Supply Chain Category Specialist II - Supply Chain Utility Services - Akron FirstEnergy Headquarters

FirstEnergy; Akron (OH); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

FirstEnergy in Akron, OH is hiring multiple Supply Chain Category Management Specialists to support high‑impact sourcing initiatives across enterprise spend categories. You will partner with cross‑functional stakeholders and suppliers to drive cost optimization, supplier performance, market intelligence, and digital procurement transformation.

This onsite role is based at the Akron, OH office or Greensburg, PA, with opportunities to collaborate across utility projects and asset management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in supply chain, business, or engineering.
• 4–7 years of relevant procurement/sourcing experience (7–10 years if no degree).
• Experience in utilities, engineering, construction, IT software/hardware is preferred.
• Knowledge of procurement policies and supplier governance.
• Experience with Coupa Sourcing is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic sourcing and category optimization initiatives.
• Develop TCO strategies and supplier strategies to reduce cost.
• Use analytics to assess spend, market trends, and supplier performance.
• Guide contracting strategy and negotiate commercial terms.
• Coordinate with stakeholders to align sourcing with business needs.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Category management

Cost optimization

Supplier performance

Spend analytics

RFP development

Negotiation

Market intelligence

Data-driven decisions

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related discipline

High school diploma with 7-10 years experience

High school diploma with 10 years experience

Tools

Coupa

Job description

FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers' lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to safety, reliability, and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,500 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of 3,780 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. [SC00

The Strategic Sourcing and Category Management organization is seeking multiple Supply Chain Category Management Specialists to support high impact sourcing initiatives across enterprise critical spend categories.

This role partners with cross-functional stakeholders and suppliers to drive cost optimization, supplier performance, market intelligence, and digital procurement transformation. You will help execute strategic category plans that align with enterprise goals for risk mitigation, sustainability, operational excellence, and value creation.

This position is onsite located at either corporate office in Akron, OH or Greensburg, PA.

Responsibilities include:

• Strategic Sourcing & Category Optimization Designing and executing multi‑year category roadmaps, cost‑reduction initiatives, and strategic supplier strategies. Developing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) strategies to improve service levels and unlock value beyond price. Building and deploying category strategies that incorporate market trends, risk modeling, value‑engineering, demand forecasting, and supplier innovation. Leveraging technology platforms, spend analytics, supplier performance management, and market intelligence tools to drive data‑driven decisions. Applying analytics to supplier spend, evaluating market dynamics, and benchmarking pricing to identify value opportunities. Leading supplier selection events, including RFP development, proposal assessments, and scorecarding. Monitoring and tracking supplier performance KPIs to ensure continuous improvement and compliance. Building robust supplier partnerships that support innovation and reliability. Guiding contracting strategy, negotiate commercial terms, and support value‑based contract optimization. Partnering with technical stakeholders to evaluate proposals and ensure sourcing alignment with business needs. Tracking category‑specific market trends, economic drivers, price movements, and supply risks. Defining cost benchmarks, analyze supplier landscape shifts, and contribute insights to enterprise category strategy. Serving as a strategic advisor to business partners, ensuring alignment of sourcing strategy with operational and financial objectives. Ensuring user satisfaction through transparent communication and high‑quality execution.
• An employee hired at the Supply Chain Specialist IV level will be expected to perform all the above responsibilities with more proficiency, and in a more independent manner. Further, the Supply Chain Specialist IV level employee will be assigned additional responsibilities related to those above.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related discipline and 4-7 years of relevant experience.
• OR High school diploma and 7-10 years' sourcing/supply chain experience.
• Preferred experience in utility, engineering, construction, energized equipment, IT software/hardware, professional/consulting services, and related utility level procurement.
• Demonstrated success driving category improvements, cost optimization, and supplier performance enhancements.
• Knowledge of procurement policies, sourcing governance, terms and conditions (MSA) review, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with Coupa sourcing platform a plus.
• Qualifications at Supply Chain Specialist IV level include all the above plus:
• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related discipline and 7-10 years of relevant experience.
• OR High school diploma and 10 years' sourcing/supply chain experience.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will recei