Category Specialist – Purchasing and Supply Chain

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Identify, gather, and analyze various spend data as it applies to Engineering Category Sourcing for Engineering Equipment and Bridge Materials
2. Perform detailed analysis on various categories to understand and capture the market trends, indices, benchmarks, cost drivers, suppliers, and best practices
3. Perform periodic “spend criticality analysis” at the category and Enterprise level
4. Provide input to value propositions and sourcing options leveraging various SCM tools
5. Develop and maintain a database of potential sourcing suppliers
6. Gather external category data and regularly segment category spend to understand off contract or non compliant spend within a category
7. Build total cost of ownership models and prioritize opportunities
8. Analyze marketplace and identify industry structure and levers in supply market
9. Assess new market entrants, non-traditional suppliers, and substitute products/services while summarizing improvement opportunities
10. Develop strategic sourcing evaluation models and negotiation models
11. Develop supplier scorecards, assist in measurement of Key Performance Indicators and Service Levels for strategic suppliers
12. Support development and documentation current state maps and future state processes and technology requirements

Academic Certification

An undergraduate degree in a technical (engineering, computer science, data analytics, business intelligence/analytics, Advanced Analytics & Insights, Analytics & AI Enablement) or relevant business discipline or equivalent is desired

Professional Certification

Professional Supply Chain certification is desirable.

Role Specific

Experience

3-5 years of experience in category management and/or data analysis experience including experience with leading analytics and visualization solutions such as PowerBI, Tableau, Qlickview, Alteryx or SQL to extract data from relational databases

Industry Specific

Experience

Experience within the rail industry is preferred, and preference will be given to candidates with industry experience in these or alternative leading practice Supply Chain industries.

Other Technical Skills / Abilities

Competency in written and oral communication skills, project management skills, analytical and problem-solving skills, people management skills and financial acumen are a requirement.

Competency

Description

Project Management

• Demonstrates thorough understanding of Project management competency, tools and techniques and can help solve problems or breakdowns in the process.
• Ability to create work/project management tools (work breakdown structures, Gantt charts, etc.)
• Plan and run basic projects using project management best practices; develops schedules and task/people assignments

Risk Management

• Provides input to complex risk analyses and uses concepts in own work by considering appropriate mitigating and contingency actions proactively

Supplier Performance Management

• Understands the principles of supplier relationship management but has limited commercial focus and awareness beyond the sourcing stage.
• Able to develop supplier performance management KPI tracking solutions

Contract Writing and Management

• Has a basic understanding of contracting and its impact to business; can help solve problems or breakdowns in the process.
• Scopes standard work, performance criteria, guarantees, warranties and payment terms and conditions

Spend Analysis

• Capable of developing detailed category spend analysis to the line level and using appropriate spend analysis tools.
• Able to provide ongoing category level spend monitoring analysis to understand off contract or rogue spend.

Negotiation

• Support and participate in negotiations of contracts between $1 and 10 million with successful results (i.e. savings, diversity, value discovery) in driving the best total cost of ownership for the company
• Proficient ability to develop strategies and tactics for conflict resolution and to understand distributive, integrative bargaining techniques and familiarity with multiparty negotiations

Strategic Sourcing

• Thorough understanding of strategic sourcing steps and processes (opportunity quantification, supplier selection, evaluation, negotiation, RFI/RFP); developing documents to support process, and ability to facilitate a team on developing Strategic Sourcing supporting documents

Category Strategy Development and Management

• Fully understands, can articulate and enact the principles of a strategic category approach (inclusive of Strategic Sourcing, Change Management, Process Improvement, and Technology Enablement)

Market Analysis

• Provide direction / oversee marketing research for a specific product, service or firm, and understand internal and external market forces
• Advanced ability to understand indices for certain product or service category, identify cost components and perform pricing analysis based on applicable market indices
• Directs SWOT analysis and risk analysis for public and private companies

Procurement Process

• Proficient knowledge and application of applicable policies, processes, and procedures across the end-to-end procurement process
• Designs and coordinates procurement processes and ensures efficient utilization of resources across all activities
• Coordinates with appropriate stakeholders to develop project plans; works with others to manage vendor / contractor integration

Competency

Description

Business Acumen

• Has fair appreciation and insight into current business priorities and measurements
• Demonstrates a fair understanding of general business principles
• Demonstrates moderate levels of market awareness

Drive and Initiative

• Sets challenging goals
• Sets a standard for quality and delivery that goes beyond that set by management; consistently completes objectives on time
• Generates many new and unique ideas; is seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings
• Searches for new and more effective methods, making connections between previously unrelated ideas

Analytical Thinking

• Analyzes problems and challenges involving multiple interrelated causes; where necessary, gathers and reviews information over an extended period of time and applies complex concepts or methods to generate possible solutions
• Uses techniques such as fishbone analysis, data analysis and financial tools to identify cost drivers, interdependencies, and opportunities for savings and/or quality improvement; exercises a sophisticated understanding of the organization in conducting a deeper analysis

Strategic Thinking and Alignment

• Recognizes strategic opportunities for change; leads the development and implementation of short-term plans and ensure alignment of activities and assignments across the category team
• Has a well-rounded perspective

Change Agility

• Understands how changes in one area affect business in another.
• Is able to effectively support and manage complex or broad sweeping change efforts.

Effective Communication

• Ability to actively listen and provide feedback to others when communicating with them (e.g. turn complaints into requests, avoids taking issues personally)
• Regularly provides input to internal communications/publications and is comfortable presenting information to all levels within Procurement

Works Collaboratively

• Understands the dynamics of team building; actively works with team members to improve both team and individual success
• Shares wins and successes