Category Manager I

Company: 2350-The Chemours Company FC, LLC
Location: Wilmington
Posted on: April 21, 2025

Job Description:

As we create a colorful, capable and cleaner world through chemistry, we invite you tojoin our team to harness the power of chemistry to shape markets, redefine industries and improve lives for billions of people around the world.

CREATING ESSENTIAL CHEMISTRY THAT THE WORLD NEEDS

At Chemours, our people are redefining how the world thinks of chemistry by approaching everything we do with a commitment to delivering Trusted Chemistry that creates better lives and helps communities thrive. That begins with how we use our science, data, and unmatched technical expertise to develop market-leading products with the highest levels of performance, sustainability, and safety in the industry.

Powered by chemistry, our products are used in applications that make the products we rely on, processes, and new technologies possible. In key sectors such as clean energy, advanced electronics, high-performance computing and AI, climate friendly cooling, and high-quality paints and coatings for homes and industrial infrastructure---sustainable solutions and more modern living depend on Chemours chemistry.

Chemours is seeking a Packaging Category Manager I to join our growing team. This position will be available at our Wilmington, DE location.

The role is responsible for preparing, negotiating, managing and coordinating agreements supporting the procurement of assigned materials or services. Evaluates and selects suppliers in terms of quality, service, cost and capability and responsible for developing procurement strategies in conjunction with the businesses or commodity teams. Ensures the punctual delivery of all goods and services within category responsibilities. Builds key partnerships with Suppliers. Supports the SRM process for managing Supplier performance and risk. Stay current on the industry and competition. Observes local/global market/competing companies and adapts supply strategies to remain competitive in the market. Identifies and drives continuous improvement. Oversees contract implementation and supplier performance/interaction, may resolve supply and invoicing issues with suppliers; involved with resolving operational issues.

The responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Category Strategies: Drive strategic sourcing process and document category strategies. Gathers inputs/requirements/business objectives and develops the category strategies of assigned categories to deliver reliable, cost advantaged, and sustainable supply.
  
• Data Analytics: Works efficiently between internal data (spend, contract data) and external intel and market trends, analyze local and macro markets, and identifies opportunities to optimize category portfolio to drive maximum value. Utilize data analytics to identify purchasing trends, identify timing for commercial action, and inform decision-makers.
  
• Market Research: Analyze market trends, competitor activity, and customer demand to identify potential products /services and suppliers. Understands supply market - production routes, supplier share, market price, alternatives.
  
• Mentorship: Mentors/coaches Associate Category Managers on category management, Supplier Management, Supply Risk, and Stakeholder engagement
  
• Vendor Management: Build and maintain relationships with suppliers, negotiating pricing, payment terms, and delivery schedules. Facilitate new supplier introductions; Manage, consolidate, and drive lower tail spend where feasible.
  
• Reporting and communication: Develop category/sub-category sourcing strategy and align with business and stakeholders. Prepare regular reports on category performance, key insights, and actionable recommendations to senior managers.
  
• KPIs: Develop metrics and work with digital to automate. Understand and align with the goals and requirements of the stakeholders and share progress and results of dashboards, metrics, KPI's and benchmarks.
  
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate supply risk, critical path supplies and services and help monitor/manage related site risks. Proactively develop and implement effective risk mitigation strategies for key materials
  
• Negotiations: Defines negotiation targets: most desired outcome, best alternative, least acceptable outcome. Develop negotiation plans, gain alignment from stakeholders, lead cross-functional, negotiation teams, and drive commercial negotiations to achieve best possible TCO pricing while maintaining set quality standards. Negotiates, prepares and executes procurement agreements
  
• Contract management: Conducts negotiations, documents agreements in contract terms and conditions, conducts contract legal and financial reviews, obtains internal approvals, implements contracts, reviews contract/supplier performance after implementation. Review and manage supplier contracts to ensure compliance with terms and conditions, drive value on new and existing contracts. Authoring Contracts with Firm KPIs that enhance Compliance.
  
• Savings: Drive cost savings/avoidance, and working capital improvements through collaborative efforts with suppliers, internal customers and procurement category managers.
  
• Partnership: Strategic thought partner that fosters strong cross-functional engagement and working partnerships to enable strategic planning and forecasting. Understands customer requirements such as volume, price, quality, delivery mode, supply risk and supply chain impacts and incorporated into category strategies
  
• Bidding: Lead bidding strategy and executes RFX, requests for proposals and competitive bids Drive use of bidding optimizations/automation.
  
