Director, Direct Procurement & Category Strategy

RS; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

RS Americas is seeking a senior procurement executive to own category management and supplier relationship management, building a high‑performing direct procurement function to improve cost control and profitability.

The role requires extensive leadership across cross-functional teams and a disciplined approach to supplier performance, sourcing strategy, and commercial execution within a dynamic industrial environment.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in procurement leadership.
• 10+ years leading multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience in distributor, manufacturer, or large retailer procurement.
• Deep knowledge of industrial automation components (e.g., Siemens, Schneider, ABB, Eaton).
• Strong analytical capability with forecasting and financial analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead direct procurement and supplier strategy with cost transparency.
• Develop category strategies to reduce cost-to-serve and improve customer experience.
• Standardize procurement processes, cost modelling, and supplier scorecards.
• Collaborate with Finance to track landed costs, rebates, and margin impacts.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with Sales, Product, Operations, and Finance.
• Establish governance and performance reviews with suppliers.

Skills

Procurement Leadership

Category Management

Supplier Relationship Mgmt

Cross-Functional Leadership

Cost Reduction & Negotiation

Data Analytics & Forecasting

End-to-end Cost Understanding

Team Building & Talent Development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Industrial distribution

Job description

RS Americas is seeking a senior procurement executive to own category management and supplier relationship management, building a high‑performing direct procurement function to improve cost control and profitability.

The role requires extensive leadership across cross-functional teams and a disciplined approach to supplier performance, sourcing strategy, and commercial execution within a dynamic industrial environment.