Senior Category Specialist

The Senior Category Specialist coordinates and executes category management, sourcing, supplier performance, and stakeholder activities for assigned spend categories. Working under general supervision, this role applies a complete understanding of procurement standards, processes, concepts, and systems to address moderately complex needs, develop recommendations, and support cross-functional or global initiatives.

This position is based in Libertyville with an onsite requirement of 4 days in office weekly.

• Contribute to the development, maintenance, and execution of category plans for assigned spend categories based on business needs and market conditions.

• Lead moderately complex sourcing initiatives, including project planning, RFx execution, supplier assessments, commercial analysis, negotiations, recommendations, and implementation support.

• Partner with stakeholders to understand demand, specifications, service expectations, budgets, timelines, and risk considerations and convert them into sourcing strategies.

• Analyze spend, market, supplier, contract, and total cost information to identify opportunities and develop data-driven sourcing and supplier recommendations.

• Coordinate supplier performance reviews, resolve performance issues, monitor improvement actions, and identify opportunities for additional value.

• Partner with Legal, Finance, Compliance, and business stakeholders to support contracting, approvals, supplier due diligence, and procurement risk management.

• Identify and advance savings, value creation, supplier optimization, compliance, risk mitigation, and procurement process improvement opportunities.

• Independently determine approaches to moderately complex procurement issues and evaluate information to identify causes of errors, gaps, or inefficiencies.

• Prepare and present category updates, business cases, sourcing recommendations, supplier insights, and project results to relevant stakeholders.

• Serve as an informal resource to stakeholders and developing team members by sharing procurement processes, tools, and category management practices.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance, or a related professional discipline and a minimum of 5 years of related experience; or a master's degree and a minimum of 3 years of related experience; or equivalent work experience.
• Experience managing sourcing projects, supplier relationships, contract support, and assigned spend categories.
• Experience developing analyses, recommendations, business cases, and supplier performance materials.
• Experience in a multi-site, global, or matrixed organization.