Category Leader

**Location**:Remote

**Opportunity**

Responsible for financial and operational performance within the marketing and communications category. Responsible for negotiating product and services agreements domestically, at a corporate level, for all business units. Accountable for all supplier selection decisions within category. Prepares and evaluates supplier quotations and services to determine most competitive solution based upon a total cost of ownership. Familiar with a variety of purchasing concepts, practices, and procedures. Relies on extensive industry knowledge, experience, and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of complicated tasks. Responsible for setting performance objectives and strategy within category. Conducts multi-functional supplier performance management reviews. A wide degree of creativity and latitude is required.

**SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES**
- Manage the design and implementation of Category Strategy
- Lead strategy development through team formation, research, evaluation, and execution
- Deliver on risk reduction and increases to service levels
- Understand and incorporate industry direction and best practice
- Manage existing vendor relationships and performance
- Evaluate and support the additions of new vendors and technology as needed
- Identify, plan, and execute projects and initiatives focused on delivering cost reduction
- Proactively identify future areas of opportunity to address cost, building a pipeline of value to be executed through a variety of professional sourcing approaches
- Work closely with and drive supplier VAVE / ideation for cost and value potential
- Drive cross-functional engagement
- Manage and defend against unforeseen cost increases using various negotiation tactics to minimize unfavorable impacts to Kohler
- Support strategic project execution
- Manage and strategize the approach to agreement renewals
- Cross-functional RFx development, roll-out, and evaluation; including supplier selection, proposal analysis, and negotiation
- Raise demand management considerations to ensure effective and efficient spending
- Identify contractual needs and establish agreements that accommodate

**Skills/Requirements**

**REQUIRED COMPETENCIES**

**Business/Technology**
- **Contract Proficiency**
- Understanding of business and legal Interpretations of contract T&Cs
- Proficient in working with US Law
- Proven ability to manage complex commercial agreements
- **Collaboration**
- Understanding potential differing needs between Internal & External customers.
- Consistently exceed customer expectations by dealing with internal complexities
- **Negotiation**
- Capable of creating pre-negotiation strategy including company BATNA
- Experienced in negotiating/managing agreements with small and large firms/agencies
- Ability to negotiate with varying degrees of leverage, utilize advanced financial techniques, and build market comparable cost analysis.
- Skilled in Analysis of cost structures
- **Strategize**
- Proven effectiveness in creating and executing spend strategies addressing risk, business needs, cost, etc.
- Able to develop & implement contingency planning processes
- Experienced in leveraging various tiers within the supply chain to accomplish goals
- Proven ability to react to the speed of the industry
- **Project Execution**
- Proficient in managing/leading multi-location/global projects with expanded domestic awareness of culture, currency, geography, political and limited international exposure
- ** Continuous Improvement**
- Provides solution/alternatives to improvement ideas
- Takes initiative to undertake improvement opportunities that are global in scope and complexity, setting strategies for process improvements that impact the work product of the department
- Skilled in implementing continuous improvement opportunities within the supply base
- Actively support change opportunities to maximize personal, departmental, and/or company performance
- **Interpersonal**

**Approach**:

- Strong drive for results
- Able to operate in a self-directed manner
- Able to manage priorities with limited oversight

**Communication**:

- Articulate departmental vision and goals, creating atmosphere of open communication
- Strong presentation and effective communication skills. Issues undertaken are
- Strong ability to influence relationships

**Collaboration**:

- Strong ability to influence relationships
- Recognizes and capitalizes on team dynamics, seeking internal / external opportunities to collaborate
- Identify and maintain critical relationships

**Why Work at Kohler Co.?**

Kohler Co.'s mission is to contribute to a higher level of gracious living for those who are touched by our products and services. We understand that it takes investment in our associates’ development to make that happen. So, we offer ongoing investment in each individual’s personal development and the opportunity to collaborate with others across functions and roles a