Highlights of the Category Manager – Chemicals Position

Our Oil & Gas client is seeking a candidate with a strong technical aptitude in Chemical related commodities, as well Procurement & Supply Chain background to assume the Category Manager for Chemicals position available at their Corporate HQ. The right candidate will have the required market insight into the cost drivers of the Oil & Gas industry, a technical background and ability to develop a strategy for the Chemicals Category, relevant commodity experience, and the intangibles to grow into a leadership role within the group or elsewhere within the organization.

Company Information

Our client is a global manufacturing leader and Fortune 200 company in the Oil & Gas services industry. The company is one of the world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry. With more than 60,000 employees in approximately 80 countries, the company serves the upstream oil and gas industry throughout the lifecycle of the deposit.

Job Location

Southwest US

Key Responsibilities of Category Manager – Chemicals Position

• Provide direction to accomplish strategic sourcing alternatives, vendor selection, price negotiation and supplier performance measurements to meet the needs of the organization.  Total spend for the role is roughly $250 million.
• Responsible for the development and implementation of category global strategies and managing the supply base.  Tasked with managing the supplier relationship, supplier performance assessments and reviews, contract negotiations and drafting, stakeholder management, and operational coordination for areas identified within the category.
• Develop effective sourcing alternatives for new products including development of low-cost country suppliers when possible.  Assess current market conditions and identify and implement strategies to maximize opportunities.
• Track raw materials trends and plan effectively to protect profitability of operations.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts for material cost and sourcing activities.
• Implement effective systems and processes to provide value throughout the supply chain and support lean manufacturing initiatives.
• Build and develop category strategies and processes to manage suppliers globally and support manufacturing and distribution activities in all regions.
• Identify and develop a robust supply base to provide materials with competitive cost and quality for all locations and support for geographic expansions.
• Work closely with manufacturing and technical management to provide best-value solutions for raw materials and outsourced products.

Essential Qualifications and/or Requirements

• Outstanding negotiation, leadership skills and technical aptitude that would include previous experience with one or more of the following commodities:
  • Mined Products – Barite, Bentonite, etc.
  • CERA – Corrosion Control, Emulsifiers, Raw Materials and Acidifiers
  • FLSTV – Filtration Control, Lubricants, Suspension agents, Thinners and Viscosifiers
  • Base Oils – Class I, II and III oil products
  • Salts and Brines – Bromides, Chlorides, etc.
  • LCM/Stabilizers – Lost Circulation, Stabilizing Chemicals
• Bring focus, purpose and agility to motivate others to adapt quickly to changing business needs.
• Proven ability to raise the performance bar – create, promote and sustain a high performance culture that reinforces accountability.
• Takes the initiative to look for and take advantage of opportunities and willing to take independent actions and calculated risks.
• International sourcing experience is preferred.
• Strong team player; proactively able to step in to support other team members as needed and share knowledge to allow cross training of all functions, builds collaborative relationships.
• Works well under pressure, effectively handles conflict and demonstrates flexibility in work style to accommodate changing priorities and fixed deadlines.
• Track record of sourcing success for new products and development of new suppliers.
• Successful implementation of lean supply chain concepts.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the broader organization, and how their role and/or function fit into the strategic plan and overall direction of the company.
• Creates alignment so everyone within organization understands the strategy and how their contribution furthers organizational success.
• Decisions reinforce the business plan and strategy by building a disciplined, consistent approach with measurements of success.
• Demonstrated ability to pull together management reporting, interpret data and provide meaningful information to both a financial and non-financial audience.
• Self-motivated, capable of seeking quality solutions and continuously focusing on process improvements, while keeping the needs of the business in the forefront.

Desired Qualifications

• BS/BA Degree in Engineering or other technical degree is highly preferred, with a graduate degree in Business Administration and/or Certification as a Supply Chain Professional preferred.   Supply Chain Management, Finance and Business degrees will also be considered with at least 8 years of experience in roles with progressive growth in a multinational organization.

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.

All entries by Teldar Group