Category Management Specialist III

Posting End Date:  

Work Place Flexibility: Hybrid 

Legal Entity: Entergy Services, LLC 

**The preferred location for this role is Jackson, MS; however, other locations within the service territory may be considered.**

Job Purpose

The Category Management Specialist utilizes significant supply chain, category management and contracting capabilities and experience to implement Supply Chain (SC) strategies and commercial agreements for assigned categories within Nuclear Strategic Procurement.  The position is responsible for the utilization of the standard category management process of Plan-Strategy-Source-Perform and will function to support end-to-end value for an assigned portfolio of spend, primarily within Entergy’s nuclear third party spend. The specialist operates without supervision, and in certain instances provides, support, guidance, and training in the technical and professional skills areas to other category management specialists. The role is recognized inside SC as a subject matter technical adviser on category management, strategic sourcing, contract strategy, methodology, analysis, and contract provisions. The primary objective of the role is to create value through the supply chain in terms of safety, cost, risk mitigation and enhanced supplier performance.

Key interfaces for this position are internal business customers such as a business unit stakeholders, Tax, Finance, Risk Management, Safety, Human Resources, Legal, external suppliers and industry organizations. Within SC, common interfaces for this role are Procurement Operations, Capital Projects & Decommissioning and Warehousing and Inventory Management, Safety, and Supplier Diversity.

Job Duties/Responsibilities

• Actively promote strong safety behaviors and ensure the team always puts safety first;
• Utilize key tools, programs, and proactive field visits to assure standards and behaviors;
• Monitor and influence suppliers to proactively identify any safety concerns.
• Perform storm role duties as assigned through the Storm Assignment Management System (SAMS).
• Develop and execute category and subcategory strategies, checklist, manage spend and regularly track market trends, Ability to work strategically and tactically to deliver positive business results.
• Systematic process to review commercial, process, technical, risk management and sustainability strategies for product categories and subcategories.
• Supplier management strategy in place, linked with supplier segment, and category strategies, , with business reviews to ensure supplier performance.
• Supplier portfolio is regularly reviewed based on price/performance and cost structure comparison.
• Recurrent effort to bundle purchasing and to forecast demand across departments/business units.
• Ability influence and work across Cross-functional teams and levels in the organization to optimize supply-chain, redesign-to cost and make-or-buy strategies.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education, Experience and/or Certification

• Category Management Specialist, III: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Accounting, Engineering, Legal, or other related discipline and minimum 5-7+ years of category management, strategic sourcing or other related supply chain experience OR in lieu of a degree, minimum 10+ years of category management, strategic sourcing or other related supply chain experience;
  • Minimum 3+ years’ energy industry supply chain experience in category management or strategic sourcing
  • Preferred:
    • Certification from an industry accreditation organization such as CPSM, APICS, etc.

Knowledge/Skills

  Technical          

• Skillful application of strategic and creative thinking to produce a range of solutions to problems, anticipating changes in the business environment, and making data driven decisions;

• Skillful application of category management processes; including supplier diversity, safety metrics and tools;
• Skillful application of supplier relationship/vendor management principles, practices and tools;
• Skillful application of pre-award and post-award contract management processes; integrate business unit specific knowledge; identify and mitigate contractual, market, and supplier risks to company;
• Highly proficient in the development and implementation of sourcing strategies that are agreed to and supported by stakeholders;
• Deep understanding of the capacity and cost structure of existing suppliers;
• Skillful application in developing RFx bid events as well as detailed price breakdowns and deconstructing vendor pricing models to support financial analysis and bid comparison;
• Proficiency in extracting the data and applying market intelligence to assess supply market status and evolution;
• Deep expertise developing “cost to serve” for customers; coaches/guides others;
• Highly proficient in creating clear strategies to develop supplier bases;
• Skillful application of negotiation strategies and leading supplier negotiations that support operational excellence through safety, price, quality, service and innovation;
• Proficient influencing skills to promote effective demand planning across business units, functions and SC (zero-based purchasing, pro-active purchase planning and hedging).

