As the technology firm that created the mobile world and a rich history of 145 years of building ground-breaking solutions and innovative technologies supported by 60,000+ patents, Ericsson has made it our business to make a mark. When joining our team at Ericsson you are empowered to learn, lead and perform at your best, shaping the future of technology. This is a place where you are welcomed as your own perfectly unique self, and celebrated for the skills, talent, and perspective you bring to the team.

Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions (BEWS) is the group responsible for leading Ericsson’s Enterprise Networking and Security business. Our growing product portfolio spans across wide area networks, local area networks and enterprise security. We are the #1 global market leader in Wireless-WAN based enterprise connectivity solutions and are growing fast in enterprise Private 5G networks and Secure Access Services Edge (SASE) solutions.

How Will You Contribute to the Company?

Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions is looking for a Senior Strategic Category Manager to be responsible for managing strategic component suppliers, finished good suppliers, and other R&D direct spend suppliers. This role will be responsible for managing costs, contracts, relationships, and roadmaps for assigned ODM/JDM/CM’s, electronic/electro-mechanical/mechanical categories, and/or R&D direct spend categories, such as regulatory, embedded product SW, etc. In this role, the individual will lead sourcing and selection activities in partnership with our R&D team. It will be critical for the individual in this role to develop close collaboration with Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Program Management, Technical Operations, and other cross-functional teams. This role requires a proactive individual who can think strategically and drive value through sourcing activities based on the overall company goals and strategy. During the product development process, you are responsible for identifying key technologies and partners as well as negotiating agreements. It is the Senior Strategic Category Manager’s primary objective to ensure suppliers meet or exceed commercial and technical requirements throughout the life cycle of the product(s).

What Will You Do?

Cost

• Negotiate and manage the cost of strategic SKUs, components, and R&D technical solutions as determined by Strategic Sourcing and R&D

• Develop negotiation scripts and proposals

• Study cost trends and latest events that may impact cost of assigned categories and prepare strategies to mitigate and manage

• Project manage Value Analysis/Value Engineering projects in partnership with R&D and Procurement Engineering

• Build savings pipelines and strategies to support ongoing cost reduction and margin improvement

Contracts

• Negotiate Master Agreements, Pricing Agreements, Statements of Work, and/or other agreements as needed with strategic suppliers

• Manage supplier performance according to mutually agreed contracts. Enable and train cross-functional stakeholders how to leverage the contract in their spheres of responsibility

• Develop supplier contract strategies that optimize commercial value while mitigating liability and downside

Relationships

• Lead preparation for supplier business reviews with strategic suppliers

• Develop strong, mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers in assigned categories. Hold suppliers accountable to commitments and agreements

• Provide transparent and helpful feedback to suppliers in assigned categories to progress the strategic relationship and create leverage

• Partner with product teams to successfully transition from Engineering prototyping to design validation, and into mass production

• Create leverage with suppliers where leverage may not naturally exist

• Proactively build and manage relationships with cross-functional stakeholders working in a remote environment

Roadmaps

• Develop strategic roadmaps for suppliers in assigned categories that include cost trends and management, key relationship maps, risk management (i.e. cost, people, continuity of supply, quality, etc.), spend analysis, etc.

• Partner with R&D to align strategic supplier roadmaps with product roadmaps to ensure supplier selection keeps or exceeds pace with technology and product roadmaps

• Proactively develop category strategies with key stakeholders that drive innovation, commercial leverage, and technical support

• Manage the life cycle of key components and solutions, including EOL