Global Category Manager, IT & Finance

Global Category Manager, IT & Finance Location: Latrobe, PA, US, 15650 On-site or Remote: Hybrid REQ ID: 48705 About Kennametal With over 85 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace and defense, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Learn more at kennametal.com. Follow @Kennametal: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. Job Title: Global Category Manager, IT & Finance Location: Latrobe, PA (preferred) OR Pittsburg, PA Job Summary: The Global IT & Finance Category Manager leads the development and execution of global category strategies across IT ($70M annual spend) and Finance ($40M annual spend) with responsibility for approximately $110M in managed spend. The role is accountable for driving competitive advantage through strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management, risk mitigation, contract governance, and category optimization across global operations. Delivers measurable business value through savings, service improvements, supplier innovation, compliance, working capital improvements, and business resiliency initiatives. Key Job Responsibilities: Leads development, implementation, and governance of global IT and Finance category strategies across NAM, EMEA, APAC, and India. Develop annual sourcing roadmaps, project pipelines, and category strategies aligned with business objectives and cost reduction goals. Lead global RFx events, supplier negotiations, contract renewals, and commercial discussions. Work cross-functionally to define requirements, develop SOWs, and prepare sourcing and negotiation strategies. Manage IT categories including software, SaaS, cloud services, hardware, telecom, infrastructure, managed services, cybersecurity, and IT professional services. Manage Finance categories including audit, tax, banking, insurance, consulting, financial systems, and other finance-related services. Partner with IT, Finance, Technology, HR, Legal, EHS and regional stakeholders to execute strategic initiatives. Track savings, project execution, and value realization through sourcing tools and procurement systems. Leverage spend analytics, market intelligence, AI-enabled analytics, and sourcing technologies to identify optimization opportunities. Monitor and analyze market trends, emerging technologies, economic conditions, supplier landscapes, and industry developments. Prepare executive presentations, business cases, contract approval packages, and sourcing recommendations. Lead cross-functional meetings focused on service improvements, operational efficiencies, supplier performance, and cost reduction opportunities. Lead executive-level supplier relationship management, business reviews, performance scorecards, and continuous improvement initiatives. Monitor supplier performance against contractual obligations and negotiate corrective actions when service, cost, or compliance issues arise. Identify, assess, and mitigate supplier, operational, financial, regulatory, cybersecurity, data privacy, and geopolitical risks through category risk management strategies. Support broader sourcing and special projects outside primary categories as business needs require. Utilize SAP, sourcing systems, contract repositories, PO systems, spend analytics platforms, and savings trackers to drive insights and results. Accountable for achievement of key performance metrics including ethics and compliance, cost savings, inflation mitigation, supplier quality and service levels, productivity improvement, working capital performance, risk reduction, and stakeholder satisfaction. Education, Work Experience, Skills, Certificates: Education: Bachelor’s Degree (RQ) in Supply Chain, Business, or Engineering; MBA (PF) Minimum of 5+ years of strategic sourcing, procurement experience, including 3+…

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