Senior Category Analyst HQ Center of Excellence

PURPOSE   Partners with Product Directors on both development and execution of category strategy, driving growth, and financial performance across assigned spend areas. Contributes to margin improvement, cost optimization, supply continuity, and innovation aligned to market dynamics and enterprise priorities.   Brings strong financial acumen to the role, applying data-driven insights, financial analysis (including understanding P&L drivers), and supplier and market intelligence to support strategic decision-making and value creation across categories.   Operates under guidance of Director of Supply Chain Analytics with increasing ownership of strategy development, financial evaluation, and business impact delivery over time   ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Supports Category Strategy & Growth Contributes to development and execution of category strategies aligned to growth, margin, and operational objectives Identifies opportunities for revenue enablement, cost improvement, and value creation across categories Applies structured frameworks (e.g., spend analysis, supplier segmentation, cost modeling) to inform strategy Translates strategy insights into actionable category roadmaps and prioritized initiatives Applies Financial & Business Acumen Analyzes category performance through financial lens (P&L impact, cost drivers, margin implications, rebates, working capital) Supports development of business cases, savings validation, and ROI assessment Interprets financial and operational data to quantify trade-offs across cost, service, and risk Partners with Finance and business leaders to ensure alignment to financial targets and reporting expectations Drives Data-Driven Insights & Decision Support Conducts market, supplier, and category analysis leveraging internal and external data sources Develops insights on market trends, supplier dynamics, pricing structures, and risk factors Provides decision support through scenario analysis, forecasting inputs, and fact-based recommendations Partners Cross-Functionally Collaborates with Product Directors, Category Managers, Operations, Finance, and field leadership to ensure alignment and adoption of category strategies Supports coordinated response to market changes, supply disruptions, and shifting business priorities Engages with stakeholders to ensure strategies are practical, scalable, and aligned to field realities Supports Supplier Strategy & Value Delivery Contributes to supplier evaluation, segmentation, and performance management Supports negotiations and sourcing events with market intelligence, pricing analysis, and financial insights Helps track and validate supplier performance against cost, service, and innovation targets Supports identification of value opportunities including rebates, cost avoidance, and efficiency improvements Enables Performance Management & Continuous Improvement Assists in defining category-level KPIs for cost, growth, service, and maturity progression Tracks performance against targets and identifies gaps and improvement opportunities Supports continuous refinement of category strategies based on performance results and changing market conditions SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES   This job has no supervisory responsibilities.   MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, or related field 3+ years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or supply chain analytics Exposure to financial analysis, business case development, or P&L interpretation preferred MBA or relevant certifications (e.g., CPSM, CPM, FP&A coursework) preferred    COMPETENCIES   Analytical thinking. Interprets data and metrics, identifies trends, and translates findings into clear recommendations. Financial Acumen. Read P&L drivers, models cost and margin impact and frames trade-offs in financial terms. Pricing and supplier insight. Applies working knowledge of pricing analysis and supplier proposal evaluation. Collaboration and influence. Drives alignment across functions Communication. Communicates clearly in writing and verbally with all levels of management, internally and externally. Organization. Manages time and priorities effectively across competing demands.   WORK ENVIRONMENT / PHYSICAL ACTIVITY The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   Subject to both typical office environment and outside locations with temperature and weather variations. Must be able to lift and carry up to 25 pounds frequently and on occasion up to 80 pounds. Occasional travel required in supporting category objectives.