Onsite Strategic Category Manager - Mining

Oil-Dri Corporation of America; Blue Mountain (MS); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Paid parental leave

Generous PTO

Paid holidays

Gym reimbursement

Health and dental benefits

Job summary

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is seeking a Category Manager to lead strategic sourcing and supplier relationships at an active mine site, with daily onsite presence in the United States. You will drive category strategies, cost reduction, risk management, and continuous improvement while collaborating with cross-functional teams such as Operations, Planning, Quality, Engineering, and Finance.

This role requires strong negotiation, analytics, and leadership, with travel 10–15% for supplier

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of progressive experience in Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Supply Chain, Material Planning, Operations, or a related field.
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Engineering, or related field preferred, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• CPSM, CPIM, CSCP, or equivalent certification preferred; willingness to obtain certification encouraged.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies and sourcing plans aligned with company objectives.
• Conduct market, supplier, spend, and competitive analysis to identify sourcing opportunities and risks.
• Lead strategic sourcing activities including RFI/RFQ/RFP development, supplier evaluation, negotiations, selection, implementation, and ongoing management.
• Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, standardization, specification optimization, and competitive sourcing.
• Develop cost models and competitive benchmarks; track savings and cost avoidance in partnership with Finance.
• Own strategic supplier relationships and monitor KPIs including cost, quality, delivery, and responsiveness.
• Lead supplier business reviews and escalation activities when performance issues arise.
• Identify and manage supplier/category risks and develop contingency plans for critical materials.
• Negotiate and manage contracts, pricing, rebates, payment terms, and other commercial terms.
• Promote continuous improvement, inventory optimization, and adherence to procurement controls.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Supplier relationship management

Contract negotiation

Cost analysis

Spend analysis

Supply risk management

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Financial acumen

Communication

Influence without authority

Excel/PowerPoint

ERP systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, Engineering, or related field

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is seeking a Category Manager to lead strategic sourcing and supplier relationships at an active mine site, with daily onsite presence in the United States. You will drive category strategies, cost reduction, risk management, and continuous improvement while collaborating with cross-functional teams such as Operations, Planning, Quality, Engineering, and Finance.

This role requires strong negotiation, analytics, and leadership, with travel 10–15% for supplier