Regional Technical Category Manager

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Glen Allen (MO); On-site; USD 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Parental leave

Flexible spending account

Job summary

Veolia Group is seeking a Regional Technical Category Manager to drive strategic procurement for North American projects, including turnkey and mechanical/electrical work. You will develop regional approaches aligned with project execution and business goals, lead negotiations, and manage supplier risk across multiple large-scale programs.

The role emphasizes supplier networks, TCO analyses, and cross-functional collaboration with engineering, legal, and safety teams to optimize value and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or Business Management.
• 5+ years of experience in custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical / fabrication/flow management procurement, contractor management, or EPC construction execution.
• Proven experience in procurement, sourcing, contract management, or project management within an EPC project setting.
• Advanced knowledge of specialized contract terms, insurance requirements, bonding, and risk allocation frameworks.
• Demonstrated success in complex supplier negotiations and post-award performance management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to identify cost and schedule improvements.
• Excellent project management skills managing multiple concurrent projects.
• Advanced knowledge of construction industry standards, safety regulations, and compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Sourcing & Contractor Management
• Create long-term supplier partnerships and framework agreements balancing cost, quality, schedule, loading, and risk
• Conduct market analysis on supplier capacity, pricing trends, and capability gaps
• Execute multi-million dollar cost reduction initiatives and consolidate orders for negotiation leverage
• Drive continuous improvement with key suppliers on productivity, safety, and schedule performance
• Proposal Costing & Optimization
• Lead proposal development, tendering, and cost analysis for custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical/ fabrication/flow management packages
• Perform total cost of ownership (TCO) analyses including schedule, quality, and contractual risk impacts
• Benchmark costs against industry standards and identify value-creation opportunities
• Execution Negotiations
• Lead complex supplier negotiations on pricing, terms, conditions, and commercial frameworks
• Develop specialized terms and conditions tailored to supplier scope and risk profile
• Establish clear scope of work definitions and division of responsibility boundaries, ensuring contractor responsibilities and interface protocols
• Negotiate insurance, bonding, and risk allocation frameworks
• Risk Management & Contractual Framework
• Develop comprehensive risk management strategies for supplier-specific hazards and performance uncertainties
• Define insurance requirements, coverage limits, and liability frameworks
• Implement risk mitigation strategies (performance bonds, parent company guarantees, liquidated damages)
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and industry standards
• Post-Award Management & Delivery Assurance
• Establish post-award protocols ensuring supplier performance and schedule adherence
• Conduct performance reviews and implement corrective action plans
• Manage supplier escalations, disputes, and change orders
• Drive on-time delivery through proactive schedule management and accountability
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with project execution, legal, insurance, contract management, and engineering teams
• Collaborate with tendering teams on competitive bid packages
• Coordinate with safety, quality, and compliance functions
• Build relationships with internal stakeholders to identify value engineering and optimization opportunities

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Contract management

Negotiation

Risk management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or Business Management

Tools

SAP

Ariba

Google Workspace

Job description

Veolia Group is a global leader in environmental services, operating across all five continents with nearly 218,000 employees. Specializing in water, energy, and waste management, Veolia Group designs and implements innovative solutions for decarbonization, depollution, and resource regeneration, supporting communities and industries in their ecological transformation. Within this framework, Veolia's Water Tech Business brings together a dedicated team of experienced professionals committed to tackling the world’s most complex challenges related to water scarcity, quality, productivity, and energy. Together, we pursue a shared mission to create a more sustainable future.

Job Description

ob Summary:

The Regional Technical Category Manager is a new role for the Projects Business Line responding to dynamic market conditions for both EP and EP+ delivery models and will lead strategic procurement and category management for specialized, high-value custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical/ fabrication/flow management activities across North American projects. This role is responsible for executing the North American procurement strategies while developing tailored regional approaches aligned with project execution and overall business objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Sourcing & Contractor Management

• Develop and manage preferred supplier networks specializing in custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical/fabrication/flow management activities
• Create long-term supplier partnerships and framework agreements balancing cost, quality, schedule, loading, and risk
• Conduct market analysis on supplier capacity, pricing trends, and capability gaps
• Execute multi-million dollar cost reduction initiatives and consolidate orders for negotiation leverage
• Drive continuous improvement with key suppliers on productivity, safety, and schedule performance

