Category Management Specialist, Sr or Sr Staff

Entergy · New Orleans

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Job Title: Category Management Specialist, Sr or Sr Staff

Work Place Flexibility: Hybrid 

Legal Entity: Entergy Services, LLC 

Please note: Authorization to work in the United States is a precondition to employment in this position. Entergy will not sponsor candidates for work visas for this position.

Note: This is a hybrid position requiring in office work two - three days a week, and can be based our offices in The Woodlands, TX, Jackson, MS, Little Rock, AR, or New Orleans, LA.  The selected candidates will be placed as a Category Management Specialist, Sr or Sr Staff based on education, relevant experience, and demonstrated success at the category management specialist level. Relocation assistance is not available for this posting.

Job Summary/Purpose

The Category Management Specialist is responsible for driving Supplier Commercial Excellence across a diverse portfolio of IT sub-categories and business functions, including Hardware, Information Security, IT Professional Services, Software, Telecom, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This position leverages extensive expertise in supply chain, category management, strategic sourcing, and contracting to execute the end-to-end procurement and supply chain processes of plan-strategy-source-perform.

As the single point of contact and strategic lead for Entergy's third-party spend, the Category Management Specialist collaborates cross-functionally with internal stakeholders, such as business units, Supplier Development, Tax, Finance, Risk Management, Safety, Human Resources, and Legal, as well as external suppliers and industry organizations. The role is responsible for building and maintaining these cross-functional teams to create prioritized sub-category profiles, develop contracting strategies, execute strategic sourcing processes, manage negotiations, and implement and oversee post-award contract management.

The primary objective of this position is to create value through the supply chain in terms of safety, cost, and performance, ultimately driving Supplier Commercial Excellence and delivering end-to-end value for the assigned portfolio of spend.

Job Duties/Responsibilities

• Safety/Human Performance:
  • Actively promote strong safety behaviors and ensure the team always puts safety first. 
  • Utilize key tools, programs, and proactive field visits to assure standards and behaviors. 
  • Monitor and influence suppliers to proactively identify any safety concerns.
• Incident Response:
  • Perform storm role duties as assigned through the Storm Assignment Management System (SAMS).

• Category Strategy:
  • Develop and execute category and subcategory strategies, checklist, manage spend and regularly track market trends, Ability to work strategically and tactically to deliver positive business results.
  • Category Processes:
  • Systematic process to review commercial, process, technical, risk management and sustainability strategies for product categories and subcategories.

• Contract Negotiation/ Drafting
  • Draft IT service agreements
  • Lead the Request for Proposal process for IT Professional Services, Software, Hardware or Telecommunications

• Supplier Management:
  • Supplier management strategy in place, linked with supplier segment, category strategies, and business reviews to ensure supplier performance.
  • Supplier Base: Supplier portfolio is regularly reviewed based on price/performance and cost structure comparison.
• Optimization:
  • Recurrent effort to bundle purchasing and to forecast demand across departments/business units.

• Customer Engagement
  • Ability influence and work across Cross-functional teams and levels in the organization to optimize supply-chain, redesign-to cost and make-or-buy strategies.

Minimum Requirements

Minimum Education & Experience required of the position

• Category Management Specialist, Sr:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Accounting, Engineering, Legal, or other related discipline and minimum 9+ years of category management, strategic sourcing or other related supply chain experience OR in lieu of a degree, minimum 13+ years of category management, strategic sourcing or other related supply chain experience
    • Minimum 3+ years’ energy industry supply chain experience in category management or strategic sourcing
    Preferred:
    Certification from an industry accreditation organization such as CPSM, APICS, etc.
• Category Management Specialist, Sr Staff:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Accounting, Engineering, Legal, or other related discipline and minimum 12+ years of category management, strategic sourcing or other related supply chain experience OR in lieu of a degree, minimum 16+ years of category management, strategic sourcing or other related supply chain experience
    • Minimum 6+ years’ energy industry supply chain experience in category management or strategic sourcing
    Preferred:
    Certification from an industry accreditation organization such as CPSM, APICS, etc. 

Minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the position

• Responsible for driving exceptional total cost value creation by applying contemporary IT category management strategies – plan, strategy, source and perform. Including:
  • Development of IT category profiles, sourcing processes, business cases and implementation plan’s that maximize value across spend under category management – progressing safety, performance and cost reduction opportunities.
  • Utilize IT demand and supply plans to recommend and inform category sourcing initiatives. Accountable for working with the IT business to balance demand and supply by integrating operating plans. Maintain awareness of plant schedules and commitments (Milestones) to provide support to meet outage and project schedules.
  • Analyses of IT 3rd party spending, contracts and suppliers to ensure informed decision-making by related cross functional team. Gathers and leverages external intelligence on IT supply markets.
  • Identify and implement cost saving opportunities (including cost savings initiatives / programs) through rate reduction, process improvement, innovative incentive structures, or supplier collaboration.
  • Conduct Bids and Sourcing Activities
  • Assist tactical groups in negotiating Terms and Conditions, Claims and Dispute Resolution.
  • Leads negotiations and contract development for alliances and other complex companywide agreements. Negotiates software licenses.
  • Lead the identification of IT spend to be managed enterprise wide and work with IT and related stakeholders to obtain alignment.
  • Anticipates and minimizes performance issues via creation, monitoring and reporting of key performance indicators (KPIs). When IT Contractor performance issues emerge, identifies root causes and drives efficient resolution of issues at hand by working across both internal and external stakeholders.
  • Evaluate rates, incentives, and cost structures of contracts to ensure consistency with market conditions.
  • Monitor and help resolve contract claims and administer the requirements of the contract.
  • Drives Entergy’s Sustainable Procurement and Supplier Development programs for the IT supply chains. Promote the use of local-owned businesses and the procurement of sustainable materials and services across IT.

