Sr Buyer and Category Leader
Remote · United States or Calvert City, Kentucky, United States
Job Summary
Develop and execute Category Strategy plans for Indirect MRO, CAPEX, and Site Services within Global Procurement. Negotiate and manage strategic contracts to optimize cost and reliability, drive cost savings, and improve efficiency. Lead RFP/RFQ/RFI processes and conduct bid analyses using Coupa/SAP/Ariba tools. Extract and analyze spend data to inform decisions and support regulatory compliance. Build and maintain supplier relationships through strategic relationship programs; mitigate supply risks and ensure business continuity. Lead cross-functional teams (and direct reports), contribute to leadership discussions, and travel up to 25% to Ashland sites, suppliers, and conferences. Promote Ashland’s Zero Incident Culture and Responsible Care guidelines while ensuring adherence to corporate policies.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field (minimum)
- Minimum of 10 years of strategic MRO / CAPEX / Site Services procurement and/or related experience
- Experience leading a team and managing complex multi-category spend greater than $60MM
- Knowledge of category management and 7-step strategic sourcing methodology
- Experience with Coupa, SAP, Ariba; strong communication and teamwork skills
Desired Qualifications
- MBA preferred
- CPSM Certification a plus
- Experience leading a team in multi-category spend environments
- Strong knowledge of Coupa, SAP, Ariba, QlikView or similar ERP/S2P tools
- Ability to develop and deploy category strategies and supplier relationship programs
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