Senior Global Category Manager - Electronics & Electro-Mechanical

Position Summary:

The Senior Global Category Manager for Electronics and Electromechanical Components is responsible for developing and executing the global sourcing strategy across key categories including EMS, Semiconductors, Passive components, Displays, PCBs, connectors, sensors, relays, switches and other critical electromechanical components

This role leads strategic procurement initiatives to ensure continuity of supply, cost competitiveness, and supplier innovation in support of new product development and operational excellence. As a key strategic leader, this role shapes category direction, drives cross-functional alignment, and fosters long-term value creation across the global supply base.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Category Leadership

• Develop and lead the global category strategy for electronic and electromechanical components, ensuring alignment with product development, engineering, and operations.
• Conduct global market analysis, assess technology roadmaps, and monitor industry trends to inform sourcing decisions.
• Establish short- and long-term sourcing roadmaps to ensure cost competitiveness, technology alignment, and risk mitigation.
• Establish category-specific KPIs to measure and drive performance.

Supplier Management & Innovation

• Identify and develop strategic supplier partnerships to support quality, cost, delivery, and innovation targets.
• Lead complex negotiations and manage high-value supplier contracts across multiple geographies.
• Drive supplier performance improvement initiatives, risk mitigation plans, and innovation pipelines.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with R&D, Engineering, Quality, and Operations to ensure supplier capabilities meet technical and compliance requirements.
• Engage early in the product lifecycle to influence design-to-cost and supplier selection decisions.
• Partner with global and regional teams to ensure local execution aligns with global strategy.

Operational Excellence

• Implement best-in-class procurement practices, cost modeling, and strategic sourcing methodologies.
• Ensure robust supply continuity plans and component lifecycle management.
• Optimize total cost of ownership (TCO), lead time, and inventory strategies in collaboration with supply chain and manufacturing teams.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Engineering, Electronics, or a related field; Master’s or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in strategic sourcing or procurement, with at least 5 years in a global category leadership role for electronics or electromechanical components.
• Previous work experience working with high voltage solid-state electronics components
• In-depth knowledge of electronic components, manufacturing technologies, and supplier ecosystems.
• Proven success in driving global sourcing strategies, supplier innovation, cost reductions, and supply chain resilience.
• Strong negotiation, contract management, and supplier performance management skills.
• Experience working with cross-functional engineering, product development, and quality teams.
• Proficiency with ERP and sourcing platforms and strong data analysis capabilities.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills in a global matrixed organization.
• Familiarity with compliance standards such as RoHS, REACH, and conflict minerals regulations

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands 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 employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  Frequent hand motion and repetitive tasks including using a computer for typing.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee will occasionally do immediate reaching and overhead reaching to perform various duties, frequent standing for varied amounts of time to perform various duties, frequent walking for varied amounts of time to perform various duties.  Squat or bend to perform various duties.  Occasionally climb stairs.

Benefits and Perks

Methode offers US employees Medical, Dental, Vision, Hearing, Life & Disability insurance, a wellness program, and time off benefits.

Voluntary benefit plans include Accident, Hospital Indemnity and Pet Insurance.  

Methode provides an Employee Assistance Program, and participation in the Company’s 401(k) plan which includes a company contribution.

Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Hourly employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours.

Methode Electronics is an equal opportunity employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics per the EEO Poster available here . If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call (708) 867-6777 and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.