Lead Category Manager, Finished Goods

Global Procurement – Lead Category Manager for Finished Goods

  JOB DESCRIPTION

The Lead Category Manager (LCM) role within Global Procurement is focused on the effective and efficient procurement of finished goods products, with a primary focus on Hand Tools (sub-categories with Consumer Fastening and Handtools), in support of Stanley Black & Decker's vision. This role is responsible for defining, leading, and monitoring holistic supplier and category strategies, driving sourcing productivity, and delivering year-over-year productivity and working capital goals. The role manages direct material spend of up to approximately $50M and interacts with suppliers and colleagues across geographies and work cultures.

  KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Supplier Management

• Establish, maintain, and develop strong relationships with key global suppliers to ensure quality, cost, delivery, and productivity targets are met.
• Serve as an escalation point to resolve supplier performance issues.
• Establish regular communication cadence with strategic suppliers.
• Initiate and implement Supplier Days (supplier workshops / Kaizen events).
• Support, organize, and participate in supplier conferences and summits.
• Implement strategic supplier management, supplier risk management, supplier diversity, and CSR programs (leveraging Global Procurement's Center of Excellence).
• Develop and foster global supplier relationships that deliver cost reduction, supply assurance, quality improvement, and innovation.

2. Category & Material Field Strategy

• Define, lead, and monitor global supplier and category strategies, with a focus on categories within Consumer Fastening & Layout.
• Independently develop future-oriented strategies and purchasing concepts aligned with the company's global orientation, with the aim of cross-plant application.
• Consider unique/specific SBU needs during category strategy implementation; provide SBU expertise to category and regional leadership.
• Understand and link category/sourcing strategy with Global Procurement priorities and SBU goals.
• Implement category strategies in support of the business vision and margin resiliency initiatives.
• Maintain and control correct supplier classification in product groups and subgroups (SIEVO).
• Drive reduction in the number of suppliers and bundling of purchasing volumes.
• Institutionalize best-practice processes, policies, and knowledge sharing between Global Procurement and SBU to ensure continuous improvement.

3. Negotiations & Contract Management

• Negotiate, implement, and manage supplier contracts and service level agreements.
• Ensure contract compliance (internal approval process), signature regulations, and registration in the group-wide database.
• Monitor markets and trends to proactively renegotiate prices with suppliers.
• Analyze and negotiate price adjustments by suppliers.

4. Tenders, Benchmarks & Sourcing Execution

• Lead the supplier selection process through management of formal RFP, RFQ, and RFI processes.
• Carry out price comparisons to optimize the procurement situation; initiate price and value analyses, substitution of parts/materials as needed.
• Accompany new part projects in cooperation with development from the product development phase to achieve cost reductions.
• Utilize modern purchasing tools (eRFQ, eAuctions, Should Costing).
• Create TCO value through a combination of productivity, working capital, synergies, reduced risk, and improved supplier lead times.

5. Program & Project Management

• Lead and drive program management for core initiatives in Productivity, Working Capital, and Supplier Performance.
• Plan and implement programs/projects including complex large-scale initiatives; define content, goals, and individual milestones.
• Coordinate and monitor milestones, interfaces, dates, and services (internal and external); initiate corrective measures as needed.
• Ensure New Ways of Sourcing are utilized and state-of-the-art reports are developed and implemented (e.g., Power BI, Smartsheet).
• Lead individuals and teams to deliver results; reporting relationships may be solid, dotted, or team-based.

6. Other Responsibilities

• Ensure a high degree of service delivery and SBU satisfaction; partner with SBUs to ensure they recognize the business value from the Global Procurement team.
• Ensure suitable control measures and KPIs are in place to measure progress and derive corrective action plans.
• Support operations (planning, tactical purchasing) in the context of supplier escalations (delivery bottlenecks, quality problems, etc.).
• Conduct Make vs. Buy evaluations of key product lines in support of business strategies.
• Assist in the identification and execution of negotiated inventory programs.
• Support acquisition integration projects including due diligence, opportunity assessments, sub-team participation, delivery of synergy targets, and overall project management of sourcing initiatives.
• Guarantee compliance with Global Procurement /GSS policies, procedures, and DoA/DOA requirements.

  KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• Strong listening, coaching, and influencing skills; ability to influence without direct authority.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels, particularly at the management level; executive presence and effective presentation skills.
• Excellent negotiation skills and knowledge of procurement and sourcing techniques, supplier integration, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong financial and analytical skills; experience in strategic planning, budgeting, and financial reporting.
• Ability to conceive strategic program initiatives, plan, sell ideas, and execute.
• Proven track record of developing and executing successful YOY productivity projects and complex sourcing/procurement strategies.
• Proficiency in MS Office, Power BI, and Smartsheet.
• Strong project and program management and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work in a matrixed environment, managing multiple and often conflicting priorities.
• Highly self-motivated with the ability to drive change in a global organization with minimum supervision.
• Multi-lingual capability is a plus.

  CERTIFICATIONS (Preferred)

• CPIM or CSCMP certification
• PMP certification
• Six Sigma or Lean/Kaizen certification

  EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• 5+ years of experience in Global Procurement / Strategic Sourcing organizations, including supplier selection, supplier management, and contract negotiations.
• Minimum 5 years of category strategy or material field strategy experience.
• Balance of both strategic and operational capacities including regional sourcing, supplier management, and commodity risk management.
• Successful track record of designing and implementing complex sourcing and procurement strategies that achieved desired results within the category.
• Global mindset with experience working in an international/multi-cultural matrix environment.

  EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree required.
• MBA or Master's degree in Supply Chain preferred.

  TRAVEL

Must be willing to travel domestically and internationally 10–20% of the time.

We Don’t Just Build The World, We Build Innovative Technology Too.

Joining the Stanley Black & Decker team means working in an innovative, tech-driven and highly collaborative team environment supported by over 43,500 professionals in 60 countries across the globe. Here, you’ll get the unique chance to impact some of the world’s most iconic brands including STANLEY TOOLS, DEWALT, CRAFTSMAN, MAC TOOLS and Black + Decker. Your ideas and solutions have the potential to reach millions of customers as we work together to write the next chapter in our history. Come build with us and take your career to new heights.

Who We Are 

We’re the World’s largest tool company. We’re industry visionaries. We’re solving problems and advancing the manufacturing trade through innovative technology and our Industry 4.0 Initiative. We are committed to ensuring our state-of-the-art “smart factory” products and services provide greater quality to our customers & greater environmental and social value to our planet. We are unique in that we have a rich and storied history dating back to 1843, but that hasn't stopped us from evolving into a vibrant, diverse, global growth company.

Global Benefits & Perks
You’ll be rewarded with a competitive salary plus receive entitlements and benefits unique to your country of hire. 

What You’ll Also Get

Career Opportunity: Career paths aren’t linear here. Being part of our global company with 60+ brands gives you the chance to grow and develop your skills along multiple career paths.

Learning & Development: 
Our lifelong learning philosophy means you’ll have access to a wealth of state-of-the-art learning resources, including our Lean Academy and online university (where you can get certificates and specializations from renowned colleges and universities).

Diverse & Inclusive Culture:
We pride ourselves on being an awesome place to work. We respect and embrace differences because that’s how the best work gets done. You’ll find we like to have fun here, too.

Purpose-Driven Company:
You’ll help us continue to make positive changes in the local communities where we work and live as well as in the broader world through volunteerism, giving back and sustainable business practices.