Category Manager

Everything we do at Sunrun is driven by a determination to transform the way we power our lives. We know that starts at the individual employee level. We strive to foster an environment you can thrive in through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging.

The Category Manager executes effective procurement strategies, from initial identification of procurement needs for goods and services to sustaining results. Responsible for negotiating, coordinating, and assuring that assigned spend categories and services are purchased at the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO). Assesses near-term and long term plans to establish that supplier priorities are balanced with business needs; consults with Sr. Management, and other subject matter experts to develop alternative solutions; advises on options, risks, total cost of ownership, and business impacts.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Execute strategic sourcing strategies, best practices, and initiatives that support improvements in supplier quality, total cost effectiveness, enhanced service levels, improved coordination, delivery, pricing, lead-times, payment, risk compliance and other areas as identified.

• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop category sourcing and supplier performance strategies including development and execution of RFI’s, RFP’s, scorecards, and continuous improvement plans.

• Develops selection criteria and drives the selection of suppliers in collaboration with cross-functional teams. 

• Build performance-based supplier relationships that lead to optimal pricing, quality improvements, process improvements and solutions delivery.

• Actively seeks ways to streamline business processes.

• Researches and provides information on industry category trends and best practices 

• Provide procurement input to maximize procurement leverage, optimize project design and minimize project duration and cost.

• Develop negotiation strategies, gain alignment from stakeholders, lead cross-functional, category-based negotiation teams, and implement appropriate supplier risk analysis

• Directly negotiate with suppliers that require a detailed strategic plan and have a direct correlation with companies’ operational needs and goals.

• Deep dive current spend information/data to identify sourcing projects for individual subcategories, and develop an overall cost reduction plan

• Negotiates and develops contract terms & conditions including SLAs & pricing

• Leads vendor risk assessments (Information Security, Business Continuity, Physical Security, Financial Solvency to name a few) with domain experts including coordinating efforts across all stakeholders

• Develops total cost of ownership models for each assigned commodity; measuring and communicating performance of each supplier and commodity and driving continual improvement efforts 

• Self-motivated and directed within an individual contributor role.

REQUIREMENTS (EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER SKILLS)

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Industrial or Operations Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a related field required

• Minimum of 7 years of procurement experience required

• Strong analytical skills & attention to detail

• Strong technical experience with an ERP system, Ariba Buyer or Sourcing

• Knowledge of sourcing strategies and processes

• Proven experience leading large, cross-functional strategic projects

• Ability to manage multiple projects at a time and often under tight timeframes

• Strong partnering and collaborative skills as well as strong verbal, written & presentation skills

• Advanced level of financial analysis and reporting skills.

• Advanced skills working in MS Office suite

• Willing to travel up to 10% of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Please include any physical demands other than standard office requirements.

Recruiter:

Please note that the compensation information that follows is a good faith estimate for this position only and is provided pursuant to acts, such as The Equal Pay Transparency Act. It assumes that the successful candidate will be located in markets within the United States that warrant the compensation listed. Candidates in locations outside this local area may have a different  starting salary range for this opportunity which may be higher or lower.  Please speak with your recruiter to learn more.

Starting salary/wage for this opportunity:

Other rewards may include annual bonus eligibility, which is based on company and individual performance, short and long term incentives, and program-specific awards.  Sunrun provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and paid time off (PTO). A candidate’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions. 

This description sets forth the general nature and level of the qualifications and duties required of employees in this job classification, as well as some of the essential functions of this role.  It is not designed to be a comprehensive inventory of all essential duties and qualifications. If you have a disability or special need that may require reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the hiring process or to perform this role if you are offered employment, please let us know by contacting us at candidateaccomodations@sunrun.com.