Category Specialist
Do you enjoy being involved in procurement for manufacturing and new product development? Hypertherm Associates is looking for a Category Specialist with experience supporting procurement of industrial materials and equipment including electronics, tooling, and capital equipment to join our OMAX team in Kent, Washington. In this role, your supply chain experience will be utilized to assess and mitigate risk, support new product introduction (NPI) activities, cultivate and execute cost savings initiatives, and execute projects.
Join our unique business where you'll find plenty of opportunities to showcase your strengths, learn new skills, and drive process and procurement improvements. If you're ready to make a real impact, we want you on our team!
Hypertherm Associates is the world leader in industrial cutting solutions. We are a 100% Associate-owned company with a no-layoff philosophy for over 55 years!
As a Category Specialist, you will:
Ensure materials are delivered on time, at the best price, and meet quality requirements
Work with suppliers to manage pricing, deliveries, and inventory changes due to product updates
Provide feedback on supplier performance and contribute to sourcing strategies
Maintain and implement cost-saving opportunities for current manufacturing and future projects
Develop additional savings beyond the planned targets for the current year
Create and manage purchase agreements and purchase orders
Manage spend according to contracts, track compliance with agreements, and fix invoicing issues
Support Engineering Change Orders by phasing out deprecated components, limiting fiscal liability
Cultivate and execute cost reduction projects with a 1-3-year focus
Facilitate cross-functional project meetings with suppliers for cost savings and NPI needs
Who you are and the experience you will bring:
A Bachelor’s Degree in a related discipline with 5-7 years supply chain experience
Proven analytical skills (cost/benefit analysis, make/buy decision-modeling, etc.)
Strong written and verbal presentation and communication skills
Proven experience in contract development and negotiation skills
Strong attention to detail
Preferred experience to differentiate you:
ISM and/or APICS certification
Green/Black Belt Certified
Knowledge of Lean/JIT Methodology
Knowledge of Purchasing modules in Oracle or similar ERP system
Location: Kent, Washington
Travel: 10% domestic
Why join Hypertherm Associates?
Global, 100% employee-owned company for over 55 years
Profit-Sharing
Employee Stock Ownership
Five days/year Community Service Time
Strong commitment to Environmental Stewardship
Stable, growing organization with a no-layoff philosophy
#LI-MJ1
At Hypertherm Associates, we are committed to building an inclusive diverse, flexible, and collaborative environment. If our mission resonates with you, but you don’t meet all posted requirements, we encourage you to still apply. We will evaluate your application materials and may suggest alternative roles that better leverage your strengths and talents. For positions with multiple levels, we will evaluate your prior experience to determine the level within our organization you are best aligned based upon the job applying.
CURRENT ASSOCIATES OR TEMPORARY ASSOCIATES: Please apply via your internal Workday career account.$80,760.00-$134,602.00 AnnualThis is the base pay range that an applicant can expect to make upon hire. Pay within this range will vary based upon relevant experience, skills, and education among other factors.
Top Skills
What We Do
Hypertherm Associates is a U.S. based manufacturer of industrial cutting products and software. Its products, including Hypertherm plasma and OMAX waterjet systems, are used by companies around the world to build ships, airplanes, and railcars; construct steel buildings, fabricate heavy equipment, erect wind turbines, and more. In addition to cutting systems, the company creates CNCs and software trusted for performance and reliability that result in increased productivity and profitability for hundreds of thousands of businesses. Founded in 1968, Hypertherm Associates is a 100 percent Associate-owned company, employing approximately 2,000 Associates, with operations and partner representation worldwide. Learn more at www.HyperthermAssociates.com.
Fifty years ago, in a small two car garage, Hypertherm began its journey with simple, powerful ideas about business and an invention that shaped the future of industrial cutting. The same ideals that fueled our inception all those years ago are still what drive us today: a passion for challenging what is achievable with the products we create, the culture we foster, and the experience we deliver to our customers. As we look to the horizon and the next 50 years, we are proud that our people, partners, and innovations will shape the future with solutions that make anything possible for industries around the world.
Key elements of the Hypertherm formula include:
• Dedicated Associates focused on customer-centered product design and support
• Local sales and service
• Broad application experience and proven results
• Sustainable and ethical business practices benefit our customers and communities
