Global Category Manager

Johnson Controls, Inc.; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson Controls, Inc. in Milwaukee seeks a Global Category Manager to own a global portfolio of $250M-$400M and lead cross-functional teams to deliver growth, cost competitiveness, and supply resilience.

You will drive global sourcing events, negotiations, and long-term supplier development while partnering with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Product Management, Finance, and regional procurement teams. The role demands deep category expertise and executive engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or Operations; MBA preferred.
• 8–10 years of procurement/sourcing experience in large-scale or global categories.
• Proven experience leading complex global categories and supplier networks.
• Strong negotiation, contract management, and supplier relationship skills.
• Advanced Excel, Power BI, and data-driven decision making.
• Willingness to travel up to 30%.

Responsibilities

• Own a global category portfolio of $250M-$400M annual spend.
• Develop and execute category strategies to enable growth, cost competitiveness, and resiliency.
• Lead global sourcing events, supplier selection, negotiations, and contract execution.
• Drive TCO optimization, working capital improvements, and supplier development.
• Provide executive-level supplier engagement and governance.

Skills

Category management

Strategic sourcing

Negotiation

Supplier management

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or Operations; MBA preferred

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Power BI

Procurement analytics

Applied AI experience

Job description

Global Category Manager

The Global Category Manager (GCM) is a strategic procurement leader responsible for developing and executing global category strategies that enable Johnson Controls' accelerated growth, supply continuity, cost competitiveness, and supplier innovation agenda. Operating within the Global Procurement Direct Materials Category Management Tower, the GCM serves as the global owner for multiple critical direct material sub-categories across Electrical, Electro-Mechanical, and Electronics commodity portfolios, leading cross-functional initiatives across all Global Products businesses.

This role is accountable for delivering category strategies that support growth demand, long-range business expansion, supplier capacity readiness, risk mitigation, total cost improvement, and operational excellence. The GCM partners closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Product Management, Finance, and regional procurement teams to ensure an unconstrained, competitive, and resilient supply base capable of supporting new product introductions and mass production requirements globally. The successful candidate combines deep category expertise, strong commercial acumen, executive-level supplier engagement capabilities, and a passion for driving transformational business results.

The successful candidate combines deep category expertise, strong commercial acumen, executive-level supplier engagement capabilities, and a passion for driving transformational business results.

Key Responsibilities:

Category Strategy & Growth Enablement

• Own a global category portfolio of $250M-$400M annual spend, supported by regional category managers and buyers.
• Develop and execute global category strategies that support business growth, new product roadmaps, cost competitiveness, and supply resiliency.
• Lead supply market intelligence, multi-year sourcing roadmaps, supplier capacity planning, localization, and risk mitigation initiatives.
• Drive category governance, preferred supplier strategies, and long-term supplier development plans to support unconstrained growth.

Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Leadership

• Lead global sourcing events, supplier selection, commercial negotiations, and contract execution.
• Negotiate pricing, capacity reservation agreements, working capital improvements, inventory strategies, and long-term supply agreements.
• Optimize Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) while balancing quality, delivery, innovation, and risk.

Cost Improvement & Value Creation

• Deliver annual productivity, cost savings, and inflation mitigation targets through strategic sourcing and supplier optimization.
• Lead VA/VE, should-cost, design-to-cost, and specification improvement initiatives in partnership with Engineering and suppliers.
• Drive working capital improvements through payment term optimization and supply chain financing strategies.

Supplier Relationship Management

• Serve as the executive commercial lead for strategic and preferred suppliers.
• Conduct executive business reviews, performance management, and supplier segmentation activities.
• Develop joint business plans focused on capacity expansion, innovation, quality, and long-term growth.

Supply Assurance & Risk Management

• Proactively manage supply risks related to capacity, quality, financial stability, compliance, and business continuity.
• Implement mitigation strategies including dual sourcing, supplier development, localization, inventory optimization, and capacity agreements.
• Lead critical supplier escalations and business continuity recovery actions.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Product Management, Finance, and regional Procurement teams to execute category strategies.
• Provide procurement leadership for NPI, supplier qualification, product lifecycle management, and supplier transitions.
• Align global category strategies with regional execution and business objectives.

Contract & Governance Management

• Manage the complete contract lifecycle, ensuring compliance, risk management, and continuity of supply.
• Maintain strategic contract coverage and adherence to procurement policies and ethical sourcing standards.
• Lead executive reviews, category performance reporting, and governance processes.

Leadership Expectations

• Act as the global subject matter expert for assigned categories and supply markets.
• Influence senior leadership, cross-functional stakeholders, and supplier executives to achieve business objectives.
• Lead complex global initiatives that improve growth readiness, supply assurance, cost performance, and supplier competitiveness.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or Operations; MBA degree preferred.
• Minimum 8-10 years of procurement/sourcing experience in large-scale, complex, or global categories—electronics, circuit protection, switchgear, drives, heat exchangers, compressors, fans, other electrical or electro-mechanical sub-categories.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex global categories and supplier networks.
• Proven success in developing category strategies and delivering measurable business results.
• Strong commercial negotiation, contract management, and supplier relationship management skills.
• Experience managing cross-functional initiatives in a global matrix organization.
• Strong analytical capabilities and proficiency with data-driven decision making.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel, Power BI, and procurement analytics experience.
• Applied AI experience preferred
• Excellent communication, presentation, and executive engagement skills.
• Ability to travel up to 30% of time.

About You:

• You think strategically while executing with urgency.
• You thrive in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
• You embrace a Kaizen mindset, relentlessly pursuing continuous improvement across cost, quality, delivery, supplier performance, and procurement processes.
• You are comfortable leading complex negotiations and influencing executive stakeholders.
• You proactively identify risks and develop solutions before issues impact the business.
• You balance commercial rigor with strong relationship-building skills.
• You are passionate about supplier partnerships, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
• You measure success by enabling business growth, securing supply, and delivering sustainable value.