Category Manager

James Hardie Building Products Inc. is the North American leader in fiber cement home siding and exterior design solutions. Hardie products offer long lasting beauty and endless design possibilities with trusted protection and low maintenance. The company pioneered modern fiber cement building products and continues to invest in innovation to transform the industry. James Hardie is a high-performance organization, with an unwavering commitment to Zero Harm. The company proudly employs a diverse workforce of over 3,000 employees across operations in North America.

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Hybrid from our downtown Chicago office.

The Category Manager supports our Central Construction Engineering and has ownership of $150MM+ USD of assigned spend. This role is responsible for driving the best outcomes for James Hardie, balancing cost, quality, and service for CapEx spend. Reporting to the Senior CapEx Procurement Manager, the CapEx Category Manager is a member of the Central Procurement Team and works as an extension of the Central Engineering and Construction Project Teams. This individual will partner with key leaders to develop, implement, and execute the CapEx strategy in North America, while also supporting teams in other regions (APAC, EU).

What You’ll Do:

• Lead and facilitate the strategic sourcing process for CapEx category: strategic planning, market and industry analysis, supplier identification & research, conducting sourcing events, analysis, negotiation, contracting, and implementation.
• Promote high-level customer satisfaction in supporting the needs of James Hardie central engineering & construction team and manufacturing teams.
• Achieve cost savings targets and enable optimal TCO (Cost, Quality, Schedule, Innovation) by driving early engagement and collaboration throughout all stages of project execution.
• Identify and monitor cost drivers and pricing trends, communicating to the organization, and taking action as appropriate.
• Operate cross-functionally to ensure organizational alignment for sourcing strategies and projects.
• Ensure Procurement capabilities in CapEx are in place to support James Hardie continued growth.
• Develop an in-depth understanding of assigned categories: key technical attributes, JH SMEs, manufacturing process, supplier base, and key risks to mitigate & control.
• Maintain project compliance to James Hardie procurement policy and procedures.

What You’ll Bring:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Finance, or related field.
• 5+ years Procurement or Engineering Project Management experience, preferably in the capital & MRO spend areas.
• Strong core procurement experience & skills, especially relating to equipment, construction, and engineering services procurement.
• Experience leading formal RFQ/RFP processes in a project or manufacturing environment.
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to analyze factual and qualitative information in complicated or novel situations.
• Collaborative and capable of balancing business priorities across organizational groups: ensures their time and the time of others is spent on what is most important.
• Ability to effectively communicate and articulate various perspectives and impacts to business stakeholders.
• Anticipates and adjusts for problems and obstacles.
• Navigate through tough agreements and settle disputes effectively.
• Proven process to develop supplier relationships in a way that encourages open dialogue and cooperating in identifying and implementing win-win situations that add value to both organizations.
• Effective at establishing trust and building strong relationships with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Finance Leaders.
• Operate as an extension of James Hardie Engineering and Project Teams.
• Demonstrated ability to act independently upon information and make decisions that achieve optimal results.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple projects and processes in various stages of completion.
• Travel up to 25%, primarily throughout the United States to visit project sites, supplier locations, or attend relevant value-add conferences.

What You’ll Receive:

At James Hardie, we recognize that our success depends on our people. We've worked hard to build a generous and competitive benefits program that demonstrates our commitment to our employees.

• Comprehensive low-cost co-pay Health Insurance; medical, dental, prescription, and vision insurance benefits for every 30+ hour full-time employee. Insurance starts on day one!
• 401 (k) Retirement plan that will match 100% of employees saved dollars up to the first 6% of your salary.
• Paid holidays, paid vacation including Jury Duty and bereavement leave.
• Wellness Program.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Parental Leave.
• Community Involvement & Sustainable Solutions - Fire Resistant Siding to Help Rebuild the Grizzly Flats Community | James Hardie
• And more.

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James Hardie Building Products Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, veteran's status, marital status, pregnancy, disability, or any other basis protected by law.