[Hiring] Category Manager III @Elkay Manufacturing

Role Description

This Category Manager will provide leadership and strategic direction for assigned procurement categories within Zurn Elkay Water Solutions. This role is responsible for developing and executing category strategies that align with company objectives, ensuring cost competitiveness, quality, and delivery performance across multiple sites. The Category Manager will collaborate with cross-functional teams, suppliers, and stakeholders to drive value, mitigate risk, and support sustainability initiatives.

• Maintains the highest level code of conduct and ethics.
• Create and implement category strategies to optimize cost, quality and delivery.
• Manages complex multi-year customer/supplier relationships aligned to enable our front-end portfolio strategies.
• Plans, organizes, directs, controls, and communicates strategic sourcing activities related to BU products and other assigned commodities aligning cross-functional supply, engineering, technical support, product management, and operations groups.
• Conducts brainstorming sessions at Zurn Elkay facilities with cross-functional teams to identify strategic commodities and deployment priorities on cost-saving initiatives.
• Provides oversight to sourcing/project managers on the deployment of projects with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborates with internal stakeholders to identify, screen and qualify strategic suppliers.
• Works with global facilities to create regional and global material cost savings funnels that align with commercial strategies and financial targets.
• Drives spend analysis, including countermeasures for projects that fall short of plan and makes decisions to remedy the issues to get the teams back on track to meet or exceed plan.
• Possesses an understanding of total cost of ownership.
• Proactively assesses internal and external process improvements and influences effective change and drives innovation and continuous improvements.
• Collaborates with global business units on the preparation of Request for Proposals (RFPs), Request for Quotations (RFQs) and leads the screening and supplier selection process.
• Negotiate and drafts supply agreements, including: payment terms, deliveries, price, freight terms, currency exchange, raw material commodity fluctuation, inventory levels.
• Analyzes market and delivery conditions to determine present and future material availability and prepares market analysis reports.
• Responsible for timely reporting to agreed-upon KPIs and presenting Strategic Sourcing plans, activities and progress.

Qualifications

• BA or BS degree preferably in Engineering or Supply Chain competency. Minimum in a business/industrial related field.
• At least 5 years of experience as a Category Manager in an industrial manufacturing environment with experience in an Engineering, Supply Chain, or similar position.
• Proven success of strategically working with suppliers or customers.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally ~25%.
• Experience sourcing in low-cost regions.
• Experience working with multiple locations globally.
• Proven success in a change management and “stretch” environment.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, LTD, AD&D, and Life Insurance
• Matching 401(k) Contribution
• Health Savings Account
• Up to 3 weeks starting Vacation (may increase with tenure)
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Annual Bonus Eligibility
• Educational Reimbursement
• Matching Gift Program
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan – purchase company stock at a discount!

Company Description

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation is a thriving, values-driven company focused on doing the right things. We’re a fast growing, publicly traded company (NYSE: ZWS), with an enduring reputation for integrity, giving back, and providing an engaging, inclusive environment where careers flourish and grow.

Headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation employs over 2800 employees worldwide, working from 24 locations across the U.S., China, Canada, Dubai, and Mexico, with sales offices available around the globe.