Category Buyer

**Career Area**:
Procurement

**Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.**

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do - but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here - we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

**Role Definition**
This role will support manufacturing equipment purchases and life cycle management. Provides supply network solutions expertise, using Quality, Cost, Logistics, Development, and Management (QCLDM) to deliver maximum value.

**Responsibilities**
- Developing, managing and executing the category strategy managing policies, agreements, source catalogs, and special procurement programs.
- Recognizing the potential for cost decreases, inventory reductions and quality improvement, as well as responsibility for soundness of business proposals and risk assessment.
- Acting as the liaison between the organization and the supplier to communicate information explicitly, while considering production demands and suppliers' conditions. Documenting the suppliers' performance on time sensitiveness and production; maintains a strong relationship with suppliers.

**Related Skills and Experience**
- **Data Analytics**:

- Advises stakeholders on the relationship between financial, performance, and operational data used in business data analytics.
- Interprets potential risks, threats, and opportunities involved with predictive modeling.
- Directs the implementation of business data collection processes and educates junior employees on new data sources.
- **Effective Communications**:

- Adapts documents and presentations for the intended audience.
- Demonstrates both empathy and assertiveness when communicating a need or defending a position.
- Communicates well downward, upward, and outward.
- Maintains focus on the topic at hand.
- Demonstrates an understanding of alternative points of view.
- Adapts interaction style to situations and people.
- **Negotiating**
- Successfully completes significant negotiations, both internal and external.
- Details the risks of negotiation breakdown from each party's perspective.
- Protects own position, while demonstrating willingness to achieve win-win.
- Detects and addresses lack of progress or a stalemate.
- **Contracts Management and Administration**:

- Administers locally relevant contracts for the department.
- Reviews contracts to ensure compliance with contract specifications and regulations.
- Assists in creating files of relevant information for specific vendors, customers, or contracts.
- **Purchasing Tasks and Activities**:

- Records documents of purchasing tasks and activities, such as orders, bidding.
- Uses available procurement systems and tools.
- Ensures compliance with procurement regulations and contract specifications.
- Works with basic purchasing related tasks and activities.
- Adheres to various requirements and steps of the procurement process.
- **Supplier Relationship Management**:

- Advises others on the organization's supplier relationship management practices.
- Builds consensus, resolves conflicts, and applies techniques to achieve influence and impact results with different suppliers in the organization's supplier network.
- Coaches juniors on selecting, evaluating, and managing suppliers.
- Conducts periodic reviews of work effort, progress, issues, and successes in supplier relationship establishment and management.
- **Strategic Sourcing**:

- Works with various basic components of strategic sourcing, such as data analysis, market research and purchasing budgets examination.
- Participates in enhancing institutional sourcing process continuously including identifying improvement opportunities.
- Conducts strategic sourcing activities in a limited environment.
- Follows relevant standards, policies, and practices regarding strategic sourcing.

**Experience Requirements**
- Desired degree or equivalent work experience required.
- Procurement experience preferred.
- Advanced experience with demonstrated success of managing projects.
- Highly self-motivated with the ability to drive change in a decentralized organization with minimum supervision.
- Experience in quantitative analysis using Microsoft Excel/Access (beyond basic data entry)
- Strong analytical thinking with demonstrated results.
- Strong oral and written communication skills with ability to present ideas in business-friendly language.
- Ability to set priorities and make decisions independently.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality in high profile projects.
- Capable communicating to all levels of leadership and adapting communications to the selected audience.
- Experience in managing supplier relationships and conducting negotiations.
- Experience working i