What are the responsibilities and job description for the Category Specialist position at Tampa Maid?
About the Role
Tampa Maid is looking for a Category Specialist II to join our Purchasing team. In this role, you will partner with teams across the company to source goods and materials, negotiate with suppliers, and manage sourcing agreements that deliver the best value for our business. You will also analyze spend data and trends to shape strategic sourcing initiatives and improve how we work.
What You Will Do
- Build strong relationships with suppliers, brokers, and internal teams to support category growth
- Source and purchase materials, equipment, and services that meet our service, quality, price, and sustainability goals
- Negotiate pricing and manage sourcing agreements
- Maintain inventory levels in line with company standards
- Identify and lead cost savings and cost avoidance projects with cross functional teams
- Track and analyze supplier KPIs, review root causes, and follow through on corrective actions
- Support change management initiatives tied to category strategy
- Process internal requisitions and resolve any issues
- Help train and develop junior team members
What You Bring
- 5 years of purchasing analytics experience (required)
- Bachelor's degree in a related field (highly preferred)
- Working knowledge of purchasing procedures and policies
- Intermediate to advanced Excel skills, plus MS Office
- Strong communication skills; negotiation experience is a plus
- Excellent organization, attention to detail, and analytical skills
- A collaborative, proactive approach and a desire to grow
Work Environment
This role is primarily desk based, with the ability to walk and stand for prolonged periods on the production floor, lift up to 25 pounds, and access all areas of our production facility to understand purchasing needs.