Category Manager

Job Summary:

Develop and implement enterprise-wide strategic sourcing strategies within assigned categories to leverage Duke Manufacturing's supply base, ensure continuity of supply, optimize inventory value, maximize cost savings, and support achievement of Duke's business strategy.

Essential Functions:

1. Lead collaborative multi-site, cross-functional category teams to analyze spend, develop actionable spend management strategies, implement spend management strategies and proactively manage the supply base within a given category
2. Understand, monitor, and be proactive to current category market conditions/trends, developing technologies, supply chain capacity/ capability, product knowledge, customer requirements and supply/demand challenges
3. Guide the selection, development, and management of suppliers to meet category cost and performance goals
4. Develop and implement spend management strategies including supplier assessments and rationalization, negotiation for best total cost of ownership, make vs. buy analyses, vendor managed inventories, inventory reduction programs, cycle time improvements, security of supply, continuous improvement, EDI, and procurement/engineering collaboration
5. Develop, implement and manage proposal activities; lead negotiation and completion of contracts with global strategic and preferred suppliers to maximize benefits across the Enterprise
6. Establish a strong network and foster collaboration with customers, suppliers, key stakeholders, and category team members
7. Implement a rigorous and disciplined process for managing the supply base including leading periodic business reviews, monitoring and managing supplier performance (quality, cost, delivery, technology, service, and leadership), managing supplier relationships, performing root cause analysis and resolution, developing and monitoring supplier improvement plans
8. Actively support Duke's lean activities as appropriate, integrating lean principles throughout the supply base
9. Establish, implement, report and socialize on specific, actionable, measurable, achievable, time specific goals and objectives and related performance in alignment with Duke's business objectives

Perform other duties as directed or assigned: The above list of essential duties is not exhaustive. It only defines some of the main responsibilities. An employee may be required to perform additional tasks not listed above.

Job Qualifications:

1. Education:  Bachelor's Degree or equivalent.  Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field is preferred.  APICS CPIM/CSCP or similar certification is preferred
2. Experience: Minimum of 2-4 years in an industrial or manufacturing environment with significant involvement in the following:
1. New Product Development
2. Contract negotiation leadership
3. Proven track record of significant annual cost reductions  in a non-commodity environment accomplished by leading negotiations
4. Cross functional project leadership experience in team environment (2 year minimum)
5. Daily raw material buying experience in a manufacturing environment ( 2 year minimum)
6. Supplier consolidation
7. International environment preferred
8. ISO or other QMS

Skills:

1. Lean Manufacturing
2. Fluent in MRP and PC applications
3. Strategic sourcing
4. Continuous operational improvement systems (COI)
5. Negotiation
6. Excellent communication
7. High level of attention to detail (technical, project, deliverables)

Required Abilities

1. Oral Expression ' The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand
2. Oral Comprehension ' The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences
3. Inductive Reasoning ' The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events)
4. Deductive Reasoning ' The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense
5. Problem Sensitivity ' The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem
6. Speech Clarity ' The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you
7. Written Comprehension ' The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing
8. Speech Recognition ' The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person
9. Near Vision ' The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer)
10. Written Expression ' The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand

Workplace Environmental Conditions:

Typical office environment. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Tools Used to Perform Essential Functions:

1. Equipment:  Personal computer, telephone, fax, copier.
2. Software:  Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel (Pivot Tables), Microsoft Word, Microsoft Power Point, ERP/MRP systems.  

Current Openings for Category Manager Jobs at Duke Manufacturing