Strategic Regional Category Manager – Aerospace & Defense

Flint Hills Resources; Georgetown (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Molex Aerospace & Defense Solutions (ADS) seeks a Regional Category Manager to be the primary commercial and strategic contact for assigned suppliers and categories, building partnerships and driving performance to ensure supply continuity for mission-critical aerospace products.

You will collaborate with Procurement, Engineering, Quality, Operations, Program Management, and Supply Chain to align sourcing with business goals, support new product development, and create long-term value through

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in SCM or related field
• 5+ years in procurement, category management, supplier management, strategic sourcing, or supply chain leadership
• Experience managing supplier relationships, supplier performance programs, and business reviews
• Strong negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Experience in manufacturing with direct materials suppliers
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Experience using ERP systems and procurement/supplier management platforms
• Ability to influence and collaborate across a matrixed global organization
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary relationship strategic categories.
• Develop and execute supplier relationship strategies to improve quality, delivery, responsiveness, innovation, and total cost performance.
• Build strong partnerships with key suppliers and internal stakeholders to support operational and strategic objectives.
• Lead supplier business reviews and performance discussions using scorecards and KPIs to drive continuous improvement.
• Monitor supplier performance metrics including delivery, quality, lead time adherence, responsiveness, capacity, and risk indicators.
• Identify and mitigate supplier risks including capacity constraints, financial stability concerns, geopolitical impacts, regulatory requirements, and sole-source dependencies.
• Support new product development by engaging suppliers early to drive innovation, manufacturability, and cost structures.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Supplier Quality teams to support supplier qualification, onboarding, and development.
• Drive supplier development initiatives focused on quality improvement, lead-time reduction, operational efficiency, and cost optimization.
• Lead escalation management and coordinate root-cause analysis and corrective actions for disruptions.
• Partner with Procurement and Legal to support commercial negotiations, obligations, and renewal activities.
• Ensure suppliers meet ADS requirements related to quality, regulatory compliance, ethical sourcing, and responsible business practices.
• Support business continuity planning and supply chain resiliency initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for supplier-led innovation and collaborate with engineering teams to bring new technologies and capabilities.

Skills

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Communication

Leadership

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management / Business / Engineering / Operations Management

Tools

ERP systems

Procurement platforms

Job description

Molex Aerospace & Defense Solutions (ADS) seeks a Regional Category Manager to be the primary commercial and strategic contact for assigned suppliers and categories, building partnerships and driving performance to ensure supply continuity for mission-critical aerospace products.

You will collaborate with Procurement, Engineering, Quality, Operations, Program Management, and Supply Chain to align sourcing with business goals, support new product development, and create long-term value through