Category Manager, Direct Materials

Job Summary

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This Category Manager, Direct Materials role is responsible for leading the global sourcing and procurement strategy for packaging materials, ensuring reliable supply, strong supplier performance, cost optimization, and risk mitigation across Insulet’s manufacturing operations. The position partners closely with Packaging Engineering, Quality, Operations, Supply Planning, and Manufacturing teams to select and manage suppliers, negotiate contracts, drive cost savings and continuous improvement initiatives, resolve supply and quality issues, and support sustainability goals. The ideal candidate brings extensive experience in strategic sourcing, supplier management, contract negotiation, and packaging procurement, along with strong analytical, project management, and stakeholder influence skills. This role is well-suited for a supply chain professional who can balance business growth, operational continuity, supplier performance, and long-term value creation in a fast-paced, regulated manufacturing environment.

Job Title:                              Category Manager, Direct Materials

Department:                     Manufacturing 

Position Overview: 
The Category Manager develops and executes sourcing strategies and procurement processes for packaging purchasing. This role delivers value to the business by improving supplier performance, ensuring packaging material availability and capacity, reducing total cost of ownership, mitigating supply risk, supporting operational continuity, and driving continuous improvement across packaging materials, packaging suppliers, and related supply chain partners. 
 
Responsibilities: 
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop, implement, and execute global sourcing strategies for packaging materials and related supplier categories. 
• Develop and execute supplier agreements that support business growth, improve supplier performance, mitigate risk, and reduce total cost of ownership. 
• Lead sourcing events, supplier evaluations, competitive bids, benchmarking, and negotiations for packaging materials, components, tooling, specifications, and related supplier services. 
• Partner with Packaging Engineering, Quality, Operations, Supply Planning, and Manufacturing teams to ensure packaging solutions meet quality, regulatory, capacity, service, and cost requirements. 
• Establish collaborative relationships with packaging suppliers and their senior management teams. 
• Hold suppliers accountable for performance through formal processes such as business reviews, action tracking, scorecards, quality reviews, and corrective action plans. 
• Collaborate with supply planning, manufacturing sites, and external partners to ensure packaging material availability, continuity of supply, and reliable support for production schedules. 
• Serve as an escalation point for packaging supplier, capacity, service, quality, and shortage-related issues impacting business continuity or customer service. 
• Maintain a pipeline of cost reduction, productivity, packaging improvement, supplier consolidation, and specification optimization opportunities that deliver measurable year-over-year value. 
• Drive projects that improve gross margin, working capital, service reliability, lead times, packaging utilization, and operational resilience. 
• Provide detailed cost/benefit analysis, should-cost modeling, supplier performance reporting, and packaging cost analysis to support business decisions. 
• Collaborate with Sustainability, Packaging Engineering, Operations, and Quality teams to identify packaging solutions that reduce waste, improve material efficiency, and support company sustainability goals. 
• Perform other duties and lead projects as required. 
 
Education and Experience: 
• Minimum Requirements: 
• Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, operations, engineering, packaging science, or related discipline; Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Engineering, or Packaging Science preferred. 
• 8+ years’ relevant experience leading procurement categories in sourcing, negotiating, contracting, supplier management, packaging procurement, and project management. 
• Prior experience in global strategic sourcing and supplier management for packaging materials using strategic category management techniques to achieve results. 
• Strong understanding of packaging materials, packaging conversion processes, tooling, specifications, supplier capabilities, quality requirements, and relevant industry trends. 
• Success in selecting suppliers and negotiating contracts that deliver robust, scalable, cost-effective, and compliant packaging solutions. 
• Demonstrated track record of measurable cost savings, productivity improvements, and service-level improvements on an annual basis. 
• Experience using benchmarking, RFx processes, cost analysis, should-cost modeling, and supplier performance tools to deliver successful negotiation outcomes. 
• Must possess the social intelligence to influence and lead stakeholders and suppliers at senior levels within the organization. 
• Ability to prioritize and work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with cross-functional teams and global supply chain partners. 
• Proficient with Microsoft Windows and Office applications, particularly Microsoft Excel. 
• Medical device, regulated manufacturing, life sciences, packaging, or global manufacturing experience highly preferred. 
 
Skills/Competencies: 
• Excellent supplier management skills 
• Excellent negotiation skills 
• Excellent collaboration and interpersonal skills 
• Contract development and analysis skills 
• Supplier evaluation skills 
• Price, packaging cost, and should-cost analysis skills 
• Strong communication and presentation skills 
• Project management skills 
• Good risk management and business continuity planning skills 
• Market and packaging trend analysis skills 
• Strong strategic and long-range category planning skills 
• Financial analysis skills 
 
Travel Requirements: 20% 

NOTE: This position is eligible for 100% remote working arrangements (may work from home/virtually 100%; may also work hybrid on-site/virtual as desired). #LI-Remote

Additional Information:

Compensation & Benefits: For U.S.-based positions only, the annual base salary range for this role is $103,100.00 - $154,625.00 This position may also be eligible for incentive compensation. We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including: • Medical, dental, and vision insurance • 401(k) with company match • Paid time off (PTO) • And additional employee wellness programs Application Details: This job posting will remain open until the position is filled. To apply, please visit the Insulet Careers site and submit your application online. Actual pay depends on skills, experience, and education.