Top Category Management Executive jobs in Ohio

Position Description

The Director of Category Management is a tenured, dynamic, and results-driven leader who has a deep understanding of procurement operations and a proven track record of optimizing costs and developing high performing teams. In close partnership with cross-functional leadership, this position is responsible for the direction and implementation of the portfolio’s procurement strategy and will drive the organization to achieve significant cost improvements each year (heavy focus on indirect spend) while also identifying synergies stemming from new business growth. This is a hands-on role requiring a detail-oriented and highly self-driven individual looking to make a material impact with an ever-growing organization.

Essential Functions/Responsibilities:

Category Management: Oversee multiple indirect and/or possible direct spend categories to develop sourcing strategies aligned with organizational objectives.

Vendor Management: Establish and maintain strong relationships with vendors and suppliers, ensuring quality of services and products and resolving any issues or disputes that may arise.

Sourcing Process Leadership: Lead all aspects of the strategic sourcing process, including market and financial analyses, development of sourcing strategies, RFx, contract negotiations, and supplier relationship management.

Stakeholder Collaboration: Cultivate collaborative relationships and maintain a high degree of communication, cooperation and coordination with all cross-functional stakeholders.

Contract Management: Proactively manage upcoming contract expirations, executing the RFx process to capitalize on savings opportunities and optimize contract terms.

Cost & Efficiency Improvement: Identify, present and champion improvement initiatives across Flynn’s portfolio of businesses while consistently maintaining a long-term strategic savings plan.

Negotiation and Contracting: Utilize strong negotiation skills to engage with vendors and internal stakeholders, developing negotiation strategies and closing contracts with optimal terms in compliance with internal standards and legal prerequisites.

Contract Administration: Draft, negotiate, and execute contracts, ensuring alignment with industry trends and market standards, while providing ongoing support for non-strategic product or service requests.

Talent Optimization: Set priorities, remove obstacles for delivering on objectives, and ensure team is focused on providing value-added support that helps deliver strong financial performance.

Key Performance Indicators: Leads the development and implementation of a category management team that consistently achieves/exceeds annual savings plans and enables achievement of other source-to-pay operational metrics.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Expert knowledge in procurement and supply chain operations.
• Knowledge of project management and process improvement methodologies.
• Strong knowledge of advanced negotiation tactics.
• Outstanding communication skills – focused on persuasion, influence and informing.
• Ability to understand, draft, negotiate and execute complex contracting scenarios.
• Ability to understand, synthesize and make quantitative/qualitative assessments of various spend categories and market trends.
• Ability to translate objectives into project plans, create and manage work plans and timelines for multiple projects and priorities.
• Creative critical thinker with advanced problem-solving and sound decision-making abilities
• Results-oriented, “hands-on” individual with a high attention to detail
• Strong relationship management capabilities (vendor, key stakeholders, peers)
• High level of personal and professional accountability
• Demonstrable openness to change, resilience and comfort with ambiguity.
• Personal characteristics reflective of a fast-paced industry: high energy, self-motivated, positive “can do” attitude, service oriented, high degree of integrity.

Experience & Education

• 15 years general Procurement or Consultant experience
• 7 years directly managing Indirect/Service/MRO Categories
• 5 years Contract Management experience
• 5 years Team Management
• Retail, Hospitality, Restaurant and/or Foodservice experience preferred.
• Masters degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain or Engineering preferred
• Professional certification(s) preferred (ie. CPSM, APICS)
• Solid project management skills highly desired
• Advanced computer software skills, including Excel, Powerpoint, SAP, and other accounting packages; Coupa or similar S2P platform experience highly desired.

Why Work for Flynn?

Flynn Group offers a variety of benefits and perks to encourage and empower our employees. We are committed to helping each employee work and live to his or her fullest potential. We offer a variety of benefits and perks while working for us:

• Medical/Dental/Vision
• Retirement and Savings Plan
• Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Basic Life Insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Time Off
• Flexible/Hybrid Work Schedules
• Company Outings
• Dining Discounts
• PC/Laptop Purchase Assistance
• On-Site Fitness Center
• On-Site Daycare
• On-Site Café
• FUN Work Environment!

The Flynn Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer