Category Manager

Anchor Talent is working with a global chemicals company headquartered in Houston who is looking to recruit a strategic procurement leader who can own the Petrochemical & Ethylene Value Chains, solvents, amines, ethylene oxide, derivatives, and turn sourcing into competitive advantage.

What This Role Actually Involves

• You'll be the strategic owner of petrochemical sourcing, working directly with Tier 1 and Tier 2 operators to create value across Production, Completion, and Drilling markets.
• Build and execute sourcing strategy across global and regional petrochemical markets. You'll identify supply risks, evaluate new opportunities, and position the business to win on cost, reliability, and quality simultaneously.
• Secure agreements that deliver both competitive pricing and supply security. Your relationships with oleochemical and amines suppliers will directly impact margin protection and growth enablement.
• Track trends, geopolitical shifts, and cost drivers that ripple through petrochemical value chains. Translate market intelligence into procurement strategies that keep the business ahead of volatility.
• Drive cost savings and spend optimization that shows up on the P&L. You'll have direct visibility with leadership and clear accountability for category performance.

Who This Role Is Built For

You're a petrochemical procurement specialist who understands these markets from the inside, not just conceptually, but through years of hands-on category management in chemicals, oil & gas, or related industries.

Your Background Includes

• Substantial experience in oleochemicals with working fluency in amines chemistry, products, processes, market dynamics
• Direct propylene/polypropylene category management or buying experience
• A technical foundation paired with strong analytical and financial skills
• Comfort with procurement technology: SAP, BI tools, advanced Excel modeling
• A track record of driving results in dynamic, fast-moving environments
• You operate with autonomy and accountability.
• Build supplier relationships based on mutual value, and you're not afraid to push back when something doesn't make business sense.

Requirements

• 5 years in category management within chemicals, oil & gas, or related sectors
• Demonstrated oleochemical experience with knowledge of amines chemistry
• Proven propylene/polypropylene category management or buying experience
• Technical proficiency: SAP (4/HANA), BI platforms, Excel
• Houston-based with on-site presence (5 days/week)

Differentiators

• Experience negotiating multi-year agreements with global petrochemical suppliers
• Understanding of surfactant-based chemistry applications
• Documented track record of cost savings or value creation initiatives

Compensation

• $125K–$160K base
• This is a temp-to-hire position starting mid-January.