Global Category Manager

Department: Supply Chain

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Liberty, SC

Reporting To: Sr. Manager - Global Procurement, Shipping - Intercompany

Compensation: $100,000 - $130,000 / year

Description

Knowles is seeking an experienced Global Category Manager with a strong background in global supplier management, ideally with experience managing film and electrolytic capacitor materials including film, foil,  specialty paper and other related materials. The successful candidate for this position will be self-managing, have a high sense of urgency and driven to achieve the defined supplier management strategy and goals. 

Key Responsibilities

The Category Manager ensures that the suppliers under their ownership meet key metrics in Cost, Quality, Delivery and Customer Service. They will work collaboratively with multiple business functions in a team environment and will be responsible for the following:

• Managing overall supplier relationships including supplier performance, capability development, capacity planning, contracting, risk mitigation, and cost and quality improvements.
• Developing in-depth knowledge of assigned commodities, global supply market, pricing trends and other best practices.
• Developing and executing the assigned category strategy and creating a supplier technology roadmap to align business requirements with supplier capabilities.
• Collaborating with R&D, manufacturing, quality, and product teams to support new product introduction, ramp and sustained mass production.
• Developing efficient and accurate mechanisms for communicating forecast and capacity requirements.
• Serve as the business unit interface and support BU’s procurement and strategic sourcing needs.
• Supporting the purchasing and planning teams by monitoring supplier performance and addressing supply and/or quality issues.
• Responsible for maintaining quarterly supplier scorecards and conducting executive business reviews.
• Domestic and international travel to supplier’s offices and manufacturing sites, approximately 30%.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in supplier management and global sourcing in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to review and understand engineering design and manufacturing process documentation.
• Experience developing, leading, and executing strategies reducing cost, risk, and lead times.
• Experience with contract negotiation and execution.  Strong negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated use of technical, analytical, and management skills to lead RFQs, supplier selection, supplier capacity planning, and supplier risk identification/mitigation in NPI programs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Industrial or Operations Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.
• Experience with film and electrolytic capacitors, foil specialty paper and other related materials
• CPM or CPIM certification
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment while prioritizing and managing multiple stakeholders and responsibilities.
• Highly effective oral and written communication skills (written and presentation).
• Highly proficient in using Microsoft Office tools and ERP Systems.

Benefits

What's in it for you on Day 1:

• Medical, dental and vision insurance plans
• Prescription Drug Plans
• Basic Life Insurance 
• 401k plan with company match
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Security Clearance Incentive Program
• Employee Referral Program 
• PTO 
• Paid Holidays

We are committed to providing a competitive and fair total compensation package for all employees. One element in our total compensation package is base pay. The starting base pay for this role is $100,000 to $130,000 per year. Individual compensation decisions are based on a number of factors, including but not limited to previous experience and skills acquired prior to joining us, cost of living in the assigned work location, assigned schedule, and salaries of similarly situated peers at the company. It is to be expected that candidates will come to us with different sets of skills and experiences and therefore will be paid at different points in the stated range. We recognize that the person(s) we select for hire may be less experienced or more experienced than the role as posted; if this is the case, any updates to available