Strategic Category Manager — Onsite Procurement Leader

Oil-Dri Corporation of America; Ochlocknee (GA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

401(k) with company match

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid time off and holidays

Career growth and development

Job summary

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is seeking a Category Manager to own key procurement categories with over $40MM in annual spend. You will develop sourcing strategies, negotiate with suppliers, and manage strategic relationships to improve cost, quality, and supply continuity.

Collaborating with Operations, Planning, Quality, Engineering, and Finance, you will lead cross-functional initiatives and drive total cost improvements without direct authority.

Qualifications

• 5–10+ years in Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, or related field.
• Experience building category strategies and leading sourcing initiatives.
• Strong supplier relationships and performance-management ability.
• Proven contract negotiation and commercial-management skills.
• Experience with cost analysis, TCO, spend analysis, and market intelligence.
• Strong financial, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead projects and influence without direct authority.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint; travel about 10–15%.

Responsibilities

• Develop category strategies and sourcing plans aligned with company objectives.
• Analyze spend, supplier markets, cost drivers, and competitive conditions.
• Lead RFI, RFQ, and RFP activities from development through supplier implementation.
• Negotiate contracts, pricing, rebates, payment terms, freight terms, and volume commitments.
• Identify cost reduction, cost avoidance, standardization, and productivity opportunities.
• Own strategic supplier relationships and serve as the primary procurement contact.
• Establish supplier KPIs and lead supplier business reviews and corrective actions.
• Develop contingency plans and explore dual/alternate sourcing options.
• Monitor market, transportation, regulatory, capacity, and raw-material risks.
• Partner with Planning and Operations to improve inventory and lead times.

Skills

Category management

Sourcing strategy

Negotiation

Spend analysis

Total Cost of Ownership

Cost reduction

Excel

PowerPoint

Communication

Relationship management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain / related field

CPSM certification

CPIM certification

CSCP certification

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Oil-Dri Corporation of America is seeking a Category Manager to own key procurement categories with over $40MM in annual spend. You will develop sourcing strategies, negotiate with suppliers, and manage strategic relationships to improve cost, quality, and supply continuity.

Collaborating with Operations, Planning, Quality, Engineering, and Finance, you will lead cross-functional initiatives and drive total cost improvements without direct authority.