Category Manager

Who We Are: Thank you for your interest in Mueller Water Products, Inc. For more than 165 years, Mueller Water Products, Inc. has been building the future of water infrastructure. From lifesaving fire protection to data intelligence, we are committed to developing products and solutions that help cities and utilities deliver clean, safe drinking water to hundreds of millions of people across North America. Our purpose is to connect communities to water, life’s most essential resource, with exceptional, people solutions and products. Behind that purpose is a dedicated team, united by our shared values of respect, integrity, trust, inclusion and safety. With a vision to be the leader in water infrastructure solutions—solving challenges, enriching lives and safeguarding the future—we are making a positive impact that will last for generations. By joining Mueller, you become part of a dynamic team dedicated to excellence and innovation, working collaboratively to achieve meaningful results. We champion our people because when they succeed, our communities thrive. We invite you to learn more about career opportunities with us and consider submitting your application. Category Manager The Category Manager is a highly visible position within the business and operations. The role is responsible for building short and long-term category strategy to ensure operational optimization. This role is expected to establish cross-functional networks and foster collaboration with suppliers, the wider supply chain organization, and internal stakeholders across the organization. The Category Manager owns the vendor performance data and reports metrics to leadership and the Supply Chain teams. This position is part of the Corporate Supply Chain team, which operates out of Mueller’s corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia. The ideal candidate will be agreeable to a hybrid working arrangement, where work is conducted in the corporate office, plant locations and remotely, as needed to support the needs of the business. This position requires 10-20% travel at any given time. Key Responsibilities This role will lead enterprise-wide commodity strategy, sourcing, supplier partnership management and cost optimization for multiple indirect spend categories, including packaging and facilities. Develop and manage a category strategy which optimizes affordability, availability, agility, and innovation. Lead the end-to-end strategic sourcing process, including opportunity assessment, strategy development, RFx execution, supplier evaluation, negotiations, contract reviews and performance management. Balance enterprise commodity strategies with site-specific technical and operational requirements. Analyze spend, pricing, consumption, supplier performance, and market data and provide recommendations to leadership. Support other procurement priorities based on business needs. Develop and maintain expert knowledge of respective supply markets, competitors, and product innovations Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree 5+ years’ experience in sourcing environment and familiarity with industrial operations Preferred Qualifications Sourcing or commodity-management experience with the facilities and packaging categories Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, engineering, finance, or business MBA or professional certifications (CPM, CPSM, CIRM, CPIM) Strong understanding of total cost of ownership (TCO), cost drivers, and supplier economics. Ability to manage multiple high-impact initiatives and priorities simultaneously, with strong attention to detail and a disciplined process-oriented approach. Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook. Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills with ability to communicate insights to senior stakeholders. Experience with strategic sourcing and lean tools Strong knowledge of supply chain strategy (development and execution) and category specific experience Independently driven problem solver…

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