Global Category Manager (IT Services)
Indianapolis, IN
Pay Range: $59.50-$67.50/hour
Job Description:
We are seeking a highly skilled and self-motivated Category Manager / Strategic Buyer to take ownership of key procurement categories — beginning with IT and transitioning into Test Systems in early 2026. This individual will play a critical role in driving supplier performance, developing category strategies, and ensuring alignment between business needs, cost objectives, and supply chain resilience.
The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and independent contributor who thrives in a dynamic environment and can immediately add value through cross-functional collaboration, negotiation expertise, and supplier relationship management. Experience in aerospace, automotive, or technology industries is highly desirable.
Military experience equivalency may substitute for some requirements.
Key Responsibilities:
Category & Supplier Management
- Lead the strategic management of assigned categories, initially focused on IT and later expanding into Test and related technical commodities.
- Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, ensuring performance, quality, and delivery targets are consistently met.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for supplier issues, facilitating conflict resolution and driving corrective actions.
- Develop and report on supplier performance metrics (KPIs) and deliver improvement plans as needed.
- Analyze the supplier base to identify opportunities for consolidation, cost reduction, and risk mitigation.
Strategic Sourcing & Negotiation
- Develop and execute commodity/category strategies that align with business objectives and support long-term operational and financial goals.
- Lead complex negotiations involving pricing, terms, and service agreements to maximize overall value.
- Conduct cost and market analysis to identify competitive advantages and total cost-of-ownership savings opportunities.
- Prepare business cases and obtain stakeholder alignment for major sourcing decisions.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across supplier and procurement processes.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with engineering, IT, finance, operations, and quality teams to understand current and future business needs.
- Influence key stakeholders to adopt strategic sourcing best practices and standardize procurement approaches.
- Ensure alignment between category strategies and organizational goals, budgets, and timelines.
Risk & Compliance Management
- Identify, assess, and mitigate commercial and operational risks within the assigned supply chain.
- Maintain compliance with company policies, contractual requirements, and applicable regulations.
- Proactively manage supplier transitions, ensuring continuity of supply during lifecycle or strategy changes.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, or related field. (Associate’s degree plus 7+ years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience, will also be considered.)
- 5+ years of progressive experience in procurement, category management, or strategic sourcing.
- Proven ability to independently manage procurement categories, negotiate supplier contracts, and deliver measurable cost or performance improvements.
- Demonstrated experience with supplier performance management and cross-functional leadership.
- Strong business acumen, analytical, and communication skills.
- U.S. Citizenship or U.S. Permanent Residency is required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or Engineering.
- Experience in aerospace, automotive, or high-technology manufacturing environments.
- Background in IT procurement, testing systems, or technical commodities.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement, influence, and relationship-building capabilities.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
***For consideration for this opportunity, please email your resume to info@uspro.net and include in your message the job title AND five-digit number that follows the job title***
Equal Opportunity Statement:
USPRO is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, disability and/or other protected categories. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodation(s) to qualified individuals with disabilities or needs, as required by law.
