Wilmington (Headquarters)

Full time

JR14386

As we create a colorful, capable and cleaner world through chemistry, we invite you to join our team to harness the power of chemistry to shape markets, redefine industries and improve lives for billions of people around the world.

CREATING ESSENTIAL CHEMISTRY THAT THE WORLD NEEDS

At Chemours, our people are redefining how the world thinks of chemistry by approaching everything we do with a commitment to delivering Trusted Chemistry that creates better lives and helps communities thrive. That begins with how we use our science, data, and unmatched technical expertise to develop market-leading products with the highest levels of performance, sustainability, and safety in the industry.

Powered by chemistry, our products are used in applications that make the products we rely on, processes, and new technologies possible. In key sectors such as clean energy, advanced electronics, high-performance computing and AI, climate friendly cooling, and high-quality paints and coatings for homes and industrial infrastructure---sustainable solutions and more modern living depend on Chemours chemistry.

Chemours is seeking a Category Manager - Direct Materials to join the Chemours Corporate Procurement team! This is a highly visible, key role within the Company and interacts closely with the Commercial Operations, Supply Chain and leadership teams across all three Chemours businesses. This position will report directly to the Procurement Director – Advanced Performance Materials and Thermal & Specialized Solutions at our Wilmington, DE Headquarters location.

The responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Category Strategies: Drive strategic sourcing process by gathering inputs/requirements/business objectives to develop and lead global category strategies that may include both specialties such as precious metals and catalysts as well as commodities such as hydrofluorocarbons and other critical raw materials to deliver reliable, cost advantaged, and sustainable supply across multiple business units.

• Partnership: Strategic thought partner that fosters strong cross-functional engagement and working partnerships to enable strategic planning and forecasting. Understands customer requirements such as volume, price, quality, delivery mode, supply risk and supply chain impacts and incorporated into category strategies. Executive level engagements with internal and supplier stakeholders which requires advanced communication and personal skills and deep business understanding

• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate supply risk, critical path supplies and services and help monitor/manage related site risks. Proactively develop and implement effective risk mitigation strategies for key materials

• Negotiations: Defines negotiation targets: most desired outcome, best alternative, least acceptable outcome. Develop negotiation plans, gain alignment from stakeholders, lead cross-functional, negotiation teams, and drive commercial negotiations to achieve best possible TCO pricing while maintaining set quality standards. Negotiates, prepares and executes procurement agreements

• Contract management: Conducts negotiations, documents agreements in contract terms and conditions, conducts contract legal and financial reviews, obtains internal approvals, implements contracts, reviews contract/supplier performance after implementation. Review and manage supplier contracts to ensure compliance with terms and conditions, drive value on new and existing contracts. Authoring Contracts with Firm KPIs that enhance Compliance.

• Data Analytics: Works efficiently between internal data (spend, contract data) and external intel and market trends, analyze local and macro markets, and identifies opportunities to optimize category portfolio to drive maximum value. Utilize data analytics to identify purchasing trends, identify timing for commercial action, and inform decision-makers.

• Market Research: Analyze market trends, competitor activity, and customer demand to identify potential products /services and suppliers. Understands supply market – production routes, supplier share, market price, alternatives. Drives cost efficiency challenges in a volatile commodity market and chemical indices that require constant market monitoring.

• Vendor Management: Build and maintain relationships with suppliers, negotiating pricing, payment terms, and delivery schedules. Facilitate new supplier introductions; Manage, consolidate, and drive lower tail spend where feasible.

• Reporting and communication: Develop category/sub-category sourcing strategy and align with business and stakeholders. Prepare regular reports on category performance, key insights, and actionable recommendations to senior managers.

• KPIs: Develop metrics and work with digital to automate. Understand and align with the goals and requirements of the stakeholders and share progress and results of dashboards, metrics, KPI’s and benchmarks.

• Savings: Drive cost savings/avoidance, and working capital improvements through collaborative efforts with suppliers, internal customers and procurement category managers.

• Mentorship: Mentors/coaches Associate Category Managers on category management, Supplier Management, Supply Risk, and Stakeholder engagement

• Bidding: Lead bidding strategy and executes RFX, requests for proposals and competitive bids Drive use of bidding optimizations/automation.

The following is required for this role:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain or engineering.

• Must have 7 years of experience procuring or managing categories related to the Chemical industry.

• Strong expertise in Strategic Sourcing or Supply Chain Management domain experience (Category Management, Vendor management, SRM, Supply Risk, Regulatory compliance, segmentation/taxonomy).

• Strategic leadership skills in developing and nurturing strong working ties with site leadership and operations teams.

• Strong negotiation skills and experience managing and negotiating contracts to meet business needs and objectives. Negotiate contracts and purchase order terms and conditions with the inclusion of Legal, Risk Management, Business leadership, and Finance, as required.

• Proficiency in MS Office Suite, Outlook & Internet applications and be able to create and interpret key reports.

• Strong working knowledge/experience in business analysis, market research, financial analysis, cost models, procurement/supply chain analysis and supplier performance management.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; self-motivated with ability to handle multiple tasks and assignments simultaneously, with attention to detail, deadlines, and reporting

• Ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with peers and colleagues across the organization, as well as internal and external stakeholders.

• Ability to work well autonomously and within a team in a fast-paced and deadline-oriented environment.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills (including analysis, interpretation, & reasoning).

• Business acumen – creating, positioning and negotiating commercial arrangements that deliver competitive advantage. Ability to build a strong business case with data and present it senior management.

The following is preferred for this role:

• Master’s in business (MBA) or Supply Chain Certifications

• Strong expertise in Source to Pay (S2P) software such as GEP, Ariba, Keelvar or similar.

• Proficiency in SAP (S4/HANA) or higher or an equivalent ERP business system.

• Good working knowledge of Go to Market strategies such as Reverse Auctions, eSourcing, etc.

• High motivation and self-awareness

• Analytical capability

• Results-driven with strong communication skills

• Six Sigma Greenbelt+ Certification(s)

Benefits:

Competitive Compensation

Comprehensive Benefits Packages

401(k) Match

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Tuition Reimbursement

Commuter Benefits

Learning and Development Opportunities

Strong Inclusion and Diversity Initiatives

Company-paid Volunteer Day

We’re a different kind of chemistry company because we see our people as our biggest assets. Instead of focusing just on what our employees do each day, we look at how they do it—by taking a different approach to talent development, employee engagement, and culture. Our goal is to empower employees to be their best selves, at Chemours and in life.

Learn more about Chemours and our culture by visiting Chemours.com/careers. (https://www.chemours.com/en/careers)

Chemours is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, religion, color, gender, disability, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. Jurisdictions may have additional grounds for non-dis