Global Category Manager - Contracts and Purchased Finished Goods (remote)

Position Summary 

The Global Category Manager leads the strategic procurement category management for assigned categories, with a primary focus on third-party manufacturing (TPM), external supply partners, and Purchased Finished Goods (PFG).  This role drives value through cost optimization, supplier performance improvement, and risk mitigation while ensuring continuity of supply and service excellence. The successful candidate will lead cross-functional initiatives, manage strategic supplier relationships, and leverage data-driven insights, market intelligence, and benchmarking to deliver innovative procurement solutions aligned with business objectives.

This role also serves as the commercial owner of supplier contracts, including contract strategy, negotiation, execution, lifecycle management, and governance, and provides contracting support for PFG. The Global Category Manager partners closely with Legal, Quality, Finance, and business stakeholders to structure and manage agreements that optimize total cost of ownership (TCO), mitigate risk, and ensure compliance.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop and implement category strategies globally, including identifying needs, project planning, collecting internal and external data, performing strategic analysis and identifying opportunities, formulating procurement strategies and developing implementation plans.
• Form, lead, and facilitate cross-functional teams as applicable to execute the procurement process and plans; enable supplier selection and decision process; lead/facilitate contract development, negotiation and execution process, including complex commercial negotiations involving pricing, service levels, risk allocation, liability, and performance incentives.
• Manage strategy alignment, long term security of supply, supplier performance, and establish preferred supply base.
• Ensure optimal supplier pricing, supply responsiveness, quality, and contractual compliance. 
• Own the end-to-end contract lifecycle, including negotiation, execution, amendments, renewals, compliance monitoring, and terminations.
• Partner with Legal to structure and negotiate contract terms and lead resolution of disputes, claims, and performance gaps.
• Establish and maintain master agreements, long-term supply agreements, and SOW frameworks that support scalability, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency.
• Develop appropriate risk management strategies which anticipate and address an extensive range of commercial, supply, and contractual risk scenarios to assure supply of ICU Medical’s requirements.
• Maintain industry intelligence on technology trends, sourcing options, and competitive pricing.
• Measure and report on commodity performance objectives, monitor supplier performance, conduct periodic business reviews, and initiate corrective action when necessary, including contract-based KPIs, SLAs, and scorecards.
• Review, negotiate, and maintain Supplier Agreements and supporting documentation.
• Benchmark prices and pricing information to ensure that the company is receiving the most cost-effective, highest quality products.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders to support the sourcing process.
• Coordinate with other functions and impacted stakeholders to assure timely implementation and compliance with the agreed sourcing strategies.
• Work on special assignments as they arise.

Knowledge & Skills

• Comprehensive understanding of strategic sourcing and category management.
• Demonstrated leadership including the ability to develop a vision, strategies, and tactics that will lead the organization to stated goals and objectives.
• Strong negotiating, project management, problem solving, relationship management and decision-making skills are essential, including experience leading complex, high-value, or high-risk commercial negotiations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal interactions skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Superior data management skills utilizing Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to multitask, work in a demanding environment, and meet deadlines.
• Advanced contract management experience including contract structuring, lifecycle management, and compliance enforcement.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen with the ability to translate business needs into enforceable contractual terms.

Minimum Qualifications, Education & Experience 

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) required; Master of Science or MBA preferred.
• 8-10 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience in global or multi-site manufacturing environment.
• Commercial experience in indirect sourcing and/or outsourced services sourcing.
• Commercial experience in an outsourcing environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading contract negotiations and managing complex supplier agreements.
• Experience negotiating commercial contract terms and partnering with Legal business partners.
• Experience negotiating and managing high dollar contracts.
• Management of large spend portfolios sourced on a global scale. 
• Experience managing multi-functional, cross-site teams.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate cross-site activities, benchmarking, periodic meetings, and training as needed.
• Proven ability to successfully introduce change in a center-led management model.
• Experience working with large ERP systems; Oracle preferred.
• Project management experience.

Work Environment

• This is largely a sedentary role. 
• This job operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment.
• Typically requires travel less than 5% of the time.

ICU Medical has consistently provided you with clinical innovations that help solve real-world challenges.

With the acquisition of Hospira Infusion Systems in 2017 and Smiths Medical in 2022, we are now a global market leader with a complete line of clinically-essential IV therapy and high-value critical care products for hospital, alternate site, and home care settings.

We're ready to bring you consistent quality, innovation, and value in more areas than ever. Our focus allows us to bring you:

• Dedicated and non-dedicated IV sets and needlefree connectors clinically proven to provide an effective barrier against bacterial transfer and colonization.
• The industry’s broadest IV smart pump offering covering large volume, pain management, and ambulatory needs.
• IV medication safety software providing full IV-EHR interoperability with the highest customer satisfaction and compatibility with more EHR systems than any other company.
• Significant US IV solutions manufacturing and supply capabilities.

This role is based remotely; the incumbent may be remote in any state other than Colorado; California; Connecticut; Montana, Maine or New York.

ICU Medical EEO Statement:

ICU Medical is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. We ensure that all qualified applicants receive fair consideration for employment regardless of race, color, nationality or national origin, ethnicity, sex, gender, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, age, disability, or protected veteran status. 

If you are an individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation to participate in the employment selection process, please contact us at [email protected]. We are committed to providing equal access and opportunities for all candidates.