Highlights of Category Sourcing Specialist Position

The Category Sourcing Specialist (CSS) will be responsible for the effective management of significant third party spend across several categories at Refining & Chemical manufacturing sites in the US.  The successful candidate will have significant experience with one or more of the following categories:

• Manufacturing Operations, including Process Chemicals, CMS (Chemical Managed Services), Catalysts, Environmental service.
• I&E and MRO
• Fabricated and Rotating equipment

Candidates with significant experience in a specific area will be leveraged to exploit their strengths.  However, the successful candidate will be called upon to work across multiple areas.  The CSS provides leadership and support in the development and implementation of sourcing strategies and plans, as well as contract execution in assigned categories.  The role reports to the Sourcing Delivery Manager for meeting project milestones and targets as assigned through the relevant Category Council(s).  Successful candidates will be measured by timely delivery of projects, delivering exceptional value, and the demonstration of relationship building (external, internal).

Company Information

Our client is a Fortune 20 global energy leader.  With a workforce of nearly 100,000 employees, the client operates globally, with business activities and customers in more than 100 countries across six continents.

Key Responsibilities of Category Sourcing Specialist Position

Sourcing

• Provides support to up to seven North American manufacturing sites to understand and, where possible, optimize the local, regional, and North American business requirements for third-party goods and services
• Required to lead and deliver sourcing projects with well defined requirements and scope.
• Works with relevant central and sites stakeholders and relevant category managers to implement sourcing projects as established by the category councils to ensure delivery of annual business plans and category strategies
• Identifies, implements, and realizes value through effective “strategic cost management”, utilizing best-in-class methods (e.g., ‘should-cost analysis) and tools (e.g., ‘e-sourcing’).
• Mitigates external supply risk via sourcing and contracting strategies that take into account commodity criticality, alternate supply sources, logistics constraints.

Contract Execution and Implementation

• Leads partnership with manufacturing sites and category managers to develop and implement clear and concise supply contracts that align with central contract templates and strategies, and that consider all legal and commercial dimensions. (E.g. remuneration, terms, supply risk, exit strategies, etc.)
• Owns local stakeholder relationships and ensures understanding and support of the mechanics and risks of new contracts are achieved prior to execution.
• Leads local ongoing contract management, including the creation of performance-reporting mechanisms, KPI development, etc.
• Supports local and regional ongoing contract management.

Market Sector Management

• Actively explores the wider supply and industry markets to identify opportunities that  can leverage for greater benefit or to mitigate supply risk (e.g.,. technology developments, acquisition impacts)
• Leads multi-site procurement projects and supports key site projects where appropriate, as determined through the Category Councils
• Manages day-to-day key supplier relationships in support of the category
• Provides support to ensure that implemented agreements and supplier management are sustained throughout the course of the contractual term

Influencing

• Engages Site Procurement Teams and other technical and commercial stakeholders to develop collaborative approaches to supply projects and to ensure cross discipline alignment on sourcing strategies.

Qualifications and/or Requirements

Essential Qualifications

• Multiple years of experience in Procurement and supply chain management.
• Operations, commercial or technical business experience in the Refining (Oil & Gas) industry or a related industry.
• Minimum of B.S. in Supply Chain or a relevant engineering, scientific or business discipline
• Experience in collaborating with multiple sites, large organizations and multiple stakeholders to drive common solutions
• Significant experience in several of the following categories:  Process Chemicals, CMS, Catalysts, Environmental services, MRO, I&E, Rotating equipment, Fabricated equipment.
• Significant experience in the development and implementation of Contracting Strategies.   This will include but is not limited to:
  • Market analysis, cost modeling and contract type selection
  • Preparation and management of RFIs and RFPs
• Demonstrated basic/skillful application of strategic sourcing
• Demonstrated skillful application of contract execution and management
• Demonstrated skillful application of negotiation and influencing skills
• Demonstrated experience with e-sourcing.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills

Desired Qualifications

• Basic application of market sector strategy development and application
• Skillful application of demand management tools and techniques
• Basic application of materials management processes
• Basic/skillful application of supplier performance management
• Skillful application of supply chain risk management
• Experience with SAP, Ariba, and MS Business Objects, and other systems software.
• Experience with low cost country sourcing
• Progressing toward an ISM certification

About the Author:

The Teldar Group is an Executive Search and Recruiting Firm specializing in placing professionals in Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Purchasing, Logistics and Supply Chain positions.

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