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Sr. Category Manager, Packaging, Global Procurement Operations (GPO)

Amazon.com Inc
  • Irvine, CA
    2 days ago

    Job Description

    At Amazon, we"re working to be the most customer-centric company on earth, and we need exceptionally talented, bright, and driven people to get there. We are seeking a Category Manager to own and strategically source for Amazon"s Pallets Program across North America and Europe - a multi-region category representing significant annual spend and a critical input to the reliability of Amazon"s fulfillment and logistics network.

    The person in this role will develop and execute category sourcing strategies, deliver cost savings and productivity improvements, and manage a portfolio of pallet suppliers across two regions. You will interact with important suppliers, coordinate across operations, finance, and supply chain teams, and translate business requirements into sourcing outcomes. The ideal candidate is a self-starter and a creative, critical thinker who is comfortable operating independently in an ambiguous, fast-changing environment. You must be an effective communicator able to partner credibly with stakeholders at every level.

    Key job responsibilities

    Establish category sourcing strategies for the Pallets Program; lead cross-functional sourcing teams, negotiate with suppliers, and execute contracts to optimize Amazon"s competitive position across NA and EU

    Drive supplier relationships with the objective of achieving the optimal total cost of ownership, supported by a culture of continuous improvement and performance benchmarking

    Proactively identify, monitor, and optimize category opportunities across both regions

    Act as a market intelligence provider for the pallets category; anticipate strategic opportunities and keep key stakeholders informed

    Lead Supplier Relationship Management activities to mitigate risk, improve performance, and add value to Amazon - including sustainability levers such as reusable/returnable pallet programs

    Identify, achieve, and report on savings and value targets for category sourcing activities

    Align with internal customers and understand the business application of the category

    Earn the trust of key stakeholders to drive alignment with the business

    Create a unified, comprehensive category strategy in conjunction with internal customers

    Achieve yearly cost-savings / value targets aligned with annual budget processes

    Define and report on key metrics measuring supply effectiveness and cost savings

    Champion standards and process improvements

    A day in the life

    You start by reviewing supplier performance dashboards and open risk items across your NA and EU pallet suppliers. You join a sourcing-strategy working session with Operations and Finance, then prepare for an upcoming tender - aligning requirements with internal customers. In the afternoon you negotiate contract terms with a key supplier, update your savings tracker, and draft a short narrative on a reusable-pallet opportunity. You close the day flagging a supply-continuity risk and the mitigation plan to stakeholders.

    About the team

    GRIT2 - Grocery, Receiving, Inventory, and Tier 2 - is the Global Procurement Operations team that sources the non-inventory supplies and services keeping Amazon"s fulfillment and grocery logistics networks running. We operate across North America and Europe, spanning pallets, cross-dock, Tier 2 supplier programs, and Amazon Grocery Logistics. We think of ourselves as a strategic partner, not a reactive buying desk: we design end-to-end solutions across the supply chain, dive deep on data, and earn trust with senior leaders and suppliers alike. We value ownership, bias for action, continuous improvement, and sustainability built into every sourcing decision.

    Numbers & Facts

    LocationIrvine, CA
    IndustryRetail
    Company Size10,000 employees or more
    Year Founded1994
    Websitehttp://Amazon.com/militaryroles

    About Company

    At Amazon, we don’t wait for the next big idea to present itself. We envision the shape of impossible things and then we boldly make them reality. So far, this mindset has helped us achieve some incredible things. Let’s build new systems, challenge the status quo, and design the world we want to live in. We believe the work you do here will be the best work of your life.

    Wherever you are in your career exploration, Amazon likely has an opportunity for you. Our research scientists and engineers shape the future of natural language understanding with Alexa. Fulfillment center associates around the globe send customer orders from our warehouses to doorsteps. Product managers set feature requirements, strategy, and marketing messages for brand new customer experiences. And as we grow, we’ll add jobs that haven’t been invented yet.

    It’s Always Day 1
    At Amazon, it’s always “Day 1.” Now, what does this mean and why does it matter? It means that our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first day – to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, invent, and stay focused on delighting our customers. In our 2016 shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos shared his thoughts on how to keep up a Day 1 company mindset. “Staying in Day 1 requires you to experiment patiently, accept failures, plant seeds, protect saplings, and double down when you see customer delight,” he wrote. “A customer-obsessed culture best creates the conditions where all of that can happen.” You can read the full letter here

    Our Leadership Principles
    Our Leadership Principles help us keep a Day 1 mentality. They aren’t just a pretty inspirational wall hanging. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they’re discussing ideas for new projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer’s problem, or interviewing candidates. To read through our Leadership Principles from Customer Obsession to Bias for Action, visit https://www.amazon.jobs/principles

    Skills

    • Benchmarkingunmatched
    • Budgetingunmatched
    • Business Solutionsunmatched
    • Category Developmentunmatched
    • Category Managementunmatched
    • Channel Strategiesunmatched
    • Communication Skillsunmatched
    • Competitive Analysis/Strategyunmatched
    • Continuous Improvementunmatched
    • Cost Controlunmatched
    • Cost Effectiveness Analysisunmatched
    • Cross-Functionalunmatched
    • Financeunmatched
    • Logisticsunmatched
    • Metricsunmatched
    • Negotiation Skillsunmatched
    • Pallet Jackunmatched
    • Performance Managementunmatched
    • Process Improvementunmatched
    • Productivity Managementunmatched
    • Purchasing/Procurementunmatched
    • Reporting Dashboardsunmatched
    • Requirements Managementunmatched
    • Riskunmatched
    • Risk Managementunmatched
    • Shipping/Receivingunmatched
    • Sourcing Strategyunmatched
    • Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)unmatched
    • Supply Chainunmatched
    • Sustainabilityunmatched
    • Team Lead/Managerunmatched
    • Total Cost of Ownershipunmatched
    • Vendor/Supplier Evaluationunmatched
    • Vendor/Supplier Relationsunmatched

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