At Fusion Recruiters, we partner with incredible organizations that are doing meaningful work — and this opportunity is no exception. We’re excited to support a company recognized for its long-standing leadership in industrial tools, engineering innovation, and a safety-driven culture in their search for a strategic and collaborative Director of Category Management & Strategic Sourcing to join their hybrid team in Milwaukee, WI (4 days onsite, 1 remote).
As the Director of Category Management & Strategic Sourcing, you’ll play a key role in leading global direct material sourcing, building category strategies, and driving value through cost optimization and supplier partnerships. You’ll report to senior leadership and will have the opportunity to influence enterprise-wide procurement governance, shape sourcing processes, and drive alignment across operations, finance, and program management. This is a chance to bring your expertise to a company that values innovation, operational excellence, and ownership, where your strategic leadership truly makes a difference.
What You’ll Do
- Develop and execute strategic sourcing and purchasing plans that support long-term profitability.
- Align and integrate procurement strategy with operations, finance, and program management teams.
- Lead, mentor, and coach a team of category managers and global sourcing professionals.
- Build a culture of service, accountability, and ownership across the sourcing organization.
- Define and execute category strategies: manage high-spend, high-complexity, and critical direct material categories.
- Lead RFx processes, supplier negotiations, and contract execution to maximize value.
- Establish and govern direct procurement policies, processes, and compliance standards.
- Collaborate with cross-functional leaders to build stakeholder alignment and procurement governance.
- Manage supplier relationship programs (SRM), developing strategic alliances with key suppliers.
- Analyze spend data, identify cost-saving and efficiency opportunities, and drive continuous process improvements.
What You’ll Bring
- Bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of experience in procurement, category management, or strategic sourcing in a manufacturing or industrial setting.
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience leading a team, including managing globally dispersed or cross-cultural teams.
- Deep expertise in category management, negotiation, and direct materials procurement.
- Strong analytical and financial acumen: ability to interpret spend data, forecast trends, and build business cases.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills; ability to influence senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
- Experience in compliance, risk management, and governance of procurement activities.
- Comfortable traveling (up to ~25%) and working within ERP systems (experience with Oracle is a plus).
Why You’ll Love Working Here
Our client offers a supportive, forward-thinking environment where people are empowered to do their best work. They prioritize professional development, encourage innovation, and reward ownership and accountability.
Highlights include:
- A values-driven company built on safety, teamwork, integrity, agility, and ownership.Â
- Competitive benefits that include: healthcare, tuition reimbursement, bonus programs, parental leave, paid volunteering, and more.Â
- 401(k) with company match
- Commitment to sustainability and long-term innovation — for example, developing battery-powered hydraulic tools to reduce environmental impact.Â
- A high-performance, inclusive work culture that values diversity, personal growth, and cross-functional collaboration.Â
Take the Next Step
If this sounds like the kind of opportunity that excites you, we’d love to connect. Apply through Fusion Recruiters today to start a conversation about how your background and goals align with this role.
