Category Manager, Corporate Services - Celanese International Corporation

Procurement professional experienced in developing and executing global category strategies and preparing, negotiating, managing and coordinating agreements for Professional Services categories: Consulting (incl. Finance, Accounting & Legal), Human Resources Talent Management and Benefits.  Leads the collaboration with business and functional leaders in the establishment and execution of procurement & value creation strategies.  Leads supplier relationship management initiatives. Identifies and drives continuous improvement opportunities. Oversees contract implementation and supplier performance/interaction; involved with resolving operational issues.

• Utilize category management levers and practices to develop and implement global category strategies for Professional Services (spend portfolio = ~$200M)
• Demonstrate leadership in client engagement and partnerships with internal stakeholder communities to understand requirements and collaborate on solutions.
• Lead supplier relationship management initiatives to drive delivery of best-in-class performance and innovative products and services. Conduct Quarterly Business Reviews (“QBR’s”) with strategic suppliers to review key performance indicators and explore opportunities that benefit both parties.
• Drive the use of traditional and advanced category strategies. Develop and utilize a category playbook and sourcing tools to optimize the procurement process and add value.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and proactively engage with key stakeholders by sharing spend data, market trends, and opportunities to deliver optimal results. 
• Monitor and manage the lifecycle of agreements within the commodity.
• Develop and execute sourcing plans including the preparation and issuance of RFPs, contract negotiation, managing supplier relations, contract management and analyses.
• Develop a robust and sustainable pipeline of projects for each category of spend.  Projects and savings opportunities to be shared with key stakeholders on a regular basis. 
• Utilize the Total Cost of Ownership (“TCO”) approach where applicable to improve service levels and/or cost.
• Ensure vendors are meeting their delivery and/or service level commitments.  Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned commodities on relevant technical and commercial questions/disputes and take appropriate action, if necessary.
• Manage procurement activities in accordance with Celanese’s corporate and departmental policies.

• Bachelor's degree with preferred focus in Procurement or related field
• 10-15 years demonstrated procurement experience required
• Knowledge of professional services categories required
• Experience in negotiating agreements/contracts with strong comprehension of legal and commercial terms and conditions, including the task of review and redlining of agreements before execution
• Experience in working with intellectual property concepts and contractual language
• Previous leadership and/or management experienced preferred

• Strong bias for decision-making rooted in data and analytics

• Project management experience or Six Sigma certification preferred
• Occasional travel required