Category Manager Power Ends & Fluid Ends

Category Manager - Power Ends & Fluid Ends

Job Description

Department: Supply Chain

Job Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Salary-Exempt

Reports To: VP of Supply Chain

Location: The Woodlands, Texas

Amount of Travel Required: Up to 50%

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Positions Supervised: None

AIP Level: 5

POSITION SUMMARY: The Category Manager - Power Ends & Fluid Ends is responsible for the strategic sourcing, procurement, lifecycle management, and optimization of electrical components and power generation equipment across the organization's operations. This role owns vendor relationships for medium and high voltage systems, variable frequency drives, transformers, circuit breakers, protection relays, generators, and related power distribution assets, while managing pricing agreements, warranty recovery, and inventory strategy to ensure operations are fully supplied for pad-level execution without interruption. The Category Manager enables operational performance through strong financial stewardship, rigorous vendor performance management, and proactive forecasting of long-lead equipment, and collaborates closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Legal, Finance, and Mobilization teams to ensure assets meet company standards for availability, reliability, and cost effectiveness.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (The following duties and responsibilities are all essential job functions, as defined by the ADA, except for those that begin with the word "may.")

Strategic Sourcing & Vendor Management

• Own vendor relationships, negotiations, and KPI tracking for electrical components and power generation assets, ensuring performance, cost discipline, and reliability.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for backup generators, prime power systems, microgrids, battery storage, voltage sag protection, and grid services.
• Own a portfolio of long-lead, high-value equipment, including transformers, switchgear, breakers, control systems, and instrumentation.
• Maintain extensive knowledge of the vendor landscape and product catalogs for key industry players, including Siemens, AWC, Yaskawa, Danfoss, ABB, SEL, Rockwell Automation, WEG, Eaton, and Rexel.
• Identify and vet niche vendors capable of supporting specialized medium voltage equipment and mobile genset configurations.
• Conduct market analysis, should-cost modeling, and trend forecasting to inform procurement decisions.
• Lead complex, multi-year contracts (CapEx, Energy-as-a-Service, hybrid) with institutional-scale energy companies.
• Build and maintain a best-in-class supplier ecosystem with strong technical, quality, and delivery performance.

Financial Stewardship & Commercial Negotiation

• Build financial models, including NPV, TCO, and payback analysis, to evaluate contracting pathways and deployment decisions.
• Manage multi-million dollar maintenance and repair budgets, ensuring cost-efficiency without compromising part quality or safety.
• Translate technical complexity and repair vs. replace evaluations into clear commercial recommendations for senior leadership.
• Lead negotiations focused on long-term service level agreements (SLAs) and warranty management for high-value electrical and power generation assets.

Warranty Process Ownership

• Develop and manage the end-to-end warranty process, tracking all claims through investigation, submission, vendor engagement, and resolution to maximize recovery.

Inventory & Planning

• Plan and manage power generation equipment and electrical component inventory levels to support operational uptime and performance targets.
• Develop and implement forecasting models for long-lead items, such as transformers and breakers, to prevent supply chain bottlenecks in a high-demand environment.
• Track daily actions and deliverables with electrical components and power generation vendors to ensure alignment with performance and cost targets.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Technical Oversight

• Work directly with manufacturing and engineering teams to align procurement strategies with new-build equipment schedules and technical requirements.
• Translate complex technical specifications from the field or manufacturing floor into actionable sourcing plans and vendor RFPs.
• Manage routine repair cycles for electrical components, evaluating repair vs. replace scenarios to maximize equipment uptime.
• Partner with Engineering, Project Management, Construction, Legal, Finance, Expediting, Logistics, and Operations to ensure equipment is sourced competitively, delivered on schedule, and aligned with project needs.
• Coordinate with grid operators and energy traders to integrate power generation assets into operational schedules.
• Act as the primary liaison between internal stakeholders and external OEMs or third-party repair shops.