  Professional

• Skillful application of project management principles to ensure systematic, thorough completion of each assignment, identifying critical pathways and risks to delivery;
• Skillful application of commercial skills and financial acumen to category management, understanding the key business drivers and impact to Entergy on outcomes;
• Skillful application of data analysis methods/techniques to provide detailed reports and insights; propose conclusions, use data trends and present in meaningful ways; 
• Ability to coach supply chain personnel in category management technical tools and techniques;
• Skillful at internal and external stakeholder communications; operates independently with stakeholders; apply influencing skills to develop best outcomes for Entergy;
• Skillful at building broad relationships and effective networks with all stakeholders;
• Strong understanding of the management of change relative to supply chain situations;
• Strong understanding of how to effectively manage the costs of the business;
• Strong communication skills in presenting concise/relevant information to stakeholders.

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Primary Location: Mississippi-Jackson Mississippi : Jackson || Arkansas : Russellville || Louisiana : Killona || Louisiana : New Orleans || Louisiana : St. Francisville || Mississippi : Port Gibson || Texas : The Woodlands 
Job Function: Professional
FLSA Status: Professional 
Relocation Option: No Relocation Offered
Union description/code: NON BARGAINING UNIT 
Number of Openings: 1
Req ID: 113391
Travel Percentage:Up to 25%

An Equal Opportunity Employer, Minority/Female/Disability/Vets. Please click here to navigate to EEO page, or see statements below.

EEO Statement: The Entergy System of Companies provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. The Entergy System of Companies complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. 

The Entergy System of Companies expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of the Entergy System of Company employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated.

Accessibility: Entergy provides reasonable accommodations for online applicants. Requests for a reasonable accommodation may be made orally or in writing by an applicant, employee, or third party on his or her behalf. If you are an individual with a disability and you are in need of an accommodation for the recruiting process please click here and provide your name, contact number, the accommodation requested and the requisition number that you are requesting the accommodation for. Employee Services will contact you regarding your request.

Additional Responsibilities: As a provider of essential services, Entergy expects its employees to be available to work additional hours, to work in alternate locations, and/or to perform additional duties in connection with storms, outages, emergencies, or other situations as deemed necessary by the company. Exempt employees may not be paid overtime associated with such duties.

Entergy Pay Transparency Policy Statement: The Entergy System of Companies (the Company) will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the Company’s legal duty to furnish information.  41 CFR 60-1.35(c). Equal Opportunity and Pay Transparency.

Pay Transparency Notice:

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision (dol.gov)

The non-confidential portions of the affirmative action program for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans shall be available for inspection upon request by any employee or applicant for employment.  Please contact HRCompliance@entergy.com to schedule a time to review the affirmative action plan during regular office hours.

EEI Testing:

One way that Entergy has found to identify and assess the abilities and skills needed for certain jobs is through pre-employment testing. If this position does require an EEI test, the type of test will be located under the qualifications section of the job posting. If you are invited to a test session, we strongly recommend you review and complete the practice test as well as review the testing brochure for your respective test.  The test brochure will give you critical information on the test such as time allocated and Pre-employment Testing:  of questions.  Also, keep in mind that the actual test is timed; you should practice timing yourself while doing the practice tests. The practice test information and test brochures can be located by going to the EEI website, http://www.eei.org/practicetests, numberLogon ID:  entergy, password:  practice test (2 words). Travel expenses incurred in connection with EEI testing are non-reimbursable.

In addition to EEI testing there is also Fit-for-Duty testing which will identify and assess the abilities and skills needed for certain jobs. If this position does require Fit-for-Duty testing, the type of test will be located under the qualifications section of the job posting.

WORKING CONDITIONS:
As a provider of essential services, Entergy expects its employees to be available to work additional hours, to work in alternate locations, and/or to perform additional duties in connection with storms, outages, emergencies, or other situations as deemed necessary by the company. Exempt employees may not be paid overtime associated with such duties.