Ecolab is seeking a Global Procurement Category Manager to support our global procurement organization. Reporting to the Global Procurement Director, you will lead assigned chemical raw material categories and develop and execute global sourcing strategies that deliver business results, ensure continuity of supply, and minimize total cost of ownership. You will collaborate across regions and functions while leading global sourcing associates and regional procurement teams to advance key business priorities.
What’s in it For You:
- Lead global procurement strategies for chemical raw material categories with significant business impact.
- Collaborate with multicultural, cross-functional teams across multiple regions and time zones.
- Build strong relationships with key suppliers and internal stakeholders while identifying opportunities to create value and competitive advantage.
- Lead and develop procurement talent while driving engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Help advance portfolio optimization, supply security, digital sourcing, and other strategic global procurement initiatives.
What You Will Do:
- Develop and execute global sourcing strategies for assigned chemical raw material categories representing approximately $500M–$600M in global spend, depending on category complexity.
- Lead go-to-market activities, including RFPs, e-auctions, and negotiations, to deliver cost savings, working capital improvements, and supply security.
- Manage 2–3 global sourcing associates located across multiple regions and provide leadership to regional procurement teams of approximately 5–8 people across four primary regions.
- Set challenging goals, provide constructive feedback, enable team delivery, and establish effective governance and accountability.
- Support global strategic initiatives focused on continuous improvement in category performance.
- Partner with regional teams to drive consistent messaging, alignment, and execution against key business priorities.
- Build and maintain relationships with key suppliers, negotiate contracts, and optimize pricing and quality to create organizational value.
- Strengthen security of supply through sole-source mitigation and contingency planning.
- Partner with R&D and Procurement Business Partner teams to advance portfolio optimization and consolidation.
- Deploy spend strategies using low-cost market sourcing programs and digital tools.
- Apply knowledge of market trends and supplier portfolios to identify marketplace opportunities and innovative approaches for competitive advantage.
- Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, standards, and guidelines applicable to chemical categories.
- Demonstrate financial acumen and drive accountability for P&L impact and achievement of OGSM/business objectives.
- Communicate with and influence regional stakeholders to build alignment with category plans and ensure project execution.
- Champion safety and ethical business practices through personal leadership.
Position Details:
- Hybrid Role (3 days onsite at Naperville, IL)
- Open to Relocation to Naperville, IL
- Work schedule: Role requires flexibility to collaborate across multiple time zones.
- Minimum of 25% overnight travel
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Chemistry, Supply Chain, or a related field.
- 7 years of purchasing experience, preferably supporting raw materials or direct purchasing.
- Strong commercial background and demonstrated international working experience.
- Demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and project management skills.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated ability to influence and persuade stakeholders.
- Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and collaborate across regions and time zones.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Strong financial acumen and executive communication skills.
- Demonstrated professionalism and strong presence when interacting with others.
- Demonstrated drive, tenacity, curiosity, flexibility, and focus.
- Ability to challenge the status quo and identify new possibilities and innovative solutions.
- Ability to navigate differing perspectives constructively and drive alignment.
- Commitment to continuous development and willingness to take on new responsibilities.
- Strong commitment to ethical decision-making and doing business the right way.
Annual or Hourly Compensation Range
Benefits
Ecolab strives to provide comprehensive and market-competitive benefits to meet the needs of our associates and their families. Click here to see our benefits.
If you are viewing this posting on a site other than our Ecolab Career website, view our benefits at jobs.ecolab.com/working-here.
Potential Customer Requirements Notice
To meet customer requirements and comply with local or state regulations, applicants for certain customer-facing roles may need to:
- Undergo additional background screens and/or drug/alcohol testing for customer credentialing.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Ecolab will provide reasonable accommodation (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with our application process upon request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require accommodation assistance in this application process, please visit the Recruiting Support link in the footer of each page of our career website.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Chemistry, Supply Chain, or a related field
- Seven years of purchasing experience, preferably supporting raw materials or direct purchasing
- Strong commercial background
- Demonstrated international working experience
- Demonstrated leadership, teamwork, and project management skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to influence and persuade stakeholders
- Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment and collaborate across regions and time zones
- Strong financial acumen and executive communication skills
- Professionalism and strong presence when interacting with others
- Drive, tenacity, curiosity, flexibility, and focus
- Ability to challenge the status quo and identify innovative solutions
- Ability to navigate differing perspectives constructively and drive alignment
- Commitment to continuous development and willingness to take on new responsibilities
- Strong commitment to ethical decision-making
Ecolab Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Ecolab and has not been reviewed or approved by Ecolab.
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Retirement Support — Feedback suggests the company provides strong retirement programs, including a 401(k) with employer matching and a pension, alongside options like an employee stock purchase plan. Offerings such as retiree healthcare benefits and diverse investment choices reinforce long-term financial support.
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Healthcare Strength — Feedback suggests medical coverage is broad, with HSA plan options and company contributions, prescription benefits, dental and vision, and virtual care and mental health support. Company-paid wellness programs and income protection (short- and long-term disability, life and accident) further strengthen core coverage.
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Parental & Family Support — Family-focused programs include fertility support, adoption assistance, and paid parental leave, complemented by counseling and resource services. These offerings are positioned as supportive of employee well-being across different life stages.
Ecolab Insights
What We Do
A trusted partner at nearly three million customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services. With annual sales of $12 billion and more than 44,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights and personalized service to advance food safety, maintain clean and safe environments, optimize water and energy use, and improve operational efficiencies and sustainability for customers in the food, healthcare, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world. For more Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com, or follow us on twitter.com/ecolab, facebook.com/ecolab or instagram.com/ecolab_inc.
