Sr. Category Manager

Carrier; Charlotte, Northern (NC, KY); On-site; USD 118,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Benefits

Wellness incentives

Retirement Benefits

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

Carrier is seeking a Category Manager to own category strategy and execution, delivering cost savings, improved quality, reliable delivery and supplier resiliency. You will lead cross-functional efforts with engineering, quality, operations, and product management to influence supplier selection and cost, while managing a diverse supplier base.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years in category management or procurement, with travel up to 20%.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business or Finance.
• 7+ years of experience in category management, strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, or supply chain leadership.
• 5+ years building supplier resiliency strategies including dual sourcing, localization, capacity planning, risk management, and business continuity planning.
• 5+ Years of Advanced Excel, PowerPoint, spend analytics, supplier scorecard, market intelligence, and should-cost capability.
• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time domestically or internationally.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a 3- to 5-year category strategy aligned to business priorities, cost productivity, quality, delivery, resiliency, and innovation.
• Build a resilient supplier portfolio with the right capability, capacity, regional footprint, financial health, and risk profile to support current and future needs.
• Identify and mitigate supply risks, including single-source exposure, capacity constraints, logistics disruption, quality issues, and supplier instability.
• Deliver cost savings and margin expansion through strategic sourcing, should-cost analysis, negotiation, value engineering, localization, dual sourcing, and specification optimization.
• Partner with engineering, quality, operations, and product management to influence supplier selection, product cost, manufacturability, quality readiness, and speed to market.
• Manage the supplier base, including preferred suppliers, development suppliers, exit suppliers, supplier performance, and strategic supplier relationships.
• Create competitive tension through market benchmarking, incumbent challenges, alternate source qualification, and disciplined commercial execution.
• Negotiate supply agreements that improve cost, payment terms, quality expectations, delivery performance, capacity commitments, and risk mitigation.
• Track and deliver annual category objectives, including cost savings, productivity, working capital, quality, delivery, resiliency actions, and project pipeline execution.
• Lead category reviews and supplier business reviews using market intelligence, cost drivers, risk profile, supplier performance, innovation opportunities, and roadmap progress.

Skills

Strong communication

Negotiation

Analytical

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business or Finance

Tools

Advanced Excel

PowerPoint

Spend analytics

Supplier scorecard

Market intelligence

Should-cost capability

Job description

About Carrier Carrier Global Corporation, global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, is committed to creating innovations that bring comfort, safety and sustainability to life. Through cutting-edge advancements in climate solutions such as temperature control, air quality and transportation, we improve lives, empower critical industries and ensure safe transport of food, lifesaving medicines and more. Since inventing modern air conditioning in 1902, we lead with purpose: enhancing the lives we live and the world we share. We continue to lead because of our world-class, inclusive workforce that puts the customer at the center of everything we do.

For more information, visit corporate.carrier.com or follow on Carrier social media at @Carrier.

About This Role

The Category Manager (CM) owns category strategy and execution, building a resilient, competitive, and innovation-ready supply base. This role is accountable for delivering measurable cost savings, improved quality, reliable delivery, supplier resiliency, and supplier-enabled innovation through strong category strategy, supplier management, risk mitigation, and cross-functional execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a 3- to 5-year category strategy aligned to business priorities, cost productivity, quality, delivery, resiliency, and innovation.
• Build a resilient supplier portfolio with the right capability, capacity, regional footprint, financial health, and risk profile to support current and future needs.
• Identify and mitigate supply risks, including single-source exposure, capacity constraints, logistics disruption, quality issues, and supplier instability.
• Deliver cost savings and margin expansion through strategic sourcing, should-cost analysis, negotiation, value engineering, localization, dual sourcing, and specification optimization.
• Partner with engineering, quality, operations, and product management to influence supplier selection, product cost, manufacturability, quality readiness, and speed to market.
• Manage the supplier base, including preferred suppliers, development suppliers, exit suppliers, supplier performance, and strategic supplier relationships.
• Create competitive tension through market benchmarking, incumbent challenges, alternate source qualification, and disciplined commercial execution.
• Negotiate supply agreements that improve cost, payment terms, quality expectations, delivery performance, capacity commitments, and risk mitigation.
• Track and deliver annual category objectives, including cost savings, productivity, working capital, quality, delivery, resiliency actions, and project pipeline execution.
• Lead category reviews and supplier business reviews using market intelligence, cost drivers, risk profile, supplier performance, innovation opportunities, and roadmap progress.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business or Finance
• 7+ years of experience in category management, strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, or supply chain leadership.
• 5+ years of experience building supplier resiliency strategies, including dual sourcing, localization, capacity planning, risk management, and business continuity planning.
• 5+ Years of Advanced Excel, PowerPoint, spend analytics, supplier scorecard, market intelligence, and should-cost capability
• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time Domestically or Internationally

Preferred Qualifications

• AI thought leadership or comfortability using AI in everyday processes to automate simple or repeatable tasks.
• Proven ability to deliver cost savings, productivity, supplier performance improvement, and cross-functional execution.
• Strong communication, negotiation, analytical, and stakeholder management skills in a global environment.
• Strong business acumen with ability to connect category strategy to margin expansion, working capital, operational performance, delivery, and innovation.
• Technical acumen to understand product design, manufacturing processes, cost drivers, quality risks, and supplier capability gaps.
• High drive for results with ownership, urgency, structured problem solving, and ability to convert strategy into measurable outcomes.
• Strong negotiation skills across commercial terms, cost models, long-term agreements, capacity commitments, and supplier performance expectations.
• Professional certifications such as CPSM, CPM, CPIM, CIRM, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent preferred.

Pay Range

The annual salary for this position is between $117,500.00 - $234,500.00 annually. Factors which may affect pay within this range include, but are not limited to, skills, education, experience, and other unique qualifications of the successful candidate.

Other Compensation

Thisposition is entitled to short-term cash incentives, subject to plan requirements.

Benefits

• Health Care Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision;
• Wellness incentives
• Retirement Benefits
• Time off and Leave: Paid vacation days, up to 15 days; paid sick days, up to 5 days; paid personal leave, up to 5 days; paid holidays, up to 13 days; birth and adoption leave; parental leave; family and medical leave; bereavement leave; jury duty leave; military leave; purchased vacation
• Disability: Short-term and long-term disability
• Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment
• Tax-Advantaged Accounts: Health Savings Account; Health Care Spending Account; Dependent Care Spending Account
• Tuition Assistance

Carrier EEO Statement and Accommodations Process

Carrier is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status or any other applicable state or federal protected class. Carrier provides affirmative action in employment for qualified individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with section 503 of Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, participate in an interview, or otherwise engage in the hiring process, please contact us at [e-mail]. We will make every effort to meet your needs in accordance with applicable laws.

Use of AI Technology-enabled tools may support parts of the recruitment process, with oversight by people. At Carrier we make modern life possible by delivering groundbreaking systems and services that help homes, buildings and shipping become safer, smarter and more sustainable. We exceed the expectations of our customers by anticipating industry trends, working tirelessly to master and revolutionize them. Our team of approximately 56,000 dedicated individuals continues to mold industry standards by pursuing the latest research and developments to improve the lives of our customers. We’re constantly growing, seeking out talented, likeminded people who are committed to our primary duty: to be the world’s first choice in security, shipping and HVAC technology.