Category Sourcing Manager

Socket.dev; Rome (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a strategic Category Manager – Flexible Packaging to lead the management of flexible packaging solutions across our product lines, optimizing supplier performance and ensuring cost efficiency while maintaining high standards of quality, sustainability, and innovation.

This role collaborates with purchasing, engineering, sales, operations, and sustainability teams to align packaging initiatives with broader business goals and drive continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of purchasing and/or materials management experience in a manufacturing environment, ideally with flexible packaging.
• Strong communication and documentation skills in English.
• Experience with supplier scorecards and performance tracking.
• Ability to travel as required.

Responsibilities

• Execute the strategic sourcing plan for films and related packaging categories.
• Identify and implement supplier improvement initiatives and cost-saving opportunities.
• Analyze market trends and supplier capabilities to support cost and innovation.
• Manage supplier performance via scorecards and provide feedback.
• Develop relationships with suppliers and manufacturing teams.
• Monitor supply risks and ensure continuity of film materials.
• Support film stocking programs to meet short lead times and minimize obsolescence.
• Contribute to commercialization and scale-up of packaging initiatives.
• Collaborate with product development, sustainability, and quality teams.
• Drive improvement ideas and maintain professional representation of the company.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Supplier relations

Cost optimization

Collaboration

Packaging market

Job description

Position Summary:

We are seeking a strategic and results-driven Category Manager – Flexible Packaging to lead the management of flexible packaging solutions across our product lines. This role is responsible for optimizing supplier performance and ensuring cost efficiency while maintaining high standards of quality, sustainability, and innovation. The ideal candidate will have market knowledge of flexible packaging materials (e.g., films, laminates, pouches), excellent supplier relationship skills, and the ability to balance operational execution with material demand planning. This role collaborates closely with purchasing, engineering, sales, operations, and sustainability teams to align packaging initiatives with broader business goals

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Executes the strategic sourcing plan for the identified category - films
• Identifies, pursues, implements, and documents improvement initiatives with suppliers
• Analyze market trends, supplier capabilities, and internal requirements to identify cost-saving and innovation opportunities
• Administers and reports on supplier performance through Supplier Scorecards for key suppliers and provides regular feedback to those suppliers for improvement efforts and allocation decisions
• Develops and maintains positive/proactive relationships with suppliers and manufacturing
• Identify and mitigate supply risks, ensuring supply chain resilience and continuity of film materials
• Implement Product Line Simplification (PLS) strategy across all film categories
• Monitor category performance metrics including cost, quality, delivery, and sustainability KPIs
• Follow up and manage supplier corrective actions as needed
• Supports agreed to Film Stocking Programs to assure our short lead times are responsive for key customers while closely managing the substantial investment in the related film inventory to minimize obsolescence
• Key player in our Commercialization process as we trial and scale-up production in a safe and timely manner
• Possess strong organization skills
• Work closely with product development, sustainability, and quality teams to support packaging innovation and compliance
• Generates improvement ideas and embraces improvement projects to better the business
• As an agent of the company, this position is expected to project a professional image and positive attitude while assertively getting the results needed to support a fast-to-market production environment
• Other duties may be assigned and are required as part of the essential functions of the position

Skills and Qualifications:

• Action-oriented, assertive, and diplomatic in order to get things done on time. This position requires multi-tasking and an individual who enjoys working with a sense of urgency and is capable of creative problem-solving to overcome challenges and hurdles in the supply chain.
• Detailed in doing required paperwork and computer inputs with a high degree of accuracy. Able to read and write in English.
• Ability to participate as a team member with consensus decision-making.
• Experience with business operating systems and knowledge of Windows Computing programs a must with some degree of proficiency (prefer Excel, Word, Outlook).
• 3-5 years of purchasing and/or materials management experience in a manufacturing environment, with most of that specifically in the Flexible Packaging industry, highly preferable.
• Knowledge of administrative processes in a plastic manufacturing facility a plus.

Working Conditions and/or Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to consistently produce high-quality work in a fast-paced production environment.
• Must be able to identify, prioritize, and meet multiple expectations for area of responsibility.
• Must be excellent at verbal communication.
• Must have the ability to work at computer with previous computing expertise.
• Must maintain a professional appearance and demeanor.
• Must travel as required; overnight travel may be required.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities in order to perform the essential functions.