Category Manager

Job Summary:

As a Category Manager at Duke Manufacturing, you will be responsible for developing and executing enterprise-wide strategic sourcing initiatives for assigned categories. Your role will focus on leveraging Duke's supply base to drive cost efficiencies, enhance supplier performance, and ensure a resilient and agile supply chain. You will collaborate cross-functionally to optimize inventory value, maximize cost savings, and align sourcing strategies with Duke's overall business objectives. This position plays a critical role in securing supply continuity, mitigating risks, and fostering strong supplier relationships to support Duke Manufacturing's growth and operational excellence.

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, supply/demand challenges and risk
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 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, KPI's 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 in Supply Chain, Business, Finance or Mechanical Engineering is preferred. APICS CPIM/CSCP or similar certification is preferred.
2. Experience: Minimum of 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, VA/VE and supplier innovation projects.
   4. Cross functional project leadership experience in team environment
   5. Supplier consolidation
   6. International experience

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.

Job Location: Sedalia, MO (onsite)

Full job description is attached.

Duke Manufacturing is an equal opportunity employer.