• Technical
  • Masterful application of strategic and creative thinking to produce a range of solutions to problems, anticipating changes in the business environment, and making data driven decisions.
  • Mastery and innovative solutions for category management processes; including supplier development, safety metrics and tools; category strategies are used as exemplars across SC.
  • Deep understanding of supplier relationship/vendor management principles and practices
  • Mastery in the application of pre-award and post-award contract management processes; integrate business unit specific knowledge; identify and mitigate contractual risks to Entergy.
  • Mastery in leading/coaching the development and implementation of sourcing strategies; strategies are used as exemplars across SC.
  • Deep proficiency in understanding the capacity and cost structure of existing suppliers.
  • Extensive knowledge in developing detailed RFx price breakdowns and deconstructing vendor pricing models to support financial analysis and bid comparison.
  • Masterful ability to extract data and apply market intelligence to assess supply market status and evolution.
  • Deep expertise in leading/coaching the development “cost to serve” for customers.
  • Mastery in leading/coaching the implementation of clear strategies to develop supplier bases; strategies are used as exemplars across SC.
  • Deep expertise in creating negotiation strategies and leading supplier negotiations that support operational excellence through safety, price, quality, service and innovation; strategies are used as exemplars across SC.
  • Extensive knowledge of business and SC operations within Entergy; including how Entergy buys and pays (HEBAP); experience and knowledge of supply chain systems and processes.
  • Deep influencing skills to promote effective demand planning across business units, functions and SC (zero-based purchasing, pro-active purchase planning and hedging).

• Professional
  • Expertise to advise on the application of project management principles to ensure systematic, thorough completion of assignments, identifying critical pathways and risks to delivery.
  • Mastery in the application of commercial skills and financial acumen to capital projects, with the inclusion of key business drivers and impact to Entergy on outcomes.
  • Capability to lead on the development of data/information analyses to assist the business in decision making; provide business insights and data trends through detailed reports.
  • Ability to communicate autonomously with category management stakeholders, including executive level, delivering key messages concisely, supported by relevant data, influencing skills to develop best outcomes.
    • Proficient at building extensive relationships and effective networks with all stakeholders.
    • Deep understanding of change management relative to category management solutions for the business. 
    • Deep experience and knowledge to effectively manage the costs of the business; understand the impact of contract terms on Entergy cost structure

• Primary Location: Louisiana-New Orleans Louisiana : New Orleans || Mississippi : Jackson || Texas : The Woodlands
• Job Function: Corporate
• FLSA Status: Professional
• Relocation Option: No Relocation Offered
• Union description/code: NON BARGAINING UNIT
• Number of Openings: 1
• Req ID: 124334
• Travel Percentage:Up to 25%

An Equal Opportunity Employer, Minority/Female/Disability/Vets. Please click here to view the EEI page, or see statements below.

• EEO Statement: The Entergy System of Companies provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. The Entergy System of Companies complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
• The Entergy System of Companies expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of the Entergy System of Company employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated.

Accessibility: Entergy provides reasonable accommodations for online applicants. Requests for a reasonable accommodation may be made orally or in writing by an applicant, employee, or third party on his or her behalf. If you are an individual with a disability and you are in need of an accommodation for the recruiting process please click here and provide your name, contact number, the accommodation requested and the requisition number that you are requesting the accommodation for. Employee Services will contact you regarding your request.

Additional Responsibilities: As a provider of essential services, Entergy expects its employees to be available to work additional hours, to work in alternate locations, and/or to perform additional duties in connection with storms, outages, emergencies, or other situations as deemed necessary by the company. Exempt employees may not be paid overtime associated with such duties.

Equal Opportunity

The non-confidential portions of the affirmative action program for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans shall be available for inspection upon request by any employee or applicant for employment.  Please contact HRCompliance@entergy.com to schedule a time to review the affirmative action plan during regular office hours.

• WORKING CONDITIONS:
• As a provider of essential services, Entergy expects its employees to be available to work additional hours, to work in alternate locations, and/or to perform additional duties in connection with storms, outages, emergencies, or other situations as deemed necessary by the company. Exempt employees may not be paid overtime associated with such duties.

Please note: Authorization to work in the United States is a precondition to employment in this position. Entergy will not sponsor candidates for work visas for this position.

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