Global Category Manager
Waters Corporation
Summary
The Electronic Components Global Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing worldwide sourcing strategies for electronic components, including semiconductors, printed circuit boards (PCBs), connectors, passive components, sensors, and displays. The role drives cost optimization, market trends, supply continuity, technology alignment, risk mitigation, and innovation across the global supply base, and manages the last-time process and broker relationships.
Job description
Overview
The Electronic Components Global Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing worldwide sourcing strategies for electronic components, including semiconductors, printed circuit boards (PCBs), connectors, passive components, sensors, and displays. The role drives cost optimization, market trends, supply continuity, technology alignment, risk mitigation, and innovation across the global supply base, and manages the last-time process and broker relationships.
This position partners closely with Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Product Management, and Finance to support both current production and new product introductions while achieving cost, quality, delivery, and sustainability objectives.
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute global category strategies for electronic components and related technologies.
- Conduct annual spend analysis by commodity, supplier, region, and business unit.
- Create and maintain a 3-5 year category roadmap aligned with business growth and product strategies.
- Analyze market trends, technology developments, capacity constraints, lead time risks, and inflationary drivers, and provide market forecasts and risk assessments to business stakeholders.
- Establish sourcing strategies for both existing product lines and new product development initiatives by partnering with Engineering during product design and development.
- Negotiate pricing, lead times, capacity commitments, and long-term supply agreements.
- Build and manage strategic relationships with key electronic component manufacturers and distributors.
- Manage executive-level supplier escalations and performance recovery plans.
- Monitor semiconductor market dynamics, allocation risks, geopolitical developments, tariffs, and capacity constraints, and lead cross-functional response activities during supply disruptions.
- Develop risk mitigation strategies for sole-source and high-risk components.
- Create and maintain a safety stock strategy.
Qualifications
- 5-8+ years of procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, or supply chain experience.
- At least 5 years managing electronic components or electronics manufacturing supply chains.
- Experience negotiating with semiconductor manufacturers, EMS providers, PCB suppliers, and electronic component distributors.
- Experience within a regulated manufacturing environment preferred.
- Global sourcing and supplier management experience required.
- Strong Negotiator
- Supplier Relationship Management.
Requirements
- 5-8+ years of procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, or supply chain experience
- At least 5 years managing electronic components or electronics manufacturing supply chains
- Experience negotiating with semiconductor manufacturers, EMS providers, PCB suppliers, and electronic component distributors
- Global sourcing and supplier management experience required
- Strong negotiator
- Supplier relationship management
Company overview
Waters Corporation is a global leader in analytical instruments, separations technologies, and software solutions serving the life, materials, food, and environmental sciences industries. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts, the company specializes in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), mass spectrometry systems, and laboratory informatics software. With approximately 7,600 employees worldwide, Waters provides critical analytical tools that enable pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and quality control laboratories to ensure drug safety, food purity, and environmental monitoring. The company's innovative technologies support scientific discovery, product development, and regulatory compliance across multiple sectors, making it an essential partner for laboratory-dependent organizations seeking to advance scientific understanding and improve human health through precise measurement and analysis.