Manager - Category Management

Cheniere Supply Chain Management (SCM) is shaping our future with a focused transformation program.  We are mobilizing to establish an agile and resilient supply chain that is fit to support our company’s growth.  The Cheniere SCM team are accountable to support our business partners to create value, mitigate risk and assure security of supply.   We are building a team of SCM professionals that not only deliver value today but create a more agile and resilient supply chain for the future.  

POSITION OVERVIEW
This Manager, Category Management (Capital) is a critical position that supports the Cheniere Project Development & Execution, Pipeline Engineering & Construction, Operations & Maintenance, and Cheniere Land Holdings businesses with the development and deployment of Category Strategies.  In doing so, the Manager will work closely with business partners to source, select, contract, and manage supplier relationships.  Additionally, this position will be responsible for integrating new business processes, sourcing, and contracting principles and systems being developed through our SCM transformation.  

We are seeking a professional with proven experience managing and leading category teams, engaging business partners and suppliers in the processes associated with end-to-end category management, including segmentation, sourcing, contracting, post award contract management and supplier management. The Category Management Manager is responsible for: 

• Managing a team of Supply Chain professionals. 
• Integrating and working closely with business partners in the Cheniere Project Development & Execution, Pipeline Engineering & Construction, Operations & Maintenance, and Cheniere Land Holdings businesses. 
• Delivering the selection of suppliers for services, material and equipment used in the construction and maintenance of the LNG, Pipeline, and power generation facilities.  
• Engaging with Category Management, Purchasing, Materials Management teams and business partners to deliver strategies to meet business needs and supply market capability. 
• Implementing contracts for use by the business and purchasing teams.  
• Maintaining supplier performance and commercial contract documentation.
• Driving compliance, continuous improvement, and value delivery.  

RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Leadership

• Provide leadership in the management of the team’s category portfolio, value delivery, data integrity and communication.

• Lead, coach, and performance manage team’s quality of work, and career development.
• Communicate with business stakeholders to align the strategic intent of supplier relationships, category or sourcing strategies and the business needs.
• Proactively influence senior leaders to gain alignment and access to appropriate resources.
• Coordinate business specific interests while leveraging Cheniere’s scope and scale.
• Support innovation and introduction of changes considering internal and external market challenges.
• Ensure the timeliness and quality of sourcing and contracting.
• Provide assurance for team performance, quality of work, data management and capability development related to their Sourcing, Competitive bidding, Contracting and category implementation.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary interface for all 3rd party spend in the category for the Cheniere Business and SCM.
• Own business relationships and collaborates with their teams to provide thought leadership and ways of working that drive category and contract management best practices.
• Support cross-team workload balancing to ensure SCM services are delivered with quality and timely response.
• Support the team in the development of Contract and Procurement Strategies for Project Development & Execution and Operations Projects.  
• Develop supplier management plans for category-specific suppliers, to manage internal and external relationships focused on enhancing collaboration and value.
• Manage targeted supplier relationships for the Category. 
• Champion supplier innovation with business stakeholders and leadership to contribute to Cheniere’s future success.
• Support Contract Owners to gather performance feedback for effective contractor and supplier management (per Cheniere’s Operating Management Systems element 9.1).

Category Strategy and Implementation

• Provide input to the development of comprehensive Category Strategies.
• Integrate and connect demand planning, materials management, inventory strategy, contract call-off, buying and invoice requirements to deliver the Category.
• Integrate Category Strategies, SCM ways of working and sourcing and contracting timelines into Project Development & Execution and Operations Capital Contract and Procurement Strategies. 
• Ensure the category activities are compliant with local laws/regulations, policies and SCM functional policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Implement end-to-end category strategies – from the development of the strategy, through the implementation and benefits realization of that strategy.
• Provide expertise within their category portfolio, with an intimate knowledge of the supply market dynamics, the latest thinking on new technologies, disruption, and innovative commercial contracting.
• Ensure spend coverage, timeliness and quality of all contracts required for safe, reliable, and competitive business operations

