Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.

Overview We are looking for Category Manager to join our team! Responsibilities The Category Manager for Direct Procurement is ultimately responsible for developing and deploying an all-inclusive sourcing strategy for the full scope of supply while ensuring Operational Procurement excellence and continuity of supply for approximately $ 100M in spend on Direct Non-Raw Material goods such as Plastic Fittings (Blow, Injection and Roto Molded), PVC and PVC Parts, Metal Castings, Rubber and Rubber Gaskets, and Fabricated Metal Parts . This position relies on strong leadership and drive towards results, a high degree of internal and external cross-functional collaboration and relationship management, good organizational and communication skills, and the ability to lead the execution of strategic sourcing processes that enable the achievement of business objectives. Must be customer service oriented and a solid team player. Specifically, this role will be responsible for: Develop and deploy a 3-year Strategy for the Direct Procurement Category aligned with the Business objectives. Generate Cost Savings YOY for the duration of the assignment, reporting monthly to executive team. Lead Sourcing Events, inclusive of but not limited to Online Reverse Auctions, collaborating with stakeholders to define scope, sources of supply and overall sourcing strategy. Leverage and consolidate spend, rationalizing the Supplier Base. Maximize extending Supplier payment terms for FCF optimization. Implement effective and comprehensive Supplier Relationship Management programs. Lead strategic Procurement initiatives such as Industry and Market Analysis & Benchmarking, Risk Mitigation Plans, Supplier Performance Improvement Plans, etc. Drive all key strategic Procurement initiatives for the Category. Leverage ADS's systems and technologies; identify opportunities for value creation through synergies of people, processes and technology. Lead commercial agreement negotiations with suppliers and ensure continuity of supply, improve lead-times, control pricing, and mitigate risk. Lead cross-functional initiatives for development of TCO and Should-Cost models, VA/ VE, Process Improvement, Trystorming, etc. Leverage and manage industry associations on behalf of ADS. Develop collaborative relationships with other ADS sourcing managers and cross functional counterparts in Supply Chain, R&D, Finance, Legal, Marketing, BT, HR, etc. Ensure organizational alignment with sourcing strategies. Leverage relationship with category business leaders to develop an in-depth understanding of ADS current and future business needs. Stay current on new laws/policies that impact ADS' compliance record relative to sourcing and supply contracts. Ensure contract disputes and supplier performance issues are resolved in a timely manner. Analyze markets and create accurate cost forecasts. Identify and exploit emerging technologies and trends. Year one critical success factors: Quickly integrate into ADS and develop strong relationships with key company stakeholders and with the supply chain team worldwide. Integrate into and own key supplier relationships. Following the initial capability assessment, design and obtain alignment to a multi-year strategy and tactics to ensure the biggest operational impact and resources/changes required for effective execution. Deliver significant Cost Savings. Professional Experience / Qualifications: The ideal candidate will be a proven procurement and business leader with experience in a public company, indirect procurement, and in a large decentralized, multi-site manufacturing organization. The candidate also must have the following experience and competencies: Knowledge of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) market, both virgin and compounding. Knowledge of applications: injection and blow molding; rotomolding; thermomolding; gasket extrusion. Sound experience with effective end-to-end business planning processes globally. To include demand planning, supply planning, sales, inventory & operational planning (SIOP), and material requirements planning. Demonstrated capability of developing sourcing strategies for sub-commodity categories within Direct Non-Raw Material goods and related services. Track record of delivering significant bottom line impact through deployment of sourcing strategies supporting Margin Expansion, W/C Improvement and Topline Growth. Proven ability in successfully executing Strategic Sourcing Processes. Experience in developing and maintaining supply agreements and contracts. Demonstrated strong Change Management and Organizational Transformation skills. Mastery of Procurement tools and Negotiation skills, including on-the-job buying experience. Development and utilization of metrics, KPIs, scorecards and dashboard concepts. Ability to work on extremely complex problems where analysis of situations or data requires an evaluation of intangible variance factors. Excellent planning and organizational, project management, and time management skills. Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills that engage and inspire the team. Strong ability to lead in a cross-functional / matrix management environment. Demonstrated ability to transform an organization's culture through change management, development of new processes and improvement of existing ones, and to drive outstanding team performance via goal setting and prioritization, substantiated by metrics and KPIs. Experience working with both large and small teams within a matrix reporting environment. Proven ability to work on extremely complex problems where analysis of situations or data requires an evaluation of intangible variance factors. Seasoned judgment to address and resolve critical issues and make timely, complex decisions. Decision Quality: makes well-informed, collaborative, and effective decisions quickly, if necessary, based upon a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment; a high percentage of his/her solutions and suggestions turn out to be correct and accurate when judged over time; sought out by others for advice and solutions. Willing and able to make tough calls and unpopular decisions that are in the best interests of the business. Empowers Employees: makes sure that employees have the direction, tools, and freedom to achieve excellent results in each of their jobs; removes obstacles and focuses people on opportunities, not hurdles. Able to get people to work cross-functionally and delegates authority appropriately. Business financial assessment and related business case development. Other Critical Competencies: Safety Awareness and Conduct: must keep Safety as a number 1 priority for the organization and behaving accordingly at all times. Ability and commitment to guide, motivate, mentor and develop staff members and successors to key positions within the department. Drive Innovation - has redefined operations to support growth through analysis and novel ideas and is experienced with managing and institutionalizing innovation and purchasing practices. Demonstrated ability to enable results across functions, cultures and hierarchy. Strong leadership, communication and influencing skills to drive results in a highly decentralized organization and impact at all levels of the organization. Humble, pragmatic, ego-in-check but high levels of self-confidence in own capabilities. An inspirational leader and team player who fosters a collaborative environment and develops a strong culture enabling high levels of morale and engagement, resulting in exemplary performance in efficiency and productivity. A strategic thinker with vision combined with willingness and ability to 'roll up his/her sleeves' - able to make it happen in a fast-moving environment. Ability to identify what matters most and prioritize as well as focus efforts of team appropriately. Expert problem solver who uses data to drive informed decision making. Experience with LEAN practices and concepts. Required Personal Attributes: Working Through Ambiguity Builds Effective Teams Collaboration Influencing Skills Effective Communication Passion and Energy Results Oriented Conflict Management Education: The successful candidate will have an undergraduate degree; preferably in Business, Supply Chain Management, related Operations discipline, or Engineering. An MBA or advanced degree is preferred. PI