Category Manager

Title: Category Manager

Location: Aubrun Hills, MI

Salary: $110,000.00 - $130,000.00

Hybrid: On-Site 4x / Week

Job Summary: As a CATEGORY MANAGER be prepared to build, deploy, and lead! This role reports into the Director of Procurement, Direct Materials.

We are transforming our procurement function, and we need a high-performing Sr. Category Manager to help lay the foundation. This isn’t a role where you simply follow a manual—it’s a role where you help write the manual.

Supporting a newly formed team, you will have a relatively blank canvas to design and deploy category strategies and procurement processes. This is an ideal move for an ambitious professional who wants to move beyond execution and into organizational design and strategic leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

• End-to-End Category Leadership: Define and execute multi-year strategies for critical electronic automotive commodities to ensure security of supply and competitive advantage. You will define the "where, how, and who" of our sourcing future.
• Strategic Mentorship: Serve as a subject matter expert and mentor to Associate and Category Managers, helping to "write the manual" for our transforming procurement function.
• Advanced Strategic Negotiations: Lead high stakes, comprehensive negotiations for long-term agreements, focusing on complex pricing models, indexed formulas, and value-added services.
• Supplier Lifecycle Management: Identify and onboard world-class suppliers while aggressively managing and elevating the performance of the existing global supply base.
• Global Risk Mitigation: Proactively monitor and counteract global market trends and geopolitical factors to fully insulate the supply chain from high-level disruptions..
• Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VA/VE): Partner deeply with Engineering and Manufacturing teams to identify design-to-cost opportunities and technical savings.

Key Success Metrics:

• Strategic Roadmap Execution: Successful rollout of category-specific roadmaps within the first 6 months.
• Direct Material Productivity: Achievement of aggressive annual cost-reduction targets through expert negotiation and technical savings.
• Supplier Performance: Maintenance of high quality and on-time delivery (OTD) ratings across your assigned category.
• Process Optimization: Implementation of improved sourcing workflows that reduce time-to-market for new programs

An individual in this position must be able to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities listed above. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

The above list reflects the general details necessary to describe the principle and essential functions of the position and shall not be construed as the only duties that may be assigned for the position.

Education & Qualifications:

• Experience: 8 years of progressive experience in procurement or supply chain. A plus if it is within Automotive Tier 1 or OEM environments.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, or a technical field.
• Analytical Rigor: Proficiency in "Should-Cost" modeling, TCO analysis, and utilizing reports to drive data-based decisions.
• Professional Drive: A self-starter who is not satisfied with "business as usual" and thrives in a blank canvas environment.
• Industry Expertise: Extensive experience within Automotive Tier 1 or OEM environments is highly preferred.

Why This Role?

• Direct Influence: Work closely with the Director of Procurement to shape the department’s roadmap, culture and future organizational design.
• Operational Scale: Manage a significant spend portfolio that directly affects our global market competitiveness.
• Global Reach: Engage with global manufacturing locations and complex international supplier relationships.
• Career Trajectory: As the department grows, the foundational work you do today positions you for future leadership roles.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation, regular salary reviews, short-term incentive opportunities.
• Health coverage including medical, dental, and vision with eligibility starting day one.
• PTO, holidays, sick time, and bereavement for eligible employees.
• 401(k) with company match up to 5% and immediate vesting.
• Company-paid life insurance coverage.
• Wellness programs.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are proud to foster an inclusive and diverse workplace culture. We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We value diversity and believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential to drive innovation, foster creativity, and achieve success. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are dedicated to ensuring a fair and equitable recruitment and employment process for everyone.

Pay: $110,000.00 - $130,000.00 per year

Application Question(s):

• Are you aware that this position sits On-Site Monday through Thursday?
• Will you now or in the future require work visa sponsorship, transfer, or lottery submission?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Category Management with Motors, PCBA, ECU's: 5 years (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Auburn Hills, MI 48326 (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $110,000 - $130,000