  
  The following is required for this role:
  
  
  • A bachelor's degree in business, supply chain or engineering, with > 10 years of equivalent work experience in a manufacturing or chemical environment.
    
  • Must have 10 years of experience procuring or managing categories related to the Chemical industry (Packaging experience preferred).
    
  • Strong expertise in Strategic Sourcing or Supply Chain Management domain experience (Category Management, Vendor management, SRM, Supply Risk, Regulatory compliance, segmentation/taxonomy).
    
  • Proficiency in SAP S4/HANA or higher or an equivalent ERP business system.
    
  • Strategic leadership skills in developing and nurturing strong working ties with site leadership and operations teams.
    
  • Strong negotiation skills and experience managing and negotiating contracts to meet business needs and objectives. Negotiate contracts and purchase order terms and conditions with the inclusion of Legal, Risk Management, Business leadership, and Finance, as required.
    
  • Strong expertise in Source to Pay (S2P) software such as GEP, Ariba, Coupa or similar.
    
  • Good working knowledge of Go to Market strategies such as Reverse Auctions, eSourcing, etc.
    
  • Proficiency in MS Office Suite, Outlook & Internet applications and be able to create and interpret key reports.
    
  • Strong working knowledge/experience in business analysis, market research, financial analysis, cost models, procurement/supply chain analysis and supplier performance management.
    
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; self-motivated with ability to handle multiple tasks and assignments simultaneously, with attention to detail, deadlines, and reporting
    
  • Ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with peers and colleagues across the organization, as well as internal and external stakeholders.
    
  • Ability to work well autonomously and within a team in a fast-paced and deadline-oriented environment.
    
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills (including analysis, interpretation, & reasoning).
    
  • Business acumen - creating, positioning, and negotiating commercial arrangements that deliver competitive advantage. Ability to build a strong business case with data and present it to senior management.
    
    
    The following is preferred for this role:
    
    
    • Six Sigma Greenbelt+ Certification(s)
      
    • Master's in business (MBA) or Supply Chain Certifications
      
      
      Benefits:
      
      Competitive Compensation
      
      Comprehensive Benefits Packages
      
      401(k) Match
      
      Employee Stock Purchase Program
      
      Tuition Reimbursement
      
      Commuter Benefits
      
      Learning and Development Opportunities
      
      Strong Inclusion and Diversity Initiatives
      
      Company-paid Volunteer Day
      
      We're a different kind of chemistry company because we see our people as our biggest assets. Instead of focusing just on what our employees do each day, we look at how they do it-by taking a different approach to talent development, employee engagement, and culture. Our goal is to empower employees to be their best selves, at Chemours and in life.
      
      Learn more about Chemours and our culture by visiting Chemours.com/careers.
      
      Chemours is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, religion, color, gender, disability, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. Jurisdictions may have additional grounds for non-discrimination, and we comply with all applicable laws.
      
      Chemours is an E-Verify employer
      
      Candidates must be able to perform all duties listed with or without accommodation
      
      Immigration sponsorship (i.e., H1-B visa, F-1 visa (OPT), TN visa or any other non-immigrant status) is not currently available for this position
      
      Don't meet every single requirement? At Chemours we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace for our employees. So if you're excited about this role, but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the position description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may just be the right candidate for this or other opportunities.
      
      In our pursuit to be the greatest place to work, we know that a critical element to enhancing our employee experience is to assure we're operating with a solid foundation of trust. At Chemours, this means being transparent about how we pay our employees for the work that they do.
      
      Pay Range (in local currency):
      $120,064.00 - $187,600.00
      
      Chemours Level:
      27
      
      Annual Bonus Target:
      14%
      
      The pay range and incentives listed above is a general guideline based on the primary location of this job only andnot a guarantee oftotal compensation. Factorsconsidered in extending a compensation offer include (but are notlimitedto) responsibilities of the job,experience, knowledge, skills,and abilities, as wellas internal equity, andalignment with marketdata. The incentive pay is dependent on business results and individual performance and subject to the terms and conditions of the specific plans.
      
      At Chemours, you will find sustainability in our vision, our business and your future. If you want to work on the leading edge of your field and have a desire to make a difference, join Chemours and discover what it means when we say "We Are Living Chemistry."

Keywords: 2350-The Chemours Company FC, LLC, Newark , Category Manager I, Professions , Wilmington, New Jersey