Category Strategy Manager Jobs in Delaware (NOW HIRING)

Solenis is a leading global provider of water and hygiene solutions. The company's product portfolio includes a broad array of water treatment chemistries, process aids, functional additives, cleaners, disinfectants, and state-of-the-art monitoring, control and delivery systems. These technologies are used by customers to improve operational efficiencies, enhance product quality, protect plant assets, minimize environmental impact, and create cleaner and safer environments. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the company has 78 manufacturing facilities strategically located around the globe and employs a team of over ~23000 professionals in >160 countries across six continents. Solenis is a 2025 Best Managed Company Gold Standard honoree.

For additional information about Solenis, please visit www.solenis.comor follow us on social media.

As Head of Contract Manufacturing Procurement, North America, you will report into the Sr. Director, NA Procurement and will be responsible for covering all facets of procurement with contract manufacturers and tollers across the organization's different business units in North America. This is a critical role on our Procurement team, with a large, complex scope of responsibilities within the category.

You will create foundational value for all stakeholder to create a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Responsibilities will include all aspects of procurement within Contract Manufacturing and will work to achieve and exceed quality, cost, and service performance targets for North America operations.

This role will work with cross-functional teams in North America and globally to create, maintain, and/or change supply strategies to deliver an effective and sustainable Total Cost of Ownership.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement a sourcing strategy in partnership with our stakeholders to achieve cost savings and drive operational efficiencies.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships to ensure consistent and reliable supply of high-quality products and services.
• Identify new supplier opportunities and negotiate favorable terms and conditions to drive cost savings.
• Establish and implement supplier performance metrics and KPIs to drive continuous improvement and ensure supplier compliance with ethical, legal, and environmental standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including engineering, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain to ensure alignment and achievement of sourcing goals.
• Manage a team of sourcing professionals, providing leadership, coaching, and development opportunities to ensure high performance.
• Stay current with industry trends and developments and proactively identify opportunities to enhance the organization's sourcing capabilities.
• Identify procurement processes and policies for alignment at the country, region, and global levels
• Ensure sourcing strategies support working capital goals of the business.
• Build partnerships with Engineering and Project teams to support new product development and introductions. Where appropriate, develop the procurement strategy for each project.
• Collaboratively perform make/buy analysis to help guide sound insourcing/outsourcing decisions.
• Expand RFQ process to ensure relevant stakeholder, technical, and end-user reviews are incorporated, and recorded in the review and decision-making process.
• Evaluate and monitor contract performance following placement to ensure compliance with contractual obligations and to determine need for changes.
• Develop and implement risk mitigation strategies to minimize supply chain disruptions and ensure business continuity.
• Conduct market analysis and monitor industry trends to identify potential opportunities and risks in the global sourcing landscape.
• Collaborate with legal and compliance teams to ensure sourcing activities comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and ethical standards.
• Manage vendor selection and qualification processes to ensure that all suppliers meet the company's quality standards, pricing expectations, and delivery requirements.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging and implementing best practices across the sourcing function.
• Work closely with the finance team to develop and manage budgets and forecasts for sourcing activities.

Requirements:

• Bachelors Degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Technical or Business related field. MBA preferred.

• 10+ years of experience in Supply Chain Management, Sourcing/Procurement, and leading projects/teams
• 5+ years of relevant experience within a procurement and/or manufacturing environment dealing directly with Contract Manufacturers
• Experience creating category strategies/SWOT analysis type assessments of supply base
• Prior experience performing make/buy decisions that shaped supply chain strategy and produced demonstrated customer service improvements
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop and maintain strong supplier relationships.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing direct reports.
• Demonstrated success in driving cost savings and improving operational efficiencies, including insourcing capabilities
• Ability to analyze complex data, identify trends, and develop strategies based on data-driven insights.
• Strong understanding of ethical, legal, and environmental standards related to sourcing and supply chain management.
• Experience in: project purchasing, contract negotiation and execution, and risk management
• Knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles and tools (5S, VSM, Kaizen, KPI's)

• SAP experience preferred.

Additional Qualifications:

• Must be able learn quickly and work in a challenging environment. The ability to multi-task with proven follow-through and adherence to changing priorities and deadlines is required.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, decision making/problem solving and influencing.
• Ability to work cross functionally with teams to balance solutions in accordance with budget, schedule and tools.
• Professional and effective facilitation skills - should be able to facilitate group discussions.
• Attention to detail - should be able to complete accurate data entry and develop accurate written materials.
• Action orientated - should be able to follow up on feedback to ensure positive outcomes.
• Collaborative team player - should be able to establish solid working relationships with stakeholders.
• Professional communication skills - should be able to communicate with peers, customers and vendors both via verbal and written communication.
• Technical communication skills - ability to effectively communicate technical concepts, findings & recommendations to all stakeholders.
• Ability to influence others to adopt new ways of thinking, change habits, increase engagement, and improve processes.

We understand that candidates will not meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you.

At Solenis, we understand that our greatest asset is our people. That is why we offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits which include medical, dental, vision & 401K, and numerous opportunities for professional growth and development. So, if you are interested in working for a world-class company and enjoy solving complex challenges, whether in the lab or the field, consider joining our team.

Solenis is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer, including Minorities / Women/ Veterans / Disabled.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

Should you require assistance in applying to this opportunity, please reach out to Solenis Talent Acquisition at talentacquisition@solenis.com