Senior Direct Materials Category Manager

Solmax; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Solmax is seeking a Direct Materials Category Manager to lead the strategy and commercial performance of roughly $100 million in annual non-resin direct-material spend across the Americas. You will guide multi-year category strategies, optimize total cost, and mitigate supply risk across six manufacturing facilities.

You will negotiate complex agreements, manage supplier performance, and collaborate with production, engineering, R&D, and QA teams to drive innovation and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered
• Minimum 8-10 years of progressive strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing category strategies, leading complex supplier negotiations, and managing high-value direct material spend on a regional or global scale.
• Documented, repeatable track record of delivering material, audited cost savings (e.g., 5-8%+ annually) through strategic sourcing and negotiations.
• Strong understanding of global trade economics, commodity markets, and cost drivers.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as an independent business owner, prioritizing opportunities, managing stakeholders, and delivering results with limited oversight.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Executive-level communication skills, with the ability to clearly present savings, risks, and decisions to senior leadership.
• A commitment to upholding ethical and professional standards.

Responsibilities

• Category Management: Develop, execute, and continuously refine multi-year category strategies with quantified savings targets, cost driver transparency, and clear execution roadmaps tied to business objectives.
• Supplier Management: Actively rationalize and manage the supplier base, challenging incumbents, introducing competition, and holding suppliers accountable to cost, service, and productivity commitments.
• Negotiation: Lead complex, high-impact negotiations to secure favorable pricing, terms, and service levels, including long-term agreements, index-based pricing, and cost validation, while ensuring supplier compliance and performance standards.
• Market Analysis: Own supply market intelligence and continuously monitor industry, commodity and competitive trends to inform decisions, challenge cost increases, and protect margins.
• Cost Optimization: Implement cost reduction initiatives and value engineering programs to improve overall profitability and cost competitiveness.
• Risk Management: Proactively identify and mitigate supply chain risks to ensure uninterrupted material availability and minimize disruptions.
• Quality Assurance: Collaborate with quality assurance teams to maintain and improve product quality and compliance with industry standards.
• Collaboration: Partner with production, engineering, R&D, and quality teams to support innovation, product development, and operational efficiency.

Skills

Category Management

Supplier Negotiations

Market Analysis

Cost Reduction

Risk Management

Quality Assurance

Cross-functional Collaboration

Advanced Excel

Power BI

Executive Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Solmax is seeking a Direct Materials Category Manager to lead the strategy and commercial performance of roughly $100 million in annual non-resin direct-material spend across the Americas. You will guide multi-year category strategies, optimize total cost, and mitigate supply risk across six manufacturing facilities.

You will negotiate complex agreements, manage supplier performance, and collaborate with production, engineering, R&D, and QA teams to drive innovation and efficiency.