Category Manager

Category Manager Location: San Antonio, TX Employment Type: Contract-to-Hire The Category Manager plays a critical role in developing and executing third-party category management strategies to deliver best value across enterprise-wide sourcing initiatives. This position partners closely with business leaders, engineering, estimating, proposals, and operations teams to support sourcing for engineered equipment, bulk materials, OEMs, fabricators, and strategic suppliers. This role sits within the Procurement Strategy function and supports major capital and EPC projects across the enterprise. It offers meaningful visibility, influence, and the opportunity to transition into a long-term role. Key Responsibilities Lead and coordinate strategic sourcing events and serve as a subject matter expert for assigned categories Develop and execute category strategies using spend analysis, benchmarking, cost models, and utilization dat Establish category goals, metrics, and KPIs to track savings, risk mitigation, and value delivery lign pricing and sourcing strategies with estimating, proposal, and operations teams Develop commercial pricing models, indexing strategies, and risk mitigation approaches nalyze spend and utilization data; build reports and dashboards to monitor performance and forecast demand Monitor market and industry trends to identify cost optimization and supplier performance opportunities Ensure sourcing strategies align with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and enterprise standards Build and manage relationships with internal stakeholders and strategic suppliers; lead issue resolution and escalations Define and implement supplier performance measures aligned with category strategy Develop sourcing guidelines and guardrails; monitor compliance with contracts and category strategies Streamline sourcing processes based on category risk profiles Support Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) programs Prepare and deliver communications and presentations to senior and executive leadership Drive continuous improvement initiatives, training, and change management efforts Maintain working knowledge of procurement systems and tools, including Oracle, PPMS, and supplier platforms Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, or a related field 5-7 years of category management or strategic sourcing experience in EPC, industrial construction, or engineering environments Experience supporting large capital projects and sourcing engineered equipment, bulk materials, OEMs, or fabricated materials Proven ownership of category strategy development, spend analysis, cost modeling, and supplier performance management Experience with contract negotiations, contract administration, and commercial terms Hands-on experience using ERP or procurement systems for spend analysis and supplier management (Oracle preferred) Strong stakeholder management skills with cross-functional teams and senior leadership Preferred Qualifications Experience across multiple industrial market sectors Prior experience interfacing with external clients and engineering organizations Experience supporting multi-year sourcing programs or large, complex projects dvanced analytical skills including commodity cost modeling, pricing analysis, and ROI evaluation Aspen Technical Staffing CELEBRATING 25 YEARS ~2001-2026~ We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under the law. Assistance with the application process is available upon request.

Created: 2026-03-04