Job Description

Professional Career Opportunity in Houston, Texas

Deciding on your next employer is not a decision to be made lightly. But if you want to work on the front lines of development, shaping the field as you go, keep reading to see what we have to offer!

Our winning team is built by continuous investment in skills development, leadership, and well-being. As a global company, we offer many career paths to suit individual needs and aspirations. Apply your expertise in our industry-leading team of automation professionals.

This role centers on aligning strategic procurement requirements with the financial goals of Valmet Inc's, Global Gas Chromatography business. The Category Manager leads category strategy planning & execution, supplier negotiations, and cross-functional coordination to support both ongoing sourcing activities and New Product Introduction (NPI) initiatives. This role manages supplier performance, identifies new supply sources, and ensures alignment with engineering, quality, and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as a process owner for supplier & category management process for business unit
• Participate in supplier negotiations, including pricing, payment terms, engineering requirements, and quality expectations.
• Drive Make vs Buy decisions to support long term business goals
• Prepare and manage RFPs/RFQs to support category strategies and identify new supply options
• Implement and maintain category management strategy, processes, tools, and frameworks
• Represent Supplier Management in cross-functional projects and ensure timely communication of relevant updates
• Identify suppliers for evaluation and coordinate assessment responsibilities across teams
• Drive periodic business reviews with key suppliers
• Negotiate supplier contracts aligned with strategic supplier management goals.
• Track and report key Supplier Management metrics and data.
• Define and drive spend improvement initiatives; implement corrective actions when performance deviates from targets.
• Promote systematic sharing of best practices across teams and functions.
• Support internal partners in Engineering, Quality, Operations, and R&D related to supplier management and NPI.
• Drive and support Design to cost initiatives
• Demonstrate and promote Valmet's leadership principal

Requirements:

• Strong negotiation skills focused on securing value beyond price, supported by solid financial acumen and mastery of Total Cost of Ownership principles.
• Proven ability to draft, negotiate, and manage supplier agreements.
• Highly analytical, using data, dashboards, and KPIs to identify savings opportunities and mitigate supply risks.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel in particular), plus strong literacy in ERP systems (e.g., Infor LN).
• Effective communicator and leader with the ability to communicate at executive level.
• Ability to travel domestically and international as needed.

Preferred Requirements:

• Master's degree in supply chain, Logistics, Engineering, or related discipline. 10-15 years of experience in procurement, supply chain, logistics, or related fields.
• Experience in strategic sourcing, category planning, and Supplier Relationship Management. Skilled in leading cross-functional projects, utilizing tools such as Power BI or Tableau for visualization and reporting.

Additional:

• Experience applying AI, predictive analytics, or automation to improve sourcing decisions and spend visibility.
• Ability to support change management initiatives tied to digital transformation.
• Exposure to global trade, international logistics, and geopolitical risk considerations. Professional membership certifications such as APICS, ISM etc.

We offer a challenging work environment that values innovation and suits development-minded people who enjoy working in a fast-paced and dynamic setting. Includes a generous wage and benefits package that includes a company-funded registered pension plan. Please note that any offer of employment is contingent upon a background check.

Additional Information Delivering competitive technologies and services is what we do best. At Valmet, we continue to push forward and develop ourselves, concentrating on technology, services, sustainability, local presence, and our people. To be included in the recruiting process, please apply directly with us online.

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