Category Manager

Proven flight heritage. Built for the nation’s most critical missions. Rocketdyne has powered American launch and national security missions for generations. Today we build the propulsion, power, and communications that get this country’s most important systems where they need to go - and keep them there. If it flies, we power it. If it protects the nation, we deliver it. Real hardware. Real stakes. Join the team the nation depends on. The Role As a Category Manager, you will develop and execute category strategies for assigned direct-material commodities, such as aerospace fasteners, composites, valves, turbomachinery hardware, and selected raw materials. You will analyze market trends, supplier capabilities, and industry developments to identify competitive, creative, and resilient sourcing solutions. Serving as a category subject-matter expert, you will lead complex sourcing and supplier-transition initiatives with minimal oversight. You will partner with buyers, Programs, Engineering, Quality, and suppliers to address performance issues, identify alternative sources, and manage risks to cost, quality, delivery, and continuity of supply. Why This Role Matters A capable and resilient supply base is essential to delivering mission-critical hardware. By looking beyond incumbent suppliers and identifying new capabilities and sourcing alternatives, you will help mitigate supply risk, improve supplier performance, and deliver measurable business and program results. Success in this role looks like: Comprehensive category strategies reflect market conditions, business requirements, supplier capabilities, and program priorities. Buyers, program teams, and functional leaders receive timely market intelligence and expert guidance when sourcing or supplier-performance issues arise. Alternative sources are identified before supplier limitations or disruptions significantly affect program execution. Complex supplier transitions are planned and executed with appropriate coordination across Supply Chain, Programs, Engineering, Quality, and other stakeholders. Category decisions consider total value, including cost, quality, delivery, capacity, technical capability, and supply continuity. New and emerging suppliers, technologies, and industry capabilities are evaluated rather than relying exclusively on incumbent sources. Category initiatives result in measurable improvements to supply resilience, supplier performance, cost, quality, delivery, or operational execution. Sourcing practices and category-management processes become more consistent, proactive, and data-driven. Key Responsibilities Develop and execute category strategies for assigned direct-material commodities based on business needs, market conditions, and supplier capabilities. Serve as the category subject-matter expert, providing market intelligence, supply-base analysis, and sourcing recommendations. Identify industry trends, emerging technologies, capacity constraints, and new or differentiated suppliers. Lead complex sourcing, supplier-recovery, and transition initiatives with minimal oversight. Partner with buyers, Programs, Engineering, Quality, and Operations to identify and qualify alternative sources when suppliers underperform or discontinue work. Evaluate sourcing alternatives based on cost, quality, delivery, capacity, technical capability, and supply risk. Influence internal and external stakeholders to implement category strategies, sourcing changes, and supplier-transition plans. Implement category and process improvements that produce measurable business results. Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 9 years of prior relevant experience; a graduate degree and a minimum of 7 years of prior related experience; or, in lieu of a degree, a minimum of 13 years of prior related experience. Comprehensive knowledge of category management, strategic sourcing, supply chain management, procurement, or a related discipline. Experience s…

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