{"id":3545679,"url":"https://alion.io/job/austin-powder-category-manager-direct-materials","title":"Category Manager-Direct Materials","company":{"id":2666773,"name":"Austin Powder","domain":"austinpowder.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/austinpowder-2","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":84,"open_postings":7,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.857,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":21,"computed_at":"2026-11-10T06:52:35Z"}},"role":"Operations","role_family":"Operations","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Beachwood, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":73000,"max_usd":145000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":3801},"experience_years_min":7,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-30T20:40:44Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-30","last_verified_at":"2026-11-10T14:37:22Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":10,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":10},"description":"Join the Family - Come work for an exciting company offering great benefits, challenging opportunities, and colleagues who feel more like family.\nJob Summary\nAs a Category Manager-Direct Materials in Austin Powder’s Procurement Department, you’ll be responsible for building/managing categories strategies and delivering strong results that have significant value to the business. This will include activities such as: developing and leading strategic sourcing events; writing and negotiating contract terms and documents; and analyzing spend associated with specific indirect spend categories.You will develop sourcing strategies that positively impact bottom-line results/value while minimizing risks, foster internal and external relationships, and work with internal stakeholders to educate and promote the procurement policies. You will report to the Director of Supply Chain & Procurement.\nRoles & Responsibilities\nProvide thought leadership in developing advanced category strategies and assist in identifying & managing “critical” and/or “preferred” supplier relationships\nManage directly or via dotted line a team of site buyers and/or procurement specialists.\nManage supplier performance and relationships to ensure the organization’s expectations are met\nDevelop, foster and promote relationships with internal functions; routinely discuss processes, policies, and benefits derived through the Strategic Sourcing & Procurement organization\nLead cost savings, supply security, and strategic initiatives for raw materials, packaging, other components along with other sub-categories, including building successful sourcing strategies, driving strategic improvements, and delivering on operational targets, savings goals, and business strategies\nDrive and manage multiple sourcing projects simultaneously while providing your internal stakeholders and leaders with regular updates\nUtilize sourcing tools to assist in departmental efforts to continually refine and improve sourcing and procurement processes, policies, and tools\nConduct total cost modeling and sensitivity/scenario analysis to help stakeholders understand the trade-offs and benefits of various outcome.\nAssist with the analysis and planning for various components of indirect spend categories to ensure operational success and results\nConducting ongoing reviews of categories to inform future category strategies and activities\nPartner with multiple corporate functions (e.g., Financial Planning & Analysis, Accounting, Legal, etc.) as part of your sourcing projects and related activities\nThe selected candidate will take ownership of projects and drive them to completion understanding that the results will have a strong impact on the department's objectives\nPreferred Qualifications\nBachelor’s degree is required, MBA is desired\n7+ years of experience in Strategic Sourcing in a manufacturing environment with exposure to commodity chemicals, additives, packaging, and component parts\nDemonstrated capabilities of developing/implementing category strategies, leading sourcing projects, contract negotiations and authoring, and driving savings/value\nKnowledge, Skills, and Abilities\nStrong relationship-building, verbal and written communication, interpersonal, motivational, and influencing skills; coordination across related disciplines and with key stakeholder\nCapable of coordinating across business units and sharing critical information, with particular strength in explaining complex concepts and coaching individuals through complex decision-making\nExperience coordinating teams, collecting insights, and constructively challenge internal stakeholders with conventional thinking\nDeep Understanding of multi-step strategic sourcing processes, sourcing tools, and strategies\nOrganized and adaptable with demonstrated ability to prioritize projects, meet deadlines, and deliver results\nDemonstrated progression in career with increasing responsibilities, including experience leading project teams and resources\nComfortable with organizational change; able to thrive in a rapidly changing business environment\nWork Environment and Physical Demands \nPhysical demands include sitting for extended periods of time while frequently typing, viewing computer screens and use of mouse/keyboard.\nOperation of office equipment to include but not limited to telephones, printers, copiers, and scanners.\nRepetitive motion of data entry, hand, finger wrist motion and dexterity.\nMay include filing and handling paperwork may involve reaching, grasping, or bending.\nLight lifting and carrying of office supplies, files, or boxes (generally under 25 lbs.).\nWill require walking and standing during the office hours.\nGood vision for reading and screen use.\nClear verbal communication and active listening, often over the phone or video calls.\nAustin Powder is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law. Austin Powder also participates in E-Verify.\nThis contractor and subcontractor shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and for inquiring about, discussing or disclosing compensation. Moreover, these regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.","description_format":"text","description_chars":6076,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":7,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Mining","Chemical Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-30T20:40:44Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"adverts_offering_sponsorship_24m":0,"sanctioned_now":false,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 3","filings_12m":3,"filings_prev_12m":0,"green_card_filings_12m":0,"median_offered_wage_usd":87500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-11-10T11:34:35+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":77,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.858,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":10,"expected_fill_days":21,"reasons":["conf:3","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-11-10T06:52:35Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/austin-powder-category-manager-direct-materials","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/austin-powder-category-manager-direct-materials.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-10T18:12:25Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":7841,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-11T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":2666773},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=2666773"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Faustin-powder-category-manager-direct-materials"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":2,"usd":0.2},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Faustin-powder-category-manager-direct-materials"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Faustin-powder-category-manager-direct-materials"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/austin-powder-category-manager-direct-materials\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Faustin-powder-category-manager-direct-materials"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3545679}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"austinpowder.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3545679},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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