Strategic Steelwork Sourcing Leader

Dematic; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 93,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career Development

Competitive compensation and benefits

Pay transparency

Global opportunities

Job summary

Dematic is seeking a Senior Category Lead for the Steelwork category to develop and execute category strategies that strengthen the supply base and drive measurable business results. You will partner with Procurement, Engineering, Project Management, Solutions Development, Finance, Quality, and other teams to translate business needs into effective sourcing strategies.

This role requires deep knowledge of steelwork markets, supplier capabilities, and cost drivers, with a focus on risk

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic sourcing, category management, procurement, supply chain, or a related field.
• Experience developing and implementing category or sourcing strategies within a complex manufacturing, engineering, industrial, or project-based environment.
• Proven experience in the steel industry or related manufacturing sectors, with understanding of production, pricing mechanisms, and market trends.
• Understanding assessing supplier capabilities, manufacturing processes, cost drivers, and market dynamics that can be applied to the Steelwork category.
• Experience leading supplier negotiations and developing productive, long-term supplier relationships.
• Ability to track global factors (tariffs, trade policies, commodity price movements), use market intelligence, financial analysis, cost modeling, or should-cost analysis to support sourcing and procurement decisions.
• Experience assessing supply-chain risk and developing practical mitigation strategies.
• Ability to collaborate across technical, operational, financial, and business functions and influence decisions without direct authority.
• Familiarity with commercial agreements, supplier terms and conditions, and total cost of ownership principles.

Responsibilities

• Develop, communicate, and implement a comprehensive Steelwork category strategy aligned with business needs, growth plans, and procurement objectives.
• Build a strong understanding of the steelwork supplier landscape, including market conditions, supplier capabilities, capacity, cost drivers, and supply-chain trends.
• Identify, evaluate, develop, and maintain sources of supply that balance quality, service, cost, capacity, delivery, and business requirements.
• Lead strategic sourcing and supplier negotiations using market intelligence, cost analysis, stakeholder priorities, and scenario-based negotiation strategies.
• Partner with Engineering, Project Management, Solutions Development, Quality, Finance, and Procurement teams to understand current and future steelwork requirements and translate them into sourcing strategies.
• Develop category risk assessments and mitigation strategies to strengthen supply continuity and respond effectively to market changes or supply disruptions.
• Apply financial and commercial expertise to develop cost models and should-cost analyses, evaluate total cost of ownership, and identify opportunities for savings and margin improvement.
• Review and provide input on supplier agreements, including commercial terms, pricing, delivery requirements, and other business considerations.
• Drive supplier performance across quality, delivery, cost, service, and other category priorities while supporting contract adherence and procurement processes.
• Monitor market and supplier developments to find opportunities that improve cost competitiveness, cash generation, supplier performance, and overall value.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Category management

Procurement

Cross-functional collaboration

Financial analysis

Job description

Dematic is seeking a Senior Category Lead for the Steelwork category to develop and execute category strategies that strengthen the supply base and drive measurable business results. You will partner with Procurement, Engineering, Project Management, Solutions Development, Finance, Quality, and other teams to translate business needs into effective sourcing strategies.

This role requires deep knowledge of steelwork markets, supplier capabilities, and cost drivers, with a focus on risk