Category Manager

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Salary Range: $140,000 - $160,000 plus bonus and incentive stock options

Reports to: Director, Supply Chain

Location: Brooklyn, NY (Hybrid)

About The Company:

NineDot's name derives from the classic mathematical puzzle for sparking out-of-the-box solutions. As a leading community-scale, clean energy developer with a growing portfolio of projects across a range of technologies, NineDot Energy is creating innovative energy solutions that support a more resilient electric grid, deliver economic savings, address environmental justice and reduce carbon emissions. We plan to develop, build and operate more than 400 MW of clean energy systems by 2026 that will strengthen the local power grid infrastructure and provide clean, reliable and resilient power to tens of thousands of New York households and businesses. This is all in support of New York State’s mission to achieve 100% clean energy by 2040.

With the backing of Manulife Investment Management and The Carlyle Group - two of the world’s leading infrastructure investors - NineDot is continuing to expand its core battery energy storage pipeline, deliver enhanced products and services, explore new regions and consider potential acquisitions all to advance the decarbonization of New York’s grid. This is an exciting opportunity to build a platform from the ground-up with a world-class team of developers and innovators. NineDot is committed to building a company that exemplifies diversity, equity and inclusion values in its team culture, as well as business practices and community engagement.

Job Summary

NineDot Energy is seeking a strategic and detail-oriented Category Manager to help shape and execute our procurement strategy for a variety of requirements, including an initial focus on general contractors for construction of our clean energy projects. In this role, you will partner closely with the Director of Supply Chain and internal stakeholders to lead sourcing activities, vendor management, and contract negotiations within key spend categories. You will play a vital role in improving our procurement processes, enhancing supplier performance, and driving long-term value across our supply chain.

Key Responsibilities:

• Take lead responsibility on general contractor bids, contracting, and post-contracting follow-up – similar to EPC work, with NineDot supplying 100% design documents and long lead equipment.
• Assume responsibility for ad hoc contracting across fleet requirements, for a variety of  products and services.
• Assist with transition to and working within a P2P platform currently being implemented (SAP).
• Conduct market research and supplier analysis to develop sourcing strategies aligned with business needs and cost goals.
• Manage end-to-end supplier selection, including RFP development, bid evaluation, and contract negotiation.
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Origination, Engineering, Construction, and Legal to align procurement strategies with project timelines, technical requirements, and regulatory standards.
• Maintain and analyze category-level spend data to identify trends, savings opportunities, and performance gaps.
• Drive supplier performance through KPIs, relationship management, and regular performance reviews.
• Contribute to supplier diversity initiatives by engaging with minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs), as well as participating in diversity tracking and reporting.
• Provide mentorship for the team’s Procurement Specialists.
• Other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies:

• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Drives Results - Constantly achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
• Interpersonal Savvy - Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.
• Manages Ambiguity - Operating effectively, even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear.
• Nimble Learning - Actively learning through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both success and failures as learning fodder
• Plans and Aligns - Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Tech Savvy - Anticipating and adopting innovations in business-building digital and technology applications.

Required education and experience:

• EPC or other significant contract negotiation experience, including drafting new agreements, redlining, and vendor engagement.
• Experience managing RFPs and supplier evaluations.
• Solid understanding of procurement principles, supplier relationship management, and cost optimization techniques.
• Effective collaboration, teambuilding,and mentoring skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Familiarity with procurement tools / ERP systems.
• No less than five (5) years experience working in a supply chain role.

Other desired education and experience:

• Previous renewables or other energy work history.
• Experience with SAP.
• Experience or interest in a sustainability-focused environment.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

At NineDot Energy, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation and are the foundation of our success. As such, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender expression, gender identity, age, or any other status of an individual or that individual’s associates or relatives that is protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

 If you're passionate about this role but don’t meet every qualification listed, we still encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or other opportunities with us. We’re committed to building a team that reflects a broad range of experiences, backgrounds, and skills.

NineDot Employee benefits include but are not limited to:

• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• 5% employer match on your 401k retirement account
• 20 paid vacation days off, plus 7 sick days, 9 federal holidays and 3 personal floating holidays
• 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave for both the primary and secondary caregiver within the first year of birth or adoption
• Wellness initiatives including a $1,000 stipend
• 16 volunteer hours plus two planned company-wide volunteer outings per year