Category Lead – Administration, Facilities & Construction

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Create and execute category strategies by leveraging current and future business requirements, market intelligence, and historical spend to drive cost reduction, enterprise consistency, and business value.
Develop and lead cross functional teams to derive common specifications for products based on commodity knowledge, departmental requirements, product availability, etc.
Create a category specific initiative pipeline that will forecast and direct procurement projects and sourcing activities
Procure products, equipment and services and arrange for leases and rentals. Coordinate and conduct negotiations with suppliers to achieve business objectives with a positive result.
Develop new sources of supplies. Evaluate and select vendors. Perform strategic sourcing activities utilizing an array of e-procurement tools.
Negotiate, write and revise contracts ensuring contracts account for preferential commercial terms, relevant laws, regulations and risk.
Build and maintain strong working relationships with internal customers and enhance working relationships with key preferred suppliers.
Establish category metrics and savings targets, monitor performance, and communicate these to stakeholders
Develop and maintain a working knowledge of relevant industry trends and issues, market conditions, audit process and ethical standards governing relationships between buyer and seller.
Manages purchase orders, contracts, sourcing events, and supplier proposals within assigned spend categories, ensuring alignment with procurement policies and category objectives.
Collaborates with Legal, Internal Audit, Risk Management, and compliance teams to ensure category strategies and supplier agreements address applicable regulations, policies, and business risks.
Serves as a change agent and advocate for Procurement as a strategic, value-added partner, driving stakeholder engagement, supplier performance, cost optimization, and procurement best practices.
Work efficiently in a decentralized procurement environment.
Other duties as assigned.

Special Skills and Knowledge

Keen negotiation skills.
Be comfortable working in a de-centralized procurement environment.
Familiarity with applicable state and federal laws and regulations helpful.
Experience in use of eSourcing tools to enable optimal strategic outcomes.
Experience compiling and analyzing data to identify trends.
Knowledge of P2P process.
Ability to process multiple projects, set priorities and work independently.
Strong analytical and financial skills.
Strong oral and written communication.
Proficiency in MS Suite (Microsoft Word, Power Point, Project, Excel) and eSourcing tools.
Knowledge of SAP a plus.
Applies flexible approach to achieving category results in dynamic situations.
Innovative Thinking: Proven ability to connect ideas, events, and circumstances to find solutions to business problems or goals.
Contract knowledge of both commercial and legal terms.
Ability to work independently. Energetic and self-motivated.

Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree.
Two years of experience in purchasing or strategic sourcing.
Additional education may substitute for required experience, and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

** Applicants who do not meet the posted requirements but are completing their final academic semester/quarter will be considered eligible for employment and may be asked to provide additional information confirming their academic completion date.

Preferred Qualifications
Additional years of purchasing or strategic sourcing experience.
CPM, CPSM, or other relevant procurement certification preferred.

Technical Qualifications & Specialized Certifications

Proficiency in MS Office.

Technical Skills & Expected Level of Proficiency

Analytical Skills - Developing
Category Management - Developing
Data Management and Analysis - Developing
Influencing Skills - Developing
Negotiation - Developing
Procurement Industry Knowledge - Developing
Supplier Performance Management - Developing
Supplier Relationship Management - Developing
Strategic Sourcing - Developing

The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.

Classified Title: Category Lead
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Category Lead – Administration, Facilities & Construction (Office of Procurement)
Role/Level/Range: ATP/04/PC
Starting Salary Range: $55,145 - $96,760 Annually (Commensurate w/exp.)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Hybrid/JH at Keswick
Department name: Buying
Personnel area: University Administration