Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation is a thriving, values-driven company focused on doing the right things. We’re a fast growing, publicly traded company (NYSE: ZWS), with an enduring reputation for integrity, giving back, and providing an engaging, inclusive environment where careers flourish and grow.
Named by Newsweek as One of America’s Most Responsible Companies and an Energage USA Top Workplace, at Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation, we never forget that our people are at the center of what makes us successful. They are the driving force behind our superior quality, product ingenuity, and exceptional customer experience. Our commitment to our people and their professional development is a recipe for success that has fueled our growth for over 100 years, as one of today’s leading international suppliers of plumbing and water delivery solutions.
Headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation employs over 2800 employees worldwide, working from 24 locations across the U.S., China, Canada, Dubai, and Mexico, with sales offices available around the globe. We hope you’ll visit our website and learn more about Zurn Elkay at zurnelkay.com.
If you’re ready to join a company where what you do makes a difference and you have pride in the work you are doing, talk to us about joining the Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation family!
If you are a current employee, please navigate here to apply internally.This category Manager will provide leadership and strategic direction for assigned procurement categories within Zurn Elkay Water Solutions. This role is responsible for developing and executing category strategies that align with company objectives, ensuring cost competitiveness, quality, and delivery performance across multiple sites. The Category Manager will collaborate with cross-functional teams, suppliers, and stakeholders to drive value, mitigate risk, and support sustainability initiatives.
Maintains the highest level code of conduct and ethics.
Create and implement category strategies to optimize cost, quality and delivery
Manages complex multi-year customer / supplier relationships aligned to enable our front-end portfolio strategies
Plans, organizes, directs, controls, and communicates strategic sourcing activities related to BU products and other assigned commodities aligning cross functional supply, engineering, technical support, product management, and operations groups.
Conducts brainstorming sessions at Zurn Elkay facilities with cross functional teams to identify strategic commodities and deployment priorities on cost saving initiatives.
Provides oversight to sourcing/project managers on the deployment of projects with internal and external stakeholders.
Collaborates with internal stakeholders to identify, screen and qualify strategic suppliers. Works with global facilities to create regional and global material cost savings funnels that align with commercial strategies and financial targets.
Drives spend analysis, including counter measures for projects that fall short of plan and makes decisions to remedy the issues to get the teams back on track to meet or exceed plan.
Possesses an understanding of total cost of ownership.
Proactively assesses internal and external process improvements and influences effective change and drive innovation and continuous improvements.
Collaborates with global business units on the preparation of Request for Proposals (RFPs), Request for Quotations (RFQ’s) and leads the screening and supplier selection process.
Negotiate and drafts supply agreements, including: payment terms, deliveries, price, freight terms, currency exchange, raw material commodity fluctuation, inventory levels.
Analyzes market and delivery conditions to determine present and future (industry trends in pricing and availability that will impact the business) material availability and prepares market analysis reports.
Responsible for timely reporting to agreed-upon KPI’s and presenting Strategic Sourcing plans, activities and progress.
QUALIFICATIONS
BA or BS degree preferably in Engineering or Supply Chain competency. Minimum in a business/industrial related field.
At least 5 years of experience as a Category Manager in an industrial manufacturing environment with experience in an Engineering, Supply Chain, or similar position.
Proven success of strategically working with suppliers or customers.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally ~25%.
Experience sourcing in low-cost regions.
Experience working with multiple locations globally.
Proven success in a change management and “stretch” environment.
The compensation range identified below are a good faith estimate of the salary expected to be paid as performed from these locations. Actual salaries may vary based on compensable factors including but not limited to skillset, experience, education and training, and other relevant business and organizational factors. Most candidates will start in the lower half of the range.
The Salary Range: $125,000-180,000
- Competitive Salary
- Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, LTD, AD&D, and Life Insurance
- Matching 401(k) Contribution
- Health Savings Account
- Up to 3 weeks starting Vacation (may increase with tenure)
- 12 Paid Holidays
- Annual Bonus Eligibility
- Educational Reimbursement
- Matching Gift Program
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan – purchase company stock at a discount!
**THIRD PARTY AGENCY: Any unsolicited submissions received from recruitment agencies will be considered property of Zurn Elkay, and we will not be liable for any fees or obligations related to those submissions.**
Equal Opportunity Employer – Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, Industrial, or a related field
- At least 5 years of experience as a Category Manager in an industrial manufacturing environment
- Experience in Engineering, Supply Chain, or a similar position
- Proven success working strategically with suppliers or customers
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally approximately 25%
- Experience sourcing in low-cost regions
- Experience working across multiple global locations
- Proven success in change-management and stretch environments
Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Zurn Elkay Water Solutions and has not been reviewed or approved by Zurn Elkay Water Solutions.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered competitive for many professional and technical roles, with role-specific ranges and clear bands visible in external postings. Market-aligned base pay combined with bonuses and recognition programs strengthens perceived fairness.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with a generous company match, plus access to equity through stock grants and an employee stock purchase plan, enhances long-term rewards. These elements are consistently highlighted alongside the core benefits package.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — A broad mix—wellness programs, paid volunteer time, charitable gift matching, tuition reimbursement, and development opportunities—expands total rewards beyond base pay. This breadth provides lifestyle value across health, community, and learning.
Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Insights
What We Do
Zurn Elkay Water Solutions supplies the industry’s widest range of clean water solutions for drinking water, hygiene and sustainable water management. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Zurn Elkay works with customers around the globe to deliver products and systems that enhance and ensure water quality, safety, hygiene, flow control and conservation. From healthcare to hospitality, education to retail and residential to office facilities, we pride ourselves on meeting specialized needs for every market, focusing on quality, reliability, quick installation and easy maintenance. Our values of Continuous Improvement, Integrity in Everything We Do, Customer First, Culture of Winning, and Total Associate Engagement serve as our drive to achieve world-class safety, quality, delivery, cost and growth now and in the future. In everything we do, we are sustainably inspired. We work to make our communities better with volunteerism and philanthropy, and support diversity, equity and inclusion inside and outside our walls. We seek to uphold our promise to the planet every day by providing sustainable water management solutions
