Category Manager (Plastics) at Joulé

Job Title: Category Manager (Plastics) Location: Lakewood, CO (Onsite preferred; remote candidates considered) Hours/Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-5:00PM MST Compensation: $125,200–$156,500 annual salary + 10% bonus Type: Direct Hire Overview A global medical technology leader is seeking a Category Manager (Plastics) to drive strategic sourcing, category development, and supplier management for highly visible direct materials supporting a global manufacturing network. This role plays a key part in supporting life-saving products used in blood collection and separation therapies. If you thrive in strategic supply chain leadership and want to make an impact on patient-critical devices, this is an exciting opportunity. Responsibilities Develop and execute global and regional category strategies for critical plastics materials Prepare RFx events, evaluate proposals, and lead cross-functional supplier selections Negotiate pricing, capacity, commercial terms, and legal/business conditions Maintain expert insight into category trends, cost drivers, global pricing, supply/demand, and market dynamics Drive alternate sourcing, supplier consolidation, and localization to improve cost and lead times Lead material cost-savings initiatives and margin improvement efforts Improve category performance by reducing lead times and MOQs, optimizing payment terms, enhancing incoming quality, and increasing inventory turns Build business cases and ROI models; present cost-saving recommendations for approval Negotiate terms involving VMI, safety stock, delivery and inventory strategies, and price reductions Lead global/regional negotiation strategies to meet targets for price, service, quality, and inventory performance Partner with Operations, R&D, Quality Engineering, and customer-facing teams to align supplier strategies with product and customer needs Requirements Minimum 6 years in a similar sourcing/category management role at a global manufacturing company Experience in the medical device industry – preferred Experience managing and optimizing supply chains in a manufacturing environment Experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred) and Power BI Strong negotiation, analytical, and strategic sourcing skills Ability to develop long-term category strategies across complex global supply networks Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, or related field; Master’s degree preferred Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package including: Medical, dental, and vision insurance 401(k) with company match Paid time off and paid holidays Tuition reimbursement Life and disability insurance Employee wellness programs Additional voluntary benefit programs #LI-MM1 #M3 Ref: #558-Scientific