Proposal Costing & Optimization

• Lead proposal development, tendering, and cost analysis for custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical/ fabrication/flow management packages
• Perform total cost of ownership (TCO) analyses including schedule, quality, and contractual risk impacts
• Benchmark costs against industry standards and identify value-creation opportunities

Execution Negotiations

• Lead complex supplier negotiations on pricing, terms, conditions, and commercial frameworks
• Develop specialized terms and conditions tailored to supplier scope and risk profile
• Establish clear scope of work definitions and division of responsibility boundaries, ensuring contractor responsibilities and interface protocols
• Negotiate insurance, bonding, and risk allocation frameworks

Risk Management & Contractual Framework

• Develop comprehensive risk management strategies for supplier-specific hazards and performance uncertainties
• Define insurance requirements, coverage limits, and liability frameworks
• Implement risk mitigation strategies (performance bonds, parent company guarantees, liquidated damages)
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and industry standards

Post-Award Management & Delivery Assurance

• Establish post-award protocols ensuring supplier performance and schedule adherence
• Conduct performance reviews and implement corrective action plans
• Manage supplier escalations, disputes, and change orders
• Drive on-time delivery through proactive schedule management and accountability

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with project execution, legal, insurance, contract management, and engineering teams
• Collaborate with tendering teams on competitive bid packages
• Coordinate with safety, quality, and compliance functions
• Build relationships with internal stakeholders to identify value engineering and optimization opportunities

Qualifications

Key Characteristics:

Technical Acumen

• Demonstrate deep understanding of custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical / fabrication/flow management technologies to lead strategic decisions

Strategic Thinking

• Balance long-term objectives with immediate priorities
• Strong negotiation skills with proven ability to secure favorable terms in complex, high-stakes contractor agreements

Courage

• Champion innovative contracting models and transformational procurement approaches

Ambitious

• Challenge the status quo and identify value-creation opportunities

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or Business Management
• 5+ years of experience in custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical / fabrication/flow management procurement, contractor management, or EPC construction execution
• Proven experience in procurement, sourcing, contract management, or project management within an EPC project setting
• Advanced knowledge of specialized contract terms, insurance requirements, bonding, and risk allocation frameworks
• Demonstrated success in complex supplier negotiations and post-award performance management
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to identify cost and schedule improvements
• Excellent project management skills managing multiple concurrent projects
• Advanced knowledge of construction industry standards, safety regulations, and compliance requirements

PreferredQualifications:

• 10+ years in custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical / fabrication/flow management procurement
• Direct water industry or EPC firm experience
• Professional procurement certification (C.P.M., CPSM, CIPS)
• Professional project management certification (PMP)
• Experience with SAP, Ariba, and Google Workspace

Working Conditns:

• Up to 20% annual travel

Additional Information

At Veolia, we realize diverse teams make smarter decisions, deliver better results, and build stronger
communities. We’re an organization that champions diversity and inclusion at every rung of the ladder
and are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. Because our people are our greatest assets, we
also offer competitive compensation andbenefits that include:

• Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance Starting Day 1!
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Parental Leave
• 401(k) Plan - 3% default contribution plus matching!
• Flexible Spending & Health Saving Accounts
• AD&D Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this
posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable
law. The estimated salary range for this role is $95 - 110K plus an estimated 10% annual bonus.

****Applicants are required to be eligible to lawfully work in the U.S. immediately; employer will not
sponsor applicants for U.S. work authorization (e.g. H-1B visa) for this opportunity****

Veolia does not accept unsolicited resumes from external recruiting firms. All vendors must have a
current and fully executed MSA on file before submitting candidates. Any unsolicited resumes and
candidate profiles will be deemed the property of Veolia, and no fee will be due.

As an inclusive company, Veolia is committed to diversity and gives equal consideration to all applications, without discrimination.

As an inclusive company, Veolia is committed to diversity and gives equal consideration to all applications, without discrimination.