Position Summary

The Global Category Manager (GCM) owns the supply panel strategy, category economics, and supplier management for assigned categories across all regions. The role is the single source of truth for category cost models, supplier segmentation, and long-term commercial frameworks — driving should-cost discipline, demand aggregation, and supply panel governance. The GCM coordinates across Product Line Leaders and Regional Category Managers to ensure category strategies are aligned to product roadmaps, NPI timelines, and enterprise cost targets.

Within the global procurement team, this role serves as the category strategy owner — setting the multi-year supply market vision, governing the supplier panel, and driving should-cost discipline across all assigned category spend.

Responsibilities

Own supply panel strategy: ASL governance, dual-source qualification, demand aggregation, and supplier consolidation across all assigned category spend.
Govern long-term commercial frameworks (LTAs, MSAs, SOWs, capacity reservations, and commodity hedging) - transitioning to outcome-based contracting.
Coordinate with Procurement Product Line Leaders to drive early NPI engagement at Gate 0–1.
Own supplier innovation partnerships: Advanced Technology Partner (ATP) engagements, technology pipelines, and co-investment strategies with key suppliers.
Drive cost model governance: should-cost discipline, TCO frameworks, and supplier cost challenge across all category spend.
Oversee supply panel diversification: alternate source qualification to eliminate single-source risk and regional panel coordination for commercial alignment.
Own Supplier Code of Conduct and Responsible Business compliance across all assigned category spend.
Drive supplier segmentation: Strategic / Critical / Important / Transactional.
Lead supplier negotiations and ensure competitive commercial terms across all regions.
Implement robust supplier performance management frameworks covering cost, quality, delivery, and innovation.

Qualifications

12+ years of experience in procurement, category management, or supply chain within a global, multi-national organization.
Proven track record in category strategy development and execution across complex global supply bases.
Experience managing global supplier relationships, including LTA negotiation, supplier development, and performance management.
Demonstrated ability to drive cost reduction through should-cost modelling, TCO analysis, and value engineering.
Strong commercial acumen and negotiation skills at senior supplier level.
Experience working within matrixed organizations with both vertical and horizontal reporting structures.
Preferred: experience in power systems, thermal systems, electronics, or industrial technology sectors.
Preferred: experience integrating procurement into product development (NPDI or equivalent lifecycle processes).

Time Travel Required

25%

OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

Customer Focus
Operational Excellence
High-Performance Culture
Innovation
Financial Strength

OUR BEHAVIORS

Own It
Act With Urgency
Foster a Customer-First Mindset
Think Big and Execute
Promote transparent and open communication
Lead by Example
Drive Continuous Improvement
Learn and Seek Out Development

#LI-DR2

The successful candidate will embrace Vertiv’s Core Principles & Behaviors to help execute our Strategic Priorities.

OUR CORE PRINCIPLES: Safety. Integrity. Respect. Teamwork. Inclusion.

OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

• High-Performance Culture

• Customer Focus

• Operational Excellence

• Innovation

• Financial Strength

VERTIV BEHAVIORS

• Own it

• Act with urgency

• Foster a customer-first mindset

• Think big and execute

• Lead by example

• Drive continuous improvement

• Learn and seek out development

• Promote transparent & open communication

About Vertiv

Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) brings together hardware, software, analytics and ongoing services to enable its customers’ vital applications to run continuously, perform optimally and grow with their business needs. Vertiv solves the most important challenges facing today’s data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial facilities with a portfolio of power, cooling and IT infrastructure solutions and services that extend from the cloud to the edge of the network. Headquartered in Westerville, Ohio, USA, Vertiv employs around 34,000 people and does business in more than 130 countries. Visit Vertiv.com to learn more.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Vertiv is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We promote equal opportunities for all with respect to hiring, terms of employment, mobility, training, compensation, and occupational health, without discrimination as to age, race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression (including transgender status or sexual stereotypes), genetic information, citizenship status, national origin, protected veteran status, political affiliation, or disability. If you have a disability and are having difficulty accessing or using this website to apply for a position, you can request help by sending an email to help.join@vertiv.com

Global Category Manager, Global Procurement

Job Description