Other Responsibilities

• Maintain documentation, reports, and records required for compliance and business continuity.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support successful operations.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for sponsorship.
• Must be at least 18 years of age or older.
• Successfully passes all applicable general pre-employment testing including but not limited to: background check, pre-employment drug screening, pre-employment fit tests, pre-employment aptitude and/or competency assessment(s).
• Daily in-person, predictable attendance in The Woodlands, TX.
• Valid U.S. Driver’s License required. Most employment is contingent upon meeting company driving standards, including 3-year U.S. driving history and an acceptable Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) in accordance with Company policy.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE LEVEL

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, energy, procurement, or a related field.   An equivalent combination of education, specialized training, and relevant professional experience will be considered in lieu of a formal degree.  Advanced degrees or certifications in power systems or supply chain management are preferred.
• Proven experience in category management or strategic sourcing within the electrical equipment sector, with a deep understanding of medium voltage (MV) or high voltage systems.
• Proven experience in power generation, renewable energy, or industrial procurement.
• Demonstrated expertise managing the lifecycle of critical components such as variable frequency drives (VFDs), medium voltage transformers, circuit breakers, and protection relays.
• Direct experience managing routine repair cycles for electrical components, including repair vs. replace evaluations to maximize equipment uptime.
• Knowledge of inspection, rebuild, and asset lifecycle management processes.

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, COMPETENCIES, AND ABILITIES

• While an Electrical Engineering degree is not required, must possess a high level of technical competency and “field-sense” regarding how electrical components function within a larger power distribution system.
• Technical literacy regarding cable design specifications, with the ability to oversee cable inspection protocols and compliance standards.
• Strong financial acumen with a track record of managing multi-million-dollar maintenance and repair budgets.
• Strong negotiation and contract management skills, with a focus on long-term SLAs and warranty management for high-value assets.
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks, grid codes, and energy market structures.
• Ability to manage complex, multi-year contracts and long lead times.
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to act as primary liaison between internal teams and external OEMs.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong problem-solving skills and proactive approach to issue resolution.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize effectively.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Proficiency in ERP systems (Oracle Fusion).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The Category Manager may work in a warehouse/shop and field environment that makes them susceptible to common hazards such as physical strain, moving machinery, loading, unloading, falling objects, slips, trips, and falls. They will be required to walk, sit, climb, bend, reach and squat/kneel. They will also need to speak clearly and audibly, as well as have the ability to hear, understand, and distinguish speech and/or other sounds (e.g., building alarms) deriving from in person speech, telephone, or other remote speech.

Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization's facilities. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk, stoop, kneel, sit, climb, crouch and/or crawl.

The employee must regularly lift and/or move objects up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move objects that weigh more than 100 pounds with a team lift. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work hours may include early morning, late evenings, and weekends, depending on business necessity.

AAP /EEO STATEMENT

The Company is committed to the cause of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants, thus abiding by all applicable state and federal laws. Our practices regarding employment, job promotion, compensation, training, and termination do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, sex, national origin, veteran's status, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other legally protected status. It is expected that all employees, both management and staff, will fully support these nondiscriminatory policies.

*All field and shop employees and potential employees performing or assuming roles that require exposure to industrial activities, including, but not limited to, roles in shop or field operations environments, must be able to effectively communicate and comprehend the English language. This provision does not purport to require employees to always speak only English in the workplace or otherwise prevent employees from speaking non-English languages, provided that such employees are able to effectively communicate and comprehend English to satisfy the company’s expectations and business objectives.

English comprehension is necessary to ensure employees:

• Understand all health and safety communications.
• Possess a sufficient level of relevant equipment knowledge.
• Comprehend verbal and written communications from the company and other employees.
• Comprehend all operational and safety procedures.
• Understand alerts and emergency notifications, including Responses to Alerts, Warnings and Emergencies.
• Understand the contents of announcements and/or radio communications.
• Are able to effectively and independently communicate with customers, supervisors, and colleagues.
• Are able to prevent workplace accidents and/or injuries through effective communication.

The company has reviewed this job description to ensure essential functions and duties have been included. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities.

Last Revised 08/2026