Sr. Category Manager, Packaging, Global Procurement Operations (GPO)

Amazon.com Services LLC; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon.com Services LLC seeks a Category Manager to own sourcing for the Pallets Program across North America and Europe, delivering cost savings and supplier performance improvements.

You will develop category strategies, interact with major suppliers, and coordinate with operations, finance, and supply chain teams to translate business requirements into sourcing outcomes. Strong communication and leadership are essential in this fast-paced, multi-region role.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of program or project management experience.
• 3+ years working cross-functionally with tech and non-tech teams.
• 3+ years of defining and implementing data-driven process improvements.
• 2+ years of supply chain experience.
• Bachelor's degree required.
• Advanced Excel skills (Pivot Tables, VLookups) and SQL.
• Experience defining program requirements using data and metrics.

Responsibilities

• Establish category sourcing strategies for the Pallets Program; lead cross-functional sourcing teams and negotiate contracts across NA and EU.
• Drive supplier relationships to optimize total cost of ownership and benchmark performance.
• Identify and optimize category opportunities across both regions.
• Provide market intelligence and keep stakeholders informed on pallets opportunities.
• Lead Supplier Relationship Management to mitigate risks and improve performance, incl. sustainability levers.
• Define savings targets and report on value achieved in sourcing activities.
• Align with internal customers on business applications of the category.
• Build a unified, comprehensive category strategy with internal customers.
• Report on yearly cost-savings targets aligned with budgets.
• Champion standards and process improvements.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decisions

Supply chain experience

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel (Pivot Tables, VLookups)

SQL

Job description

At Amazon, we're working to be the most customer-centric company on earth, and we need exceptionally talented, bright, and driven people to get there. We are seeking a Category Manager to own and strategically source for Amazon's Pallets Program across North America and Europe - a multi-region category representing significant annual spend and a critical input to the reliability of Amazon's fulfillment and logistics network.

The person in this role will develop and execute category sourcing strategies, deliver cost savings and productivity improvements, and manage a portfolio of pallet suppliers across two regions. You will interact with important suppliers, coordinate across operations, finance, and supply chain teams, and translate business requirements into sourcing outcomes. The ideal candidate is a self-starter and a creative, critical thinker who is comfortable operating independently in an ambiguous, fast-changing environment. You must be an effective communicator able to partner credibly with stakeholders at every level.

Key job responsibilities

• Establish category sourcing strategies for the Pallets Program; lead cross-functional sourcing teams, negotiate with suppliers, and execute contracts to optimize Amazon's competitive position across NA and EU
• Drive supplier relationships with the objective of achieving the optimal total cost of ownership, supported by a culture of continuous improvement and performance benchmarking
• Proactively identify, monitor, and optimize category opportunities across both regions
• Act as a market intelligence provider for the pallets category; anticipate strategic opportunities and keep key stakeholders informed
• Lead Supplier Relationship Management activities to mitigate risk, improve performance, and add value to Amazon - including sustainability levers such as reusable/returnable pallet programs
• Identify, achieve, and report on savings and value targets for category sourcing activities
• Align with internal customers and understand the business application of the category
• Earn the trust of key stakeholders to drive alignment with the business
• Create a unified, comprehensive category strategy in conjunction with internal customers
• Achieve yearly cost-savings / value targets aligned with annual budget processes
• Define and report on key metrics measuring supply effectiveness and cost savings
• Champion standards and process improvements

A day in the life

You start by reviewing supplier performance dashboards and open risk items across your NA and EU pallet suppliers. You join a sourcing-strategy working session with Operations and Finance, then prepare for an upcoming tender - aligning requirements with internal customers. In the afternoon you negotiate contract terms with a key supplier, update your savings tracker, and draft a short narrative on a reusable-pallet opportunity. You close the day flagging a supply-continuity risk and the mitigation plan to stakeholders.

About the team

GRIT2 - Grocery, Receiving, Inventory, and Tier 2 - is the Global Procurement Operations team that sources the non-inventory supplies and services keeping Amazon's fulfillment and grocery logistics networks running. We operate across North America and Europe, spanning pallets, cross-dock, Tier 2 supplier programs, and Amazon Grocery Logistics. We think of ourselves as a strategic partner, not a reactive buying desk: we design end-to-end solutions across the supply chain, dive deep on data, and earn trust with senior leaders and suppliers alike. We value ownership, bias for action, continuous improvement, and sustainability built into every sourcing decision.

Basic Qualifications:

• 3+ years of program or project management experience
• 3+ years of working cross functionally with tech and non-tech teams experience
• 3+ years of defining and implementing process improvement initiatives using data and metrics experience
• 2+ years of supply chain experience
• Bachelor's degree
• Knowledge of Excel (Pivot Tables, VLookUps) at an advanced level and SQL
• Experience defining program requirements and using data and metrics to determine improvements

Preferred Qualifications:

• 3+ years of driving end to end delivery, and communicating results to senior leadership experience
• 3+ years of driving process improvements experience
• Experience in stakeholder management, dealing with multiple stakeholders at varied levels of the organization
• Experience building processes, project management, and schedules

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all fed