About the Role The Category Manager will manage and execute the category sourcing strategy and savings objectives. The successful candidate will manage all activities relating to global supply base including contracts, commercial/pricing, supply assurance, innovation and conflict resolution. The successful candidate will oversee and implement category strategies through alignment with HARMAN business units, engineering, quality and manufacturing activities. Requires knowledge of the business units technology and product roadmaps and specific expertise in the procurement of mechanical parts and manufacturing cost structure. What You Will Do 61 Oversee, conduct, and actively manage the end-to-end strategic sourcing and procurement process. 61 Provide thought leadership and innovative strategies for optimizing sourcing effectiveness. 61 Coordinate and work with both corporate and regional stakeholders to standardize corporate-wide product specifications and establish and implement long-term strategic goals to continually enhance HARMAN’s market position. 61 Lead corporate-wide teams to establish specifications, processes, policies, and procedures to manage demand for assigned categories. 61 Establish strong vendor relationships, effectively manage category supply base, perform advanced and intricate negotiations, and oversee selection of key vendors. 61 Ensure expedient and compliant implementation of new contracts throughout organization. 61 Actively monitor vendor and internal performance against contracts, industry benchmarks, and previous baselines on a quarterly basis. Develop and submit reports for senior management. 61 Identify and evaluate market changes and new technologies -- make appropriate fact-based recommendations for adoption by HARMAN stakeholders. 61 Manage and/or lead preparation and evaluation of RFIs and RFPs. 61 Oversee roll-out of new vendor contracts and processes to all users. 61 Track and report on performance metrics. What You Need 61 Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Business Administration. 61 Minimum 8+ years of procurement experience. 61 Prior experience in sourcing and negotiating direct materials in a consumer electronics environment using strategic category management techniques to achieve results. 61 Must possess the social intelligence to influence and lead at the most senior levels within the organization. 61 5+ years of direct materials sourcing experience managing commodities from new Product Development through End of Life. 61 Prior experience in sourcing and negotiating indirect goods and services in a Consumer electronics environment using strategic category management techniques to achieve results. 61 Experience in successfully using benchmarking and cost analysis tools to deliver negotiation outcomes to exceed the market index. 61 Thorough program/project management skills. 61 Strong skills with: Supplier management, negotiation, contract development/analysis, supplier evaluation, price/cost analysis. 61 Outstanding communication and presentation abilities. 61 Solid understanding of risk management techniques. 61 Excellent market research and trend analysis skills. 61 Strong strategic/long-range planning skills. 61 Good financial analysis skills What is Nice to Have 61 Working knowledge of VOIP, Skype, and similar telecommunications technologies 61 Good temperament and ability to work with suppliers and customers from different cultures. 61 Verbal and written communication skills in English. 61 Creative problem-solver capable of creating and reproducing complex defects. 61 Familiar with manufacturing processes commonly used in acoustics and electronics assemblies. 61 Build environment of trust, high performance and engagement by establishing clear goals and a commitment to feedback, development and recognition 61 Champion a better, faster and simpler way of doing things 61 Apply original thinking and continuous improvement to processes, products, systems or services and manage change to better serve customer needs What Makes You Eligible 61 Willingness to travel. 61 Willingness to work in an office. 61 Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background investigation and drug screen. What We Offer 61 Flexible work environment, allowing for full-time remote work globally for positions that can be performed outside a HARMAN or customer location 61 Access to employee discounts on world-class Harman and Samsung products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, etc.) 61 Extensive training opportunities through our own HARMAN University 61 Competitive wellness benefits 61 Tuition Reimbursement 61 An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development
