Regional Category Manager - Indirect

Regional Category Manager

Your Job

The Regional Category Manager serves as the primary commercial and strategic point of contact for assigned suppliers and categories supporting Molex Aerospace & Defense Solutions (ADS). This role is responsible for building strong supplier partnerships, driving supplier performance, mitigating supply chain risk, and ensuring continuity of supply for mission-critical aerospace and defense products.

The Regional Category Manager partners closely with Procurement, Engineering, Quality, Operations, Program Management, and Supply Chain teams to align sourcing strategies with business objectives, support new product development activities, and create long-term value through supplier collaboration and continuous improvement.

Our Team

Molex Aerospace & Defense Solutions designs and manufactures high-reliability interconnect solutions supporting aerospace, defense, space, industrial, and mission-critical applications. The complexity of our products requires strong supplier relationships, disciplined risk management, and strategic sourcing partnerships capable of supporting stringent quality, regulatory, and customer requirements.

As part of the Global Procurement Organization, you will work cross-functionally across multiple business functions and manufacturing locations to ensure supplier capabilities align with business growth, operational objectives, and customer commitments.

What You Will Do

• Serve as the primary relationship strategic categories.
• Develop and execute supplier relationship strategies that improve quality, delivery, responsiveness, innovation, and total cost performance.
• Build strong partnerships with key suppliers and internal stakeholders to support operational and strategic business objectives.
• Lead supplier business reviews and performance discussions, utilizing scorecards and key performance indicators to drive continuous improvement.
• Monitor supplier performance metrics including delivery, quality, lead time adherence, responsiveness, capacity, and risk indicators.
• Identify and mitigate supplier risks including capacity constraints, financial stability concerns, geopolitical impacts, regulatory requirements, and sole-source dependencies.
• Support new product development initiatives by engaging suppliers early in the development process to drive innovation, manufacturability, and competitive cost structures.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Operations, and Supplier Quality teams to support supplier qualification, onboarding, and development activities.
• Drive supplier development initiatives focused on quality improvement, lead-time reduction, operational efficiency, and cost optimization.
• Lead escalation management efforts and coordinate root-cause analysis and corrective action plans to resolve supply chain disruptions.
• Partner with Procurement and Legal teams to support commercial negotiations, contractual obligations, supplier performance expectations, and renewal activities.
• Ensure suppliers meet ADS requirements related to quality, regulatory compliance, ethical sourcing, and responsible business practices.
• Support business continuity planning and supply chain resiliency initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for supplier-led innovation and collaborate with engineering teams to bring new technologies and capabilities into the organization.

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in procurement, category management, supplier management, strategic sourcing, or supply chain leadership.
• Experience managing supplier relationships, supplier performance programs, and business reviews.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience working in a manufacturing environment with direct materials suppliers.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Experience utilizing ERP systems and procurement or supplier management platforms.
• Ability to influence and collaborate across a matrixed global organization.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally as business needs require.

What Will Put You Ahead

• Experience with Indirect Category Management 
• Knowledge of AS9100, ITAR, DFARS, NADCAP, or other aerospace and defense regulatory requirements.
• Experience supporting high-reliability electromechanical products, connectors, cable assemblies, machined components, or electronic assemblies.
• Knowledge of supplier quality systems including APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, control plans, and audit processes.
• Experience supporting New Product Development (NPD) and New Product Introduction (NPI) programs.
• Professional certifications such as CPSM, CSCP, CIPS, or equivalent.
• Experience managing global suppliers and international supply chains.
• Proficiency with data visualization and reporting tools such as Power BI and advanced Excel analytics.
• Experience leading supplier development and continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean or Six Sigma methodologies.

At Molex ADS, We Create Value Through

• Strategic Supplier Partnerships
• Supply Chain Resiliency
• Aerospace & Defense Compliance
• New Product Development Support
• Supplier Innovation
• Cost Competitiveness
• Risk Mitigation
• Principled Entrepreneurship®