Category Manager

Overview

At ADS, no idea is off limits, and we celebrate creativity and bold moves.  For more than 50 years ADS has been manufacturing a variety of innovative and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional materials.  Headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio, we are a multi-billion dollar stormwater management company, manufacturing pipe and ancillary products. What does that mean? When it storms, we capture rain with our drain basins, convey it with pipe, store it using chambers and finally treat it with our water quality products, before safely returning water back to the environment. We handle, what we call, the entire lifecycle of a raindrop. Our products help prevent flooding, which increases quality of life for people living in large cities, suburbs, and rural towns. We also believe in creating a circular economy and are the largest plastic recycling company in North America. We use plastic shampoo and detergent bottles to create pipe, diverting over 500 million pounds of plastic from landfills every year. ADS operates a global network of over 60 manufacturing plants and 30 distribution centers. 

We have amazing stories to tell, and we need your help getting our story out there. To learn more about ADS, please visit our website at www.adspipe.com.

Leadership Competencies

The successful candidate must bring high level of ethical, intellectual, professional, and personal values that complement the team.

• Strategic Mindset – anticipates future trends and implications accurately
• Decision Quality – relies on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment when making decisions
• Customer Focus – identifies opportunities that benefit the business
• Business Insight – keeps up with current and possible future policies, practices, and trends in the organization, function, and in the marketplace
• Plans and Aligns – breaks down objectives into appropriate initiatives and actions
• Optimizes Work Processes – seeks ways to improve processes, from small tweaks to complete reengineering
• Ensures Accountability – establishes clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results
• Collaborates – works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives
• Develops Talent – develops others through coaching, feedback, exposure, and stretch assignments
• Builds Effective Teams – forms teams with appropriate and diverse mix of styles, perspectives, and experience
• Drives Vision and Purpose – talks about future possibilities in a positive way
• Courage – faces difficult issues and supports others who do the same

Responsibilities

The Category Sourcing Manager (Direct Materials) is responsible for overseeing all aspects of strategic sourcing of Direct Materials across the Allied organization. This includes the development and execution of sourcing strategies, such as supplier discovery, selection, negotiations, and relationship management to support the goals and objectives of the organization. The primary sourcing categories will include PVC pipe, metal components (machined or casted), plastic components (injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, rotational molding), and other related categories.

Primary Job Responsibilities:

In this role, you will develop and implement sourcing strategies that align with the business needs of the organization. Identifying potential suppliers and conducting market research to assess their capabilities and fit will be a crucial part of your job. You will negotiate contracts and terms with suppliers, including costing, capacities, delivery schedules, payment terms, and rebate programs. Incorporating Supplier Relationship Management principles to prioritize and align organizational resources will be essential.

You will drive sourcing and manufacturing synergies, conduct make/buy analyses to optimize network cost and service, and develop long-term capacity plans for major categories to ensure supplier capabilities align with the organization’s needs. Performing risk assessments and developing mitigation plans for key areas will also be your responsibility. Collaboration with legal and compliance departments to ensure sourcing activities comply with applicable laws, regulations, and ethical standards is vital.

Working closely with cross-functional teams, such as product development, manufacturing, and supply chain, to align sourcing strategies with business objectives will be part of your daily activities. Effective communication across all levels of the organization is crucial. You will evaluate and assess supplier performance, conduct regular supplier audits, and implement improvement plans as needed. Creating a tooling database to enable visibility to asset’s useful life and planned replacement schedules will also be a task. Attending industry conferences and seminars to build relationships and gain market intelligence will be encouraged.

Continued development of knowledge in various sourcing tools (market analytics, industry data, should cost, SRM, Kraljic, etc.) and leveraging these in the development of sourcing strategies will be important for success in this role.

Job Skills and Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain management, engineering, or a related field. Proven experience in strategic sourcing and procurement, preferably in a managerial or leadership role, is required. Experience in project management and contract manufacturing is highly preferred.

You should have strong knowledge of global sourcing processes, strategies, and best practices, excellent negotiation and communication skills, and the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers. Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, are essential. An analytical mindset with the ability to analyze data, identify patterns, and make data-driven decisions is crucial.

Proficiency in using sourcing and supply chain tools, systems, and software (ERP/Oracle, should cost, spend/market analytics, etc.) is required. The ability to drive impact, achieve strong results, and lead change through project management is necessary.

Educational Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain management, engineering, or a related field.

Preferred Experience:

• 5 to 8 years of sourcing and industry experience.

Physical Requirements:

• Travel up to 25%, with the ability to travel internationally and domestically.

EEO Statement

ADS supports an inclusive workplace that values diversity of thought, experience, and background. We celebrate the power of our differences to create better solutions for our customers by ensuring employees can be their authentic selves each day. ADS is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, veteran status, marital status, creed, status with regard to public assistance, genetic status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.