Sourcing, Contracting, and Contract Management 

• Ensure all category specific sourcing & contracting is delivered in a compliant, timely, and accurate manner.
• Lead and executes negotiations to establish contracts with qualified suppliers, to secure equipment, materials, and services on time at optimum cost for the Company.
• Draft, evaluate, negotiate, and execute contracts (several types including lump sum [firm, fixed price], time based, and multi-year contracts).
• Maintain an awareness of supplier activity to ensure supply of materials, equipment, and services required for current and future needs.
• Ensure contractual records and documentation for all suppliers are maintained in the appropriate systems.
• Support the Delivery Purchasing team in the establishment of Contract Purchase Agreements (CPA’s) and Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA’s) as appropriate for the business and supplier contracts.
• Support the Delivery Purchasing team to establish transactional purchases against established contracts.
• The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time; or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Knowledge:

• Understanding of LNG or Oil & Gas plant or pipeline experience.

• Understanding of capital project stage gate processes and SCM deliverables.

• Advanced knowledge of category management strategies, inventory management and purchasing.  

Skills:

• Ability to create and manage Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) models. 

• Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional teams. Collaborative, teamwork approach with alignment with company values.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management abilities. 

• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously. 

• Advanced MS Office skills. 

• Proficiency in ERP or similar procurement software and central contract management system.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE 
Education, Training and Certifications: Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Supply Chain or related field. 

Experience: Minimum ten (10) years’ experience in Category Management, including strategic sourcing, negotiation of general material and service contract provisions, commercial terms, and post award contract management.

Manager, Category Management (Capital Projects) must have experience with the following:

• Managing teams of direct and indirect reports. 

• Leading cross-functional teams across multiple organizational disciplines. 

• Hands-on experience with sourcing, negotiation of general material and service contract provisions, commercial terms, and contract management.  

• Hands-on experience with managing and delivering value from developing Request for Proposals and bid evaluations, contracting, and supplier management.

• Hands-on experience with source-to-contract and purchase to pay systems i.e. Oracle, SAP, GEP, Coupa, JDE, etc.

• Experience with the following spend categories or another relevant category experience:

  • Any of the following equipment, material, and/or associated service spend categories utilized in LNG, Refining or Chemical Plants: Valves, Instrument and Electrical, Compressors, Rotating Equipment, UPS Equipment, Engineering Services, EPC Services, Construction Services, Fabrication Services, Technical Consulting, etc.

  • Experience with Capital Projects (Categories A-C), stage gate Project delivery processes, supporting capital projects from either a Supply Chain, Project Controls or Project Management perspective.  Sourcing, contracting, contract novation, and purchasing capital equipment and spares is a plus.  

DIRECT REPORTS
Team of SCM professionals supporting LNG and Pipeline Major Projects, O&M Capital Projects, OEM Capital Equipment, MRO & FERC related services.

WORK CONDITIONS 

• Physical Area: Our Houston office is located in the heart of downtown and we offer free parking or a metro ticket to get here. With all corporate teams at the same location, there’s always a buzz around the office. You’ll have dedicated desk space and plenty of human interaction.

• Facilities and hardware: Our offices are modern, bright, and designed to foster collaboration. You’ll have access to great IT equipment and support and can readily access the downtown tunnels, restaurants, and gyms. You may occasionally need to travel to our sites at Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi and those sites are governed by FTZ regulations which does include drug and alcohol testing. 

• Working conditions: Cheniere is committed to improving the wellbeing of our employees and while you may on occasion need to work outside usual working hours, we aspire to provide a good work life balance for all.

• Company culture: So, what’s the culture like at Cheniere? It’s our values — teamwork, respect, accountability, integrity, nimbleness, and safety — at work. We’re happy when we hear employees say we have a great culture. But we’re not satisfied with building a great culture, we’re endeavoring to build the best culture.

• Job is performed in a typical office environment, but is subject to time pressures and constraints, and is often dependent on input from others.  

• Occasionally, work may be performed from home, after normal work hours or on weekends. 

• Periodically travel as business requires.

• Subject to drug and alcohol testing, per applicable federal regulations or as required by Cheniere.
  

ADA JOB REQUIREMENTS
Reasonable accommodations will be made to ensure that the essential functions of the job can be performed and not hinder the employee's performance due to physical or mental disability.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Cheniere Energy is an equal opportunity workplace. All employment decisions are made without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected categories. This includes providing reasonable accommodation if requested for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices.