What are the responsibilities and job description for the Manager - Sourcing and Category Management position at AmeriGas Propane, Inc.?
Manager - Sourcing and Category Management
Date: Mar 5, 2025
Location: King Of Prussia, PA, United States, 19406
Company: UGI Corporation
Requistion Number: 25835
When you work for AmeriGas, you become a part of something BIG! Founded in 1959, AmeriGas is the nation’s premiere propane company, serving over 1.5 million residential, commercial, industrial and motor fuel propane customers. Together, over 6,500 dedicated professionals will deliver over 1 billion gallons of propane from 1,800 distribution points across the United States.
Job Summary
As a valued leader on our Global Procurement team, you will manage and guide the Sourcing and Category Management team in developing the overall sourcing and category strategy for assigned categories of spend and identify potential sourcing and demand management opportunities for AmeriGas and its affiliate companies. In this role, you will oversee design, development, implementation, and maintenance of the global (Enterprise and Cross-Business Unit [BU]) category plan and category insights by analyzing historical and projected spend, contractual relationships, and industry trends. Develop a category strategy, providing a canvass that informs, grounds and governs all category, subcategory and sourcing-related planning activities and events. Lead the team on developing and executing the sourcing plan, collaborating with business unit stakeholders, and sourcing leads to drive optimal value for purchased goods and services. You will manage the planning, directing, or executing activities related to the acquisition of goods and services. In this role, your responsibilities will include competitive selection of supplier(s) by following UGI's strategic sourcing process and contracting based on established guidelines.
Develop market and technical knowledge of categories, develop credibility amongst business for category/industry knowledge. Partner with BU leadership, functional leadership, category managers and execution teams to set the direction for related segments and/or line items, ensuring a comprehensive and consistent approach is taken. Lead and manage category management team with alignment of goals and the development of our people, including but not limited only to knowledge, skills, abilities and alignment with UGI Family of Companies’ values.
Key Characteristics
- Category Management – Full comprehension of the entire Category Management process
- Strategic Sourcing – Ability to execute best-in-class strategic sourcing process and has strong contract negotiation skills
- Analytical – Advanced analytical skills to perform cost analyses, cash flow, savings and build business cases
- Project Leadership – Strength in using effective project management tools, excellent communication skills and ability to lead cross-functional teams
- Team Management – Manage a team of 3-4 Category Managers and Specialists
Duties and Responsibilities
Develop, Lead, and Oversee Core Category Management Duties: RFP/RFI/RFQ & Contracting
- Develop and execute category strategy, including category-level sourcing opportunity identification and implementation across the UGI Family of Companies, and related category profiles, including, but not limited to:
- Requirements gathering
- Current state supply assessment
- Spend analysis
- Category segmentation
- Conduct five to seven steps for Request for Proposal (RFP) activities, as appropriate:
- Data/requirements gathering, define the need/problem to solve, internal needs analysis
- Supply market analysis, identify vendors
- Initiate the sourcing process, collect supplier information and details
- Develop the sourcing/outsourcing strategy
- Communicate and implement the sourcing strategy
- Negotiate and select the vendor(s)
- Benchmark
- Conduct supplier identification, evaluation, negotiation, selection, contracting and associated implementation for in-scope categories
- Make recommendations to internal stakeholders related to requirements, specifications, opportunity, and supplier selection
- Current and forecasted spend
- Budgets
- Source-to-Contract (S2C) practices
- Customer and BU related requirements
- Benchmarks
- Perform Request for Information (RFI), market analysis, benchmark analysis, total cost modeling, and spend analysis
- Manage the contract life-cycle and management; facilitate the bidding (RFP/RFQ), supplier selection, and negotiation process
- Configure and facilitate eSourcing and eAuction events
General Category Management Processes
- Identify and manage category-focused projects via total cost analysis to deliver best in class results (sourcing, demand management, process audit, etc.)
- Manage the profiling, execution, governance and key decisions related to the category, supporting subcategory line items and/or segments
- Identify and establish strategic relationships with global suppliers and guide overall management of those relationships
- Develop, communicate and manage category profiles, including:
- Alignment with over-arching category strategy
- Relation to demand and supply profile
- SWOT analysis
- Key stakeholders management
- Cost models, etc.
- Identify and develop action plans to mitigate and resolve supplier risks; communicate and report on business and/or category implications to supplier risks
Procurement and Supplier-Related Activities
- Lead and own the supplier relationship management process, conduct and/or oversee Supplier Performance Reviews and improvement initiatives
- Manage Supplier risk and relationship management task and activities including but not limited to QBRs, and other risk monitoring activities
- Benchmark category performance against external data and best practices
- Implement improvements identified in external benchmarking for the category performance
- Conduct strategic sourcing processes, facilitate and participate (as a member of) the supplier selection team
- Collaborate with the Operational Procurement team to design and determine effective buying channels
Perform other duties as requested, including, but not limited to: participate in projects like Ariba; savings validation and reporting; engage and support execution of department level initiatives; and promote supplier diversity program.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Ability to lead and indirectly influence in a global, matrixed team environment
- Ability to build relationships and credibility with internal stakeholders (many whom currently own supplier relationship management) and become a trusted advisor that stakeholders look to for category and sourcing expertise
- Deep understanding of both the category managed and the business supported
- Contract and negotiation capabilities including ability to negotiate all business terms, develop SOWs, and draft basic contract language
- Knowledge of category sourcing methodology with ability to identify opportunity areas
- Proficient in procurement systems, such as eSourcing and eAuction events and tools. Experience with Ariba Sourcing preferred.
- Knowledge and experience managing category spend, navigating often disparate systems and accessing data, analysis and insights
- Ability to interface at all levels of the organization and with suppliers to solve problems when facing evolving demands
- Demonstrated success in leveraging company-wide spend by ensuring the implementation of global/international agreements
- Track record of effectively executing procurement spend in assigned category areas by leading global cross-functional teams
- Experience managing and maintaining strong supplier relationships
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s Degree in Business (or other related degreed program) and/or MBA preferred; or combined equivalent of education and experience considered Minimum of 5 years of strategic sourcing experience, supplier relationship and performance management, contract negotiation, experience in managing projects, spend assessment, contract negotiation, business analysis, and experience in managing multiple projects. 2 yrs. Experience with Category Management.
AmeriGas is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. The Company does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, disability, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other legally protected class in its practices.
AmeriGas is a Drug Free Workplace. Candidates must be willing to submit to a pre-employment drug screen and a criminal background check. Successful applicants shall be required to pass a pre-employment drug screen as a condition of employment, and if hired, shall be subject to substance abuse testing in accordance with AmeriGas policies. As a federal contractor that engages in safety-sensitive work, AmeriGas cannot permit employees in certain positions to use medical marijuana, even if prescribed by an authorized physician. Similarly, applicants for such positions who are actively using medical marijuana may be denied hire on that basis.
