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We are seeking a Category Manager to join our Global Purchasing Organization.
The Global Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing global category strategies that align with Eaton’s business objectives and supply chain priorities across a $600M spend portfolio. This role drives enterprise-wide value through strategic sourcing, supplier optimization, cost productivity, risk mitigation, quality improvement, supply continuity, and innovation.
As the global category expert, this individual provides leadership and market insight to business units and procurement teams, leveraging deep knowledge of suppliers, industry trends, and end markets to create sustainable competitive advantage. The Global Category Manager collaborates closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Logistics, and Commercial teams to support business growth, new product development, and operational excellence.
The position serves as the primary liaison between Eaton’s Global Purchasing Organization and business units worldwide, leading category strategy deployment, global supplier negotiations, stakeholder alignment, and executive-level reporting.
The role is accountable for delivering key performance metrics, including Cost Out, DPO, Working Capital, Supplier Diversity Spend, Quality, On-Time Delivery, Supply Resiliency, VAVE, and Supplier Innovation, while advancing Eaton’s One Supply Chain strategy and maximizing enterprise value through strategic supplier partnerships and category leadership.
Location: Dublin, Ireland (office-based with hybrid working options available).
Travel: Up to 25% regional and global travel required.
Flexible hybrid working model.
- Lead global category and sourcing strategies to drive Cost Out, DPO, Supplier Diversity Spend, Working Capital, Quality, Delivery, and Service performance while achieving business profit plan objectives.
- Develop and execute enterprise-wide sourcing initiatives that increase leverage, optimize the supply base, and deliver sustainable cost savings.
- Negotiate and manage strategic supplier contracts and relationships to maximize value, mitigate risk, and ensure supply continuity.
- Define and govern category strategies using market intelligence, should-cost analysis, RFQs, e-auctions, and supplier engagement programs.
- Lead regional and cross-functional teams to achieve procurement, operational, and transformation objectives through innovative, data-driven solutions.
- Drive supplier performance management, annual business reviews, and strategic negotiations with key suppliers.
- Benchmark procurement processes and implement best practices to improve efficiency, compliance, and enterprise-wide performance.
- Partner with business leaders and manufacturing sites to ensure uninterrupted supply at the most competitive total cost.
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- Minimum 10 years of experience in electronics manufacturing, strategic sourcing, or category management of electronic components.
- Strong background in Category Management and strategic sourcing.
- Solid understanding of electronics manufacturing processes and quality requirements.
- Experience managing global supplier relationships, negotiations, and procurement strategies.
- Knowledge of continuous improvement frameworks is preferred.
- Proven Program Management experience, leading cross-functional and complex initiatives.
- Demonstrated people leadership experience, including team management and development.
- Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence within a matrix organization.
What we offer:
- Competitive compensation and benefits package
- Challenging projects in dynamic collaborative team
- Flexible working solutions
- We make your aspirations matter – Eaton encourages internal promotion, whenever possible
- We make your growth matter - We invest in our employees for the long term – not just with salary and benefits, but with ongoing learning and development opportunities made available through Eaton University
- We make your contributions matter - reliability, safety, efficiency, and sustainability are at the core of our dedication to improving people’s lives and the environment through power management technologies
- We make your wellbeing matter – We put your health and safety first. Wellness at Eaton is more than a program, it’s about changing the environment by offering the right tools to help empower employees to make that happen
All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.
We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for job applicants and employees. Our recruitment processes use balanced selection criteria and avoid unlawful discrimination against applicants on the basis of their age, colour, disability, marital status, national origin, gender, gender identity, genetic information, race or racial origin, religion, sexual orientation or any other status protected or required by law.
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Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
- Minimum 10 years of experience in electronics manufacturing, strategic sourcing, or electronic component category management
- Strong background in category management and strategic sourcing
- Understanding of electronics manufacturing processes and quality requirements
- Experience managing global supplier relationships, negotiations, and procurement strategies
- Knowledge of continuous improvement frameworks
- Program management experience leading cross-functional and complex initiatives
- People leadership experience, including team management and development
- Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence within a matrix organization
Eaton Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Eaton and has not been reviewed or approved by Eaton.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive, spanning medical, dental, vision, prescription, life, and company‑paid disability, with HSAs/HRAs and wellness programs enhancing access and support.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings include a 401(k) with company matching alongside additional retirement contributions, with some sites also featuring pension and profit‑sharing components.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave for all parents, childbirth leave via short‑term disability for birth mothers, adoption benefits, and subsidized backup care signal strong family‑focused support.
Eaton Insights
What We Do
Planes. Hospitals. Factories. Data centers. Vehicles. The electrical grid. These are things people depend on every day. And the companies behind them depend on Eaton to solve some of the toughest power management challenges on the planet. Eaton’s mission is to improve the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. We provide sustainable solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical power – more safely, more efficiently, and more reliably. Eaton’s 2020 revenues were $17.9 billion, and we sell products to customers in more than 175 countries. We have approximately 92,000 employees.
Why Work With Us
At Eaton, we make what matters work—creating exciting new power management technologies that keep the world moving every day. We create an environment where creativity, invention and discovery become reality every day. It’s where bold, bright professionals can reach their full potential—and where they help us reach ours.
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