Sr. Category Specialist - Supply Chain Management

Location:

Airgas is Hiring for a Sr. Category Specialist!

At Airgas, we RESPECT, HONOR and VALUE diversity. We are invested in cultivating a dynamic and inclusive culture.

• Strong passion for fostering an environment of Diversity, Inclusion and Respect.

• Experience with developing, contributing, and supporting Airgas' commitment to a World Class Service, exceeding customer expectations and building brand loyalty.

• This position's preferred location is Houston, TX. Additional options can be Radnor, PA.

• This position requires a high level of initiative, curiosity and potential to go beyond the described role as the team responsibilities evolve.

Excellent Benefits: Airgas offers a full benefits package that includes: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance, Vacation, Sick, Paid Holidays, 401(k) Retirement Plan with company match, Tuition Assistance and much more! Benefits Start after 30 days of employment

Recruiter: Roseanne Khachikyan / Roseanne.Khachikyan@airgas.com/ 424-318-0169

Job Description Summary: Critical member of the Category Management team providing support for all assigned business units, responsible for proactively managing the spend, including but not limited to: strategic sourcing, contract negotiation and management, commercial negotiations, supplier relationship management support, demand planning, and customer interface. Assists manager and team members in the development and deployment of Category Management strategies.

• Develop and present business plans to key stakeholders for spend categories under areas of responsibility.

• Generate and execute Category strategies and Supplier Relationship Management programs consistent with the Air Liquide approved framework.

• Collaborate with Group Procurement on initiatives on an as-needed basis.

• Establish network with stakeholders in the business to remain connected on key issues.

• Coordinate and drive activities related to the annual planning process, working across various Procurement organizations and Operations.

• Support emergency preparedness and emergency response situations to promote th safety of Air Liquide employees, contractors, and customers as well as business continuity.

• Lead Strategic Sourcing events for categories that correspond to areas of responsibility. Follow outline "Blue Book" sourcing methodology.

• Work collaboratively within Supply Chain Operations Support, Purchasing Services, Strategic Initiatives, Key Stakeholders, Americas Clusters and Global Procurement Group.

• Meet with key customers routinely and proactively identify sourcing and contract value opportunities.

• Manage end-to-end sourcing and contracting process (including RFPs) for assigned commodities and services.

• Assist with contract start-up functions involving appropriate department managers.

• Participate in identifying emerging opportunities within the supply community.

• Evaluate existing contract relationships to identify savings realized, new savings opportunities, risk mitigation strategies, and other commercial terms enhancements.

• Leverage market intelligence to evaluate, negotiate, and manage annual price fluctuations. Leverage market intelligence to anticipate and act upon various supply chain challenges.

• Negotiate commercial terms for significant or aggregated project-based spend associated with managed categories.

• Demonstrate competency in negotiating legal terms and conditions.

• Manage contract life-cycle for all Frame Agreements within area of responsibility.

• Utilize all Supply Chain technologies for Contract Management, SRM, and Spend Analysis.

• Understand the Hermes code structure, and quantify managed vs. unmanaged spend.

• Monitor, assess and adjust sourcing strategies based on supplier and market intelligence.

• Implement multiple strategies leveraging Total Cost of Ownership, Lease vs. Buy and Economic Value models.

• Develop relationships with key customers to understand their service and commodity needs and implement strategies to maximize savings in the Capital Maintenance Plan, Expense Plan, and for emerging projects.

• Responsible for ensuring compliance with internal processes, including but not limited to, contract filing processes, bidding processes, and value creation reporting processes.

• Work closely with the Supplier Relationship Management Specialist for key suppliers under areas of responsibility. Build consistent, repeatable series of key performance indicators which can be used to gauge supplier performance and create actionable improvement plans.

• Facilitate periodic business reviews with key suppliers and facilitate action items that result from the meetings.

• Provide various reports as requested by manager.

• Partner with Legal to ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements, policies, and procedures, both internal and external, to Air Liquide.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, finance, accounting, or other business related fields.

• A minimum of 5 years experience in Supply Chain Management or related field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in business, management, or related field.

• 5+ years experience in Supply Chain Management or related fields.

Core Competencies:

• Organizational Commitment * Flexibility * Customer Service Orientation * Communicating Effectively

• Teamwork and Cooperation

• Managing Competing priorities

• Solution Focused Decision Making * Entrepreneurial thinking KEY COMPETENCIES (abbr.)

• Listening and Responding Acts to help

• Analytical Thinking (AT) Makes Complex Plans or Analyses/Creates new models

• Information Seeking (INF) Does Research/Involves others

• Concern for Order and Quality (CO) Develops Systems * Team Leadership (TL) Promotes Team Effectiveness

• Impact and Influence (IMP) Uses complex influence strategies

• Self Confidence (SCF) Presents confidence in own ability MARGINAL OR PERIODIC FUNCTIONS: Other duties as required.

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.

• Able to talk, hear, and walk sit: use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel or crouch.

• Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to focus objects required.

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.

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We care about and support our Airgas Families. This is evident not only through our competitive compensation but also through a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision plans, vacation, sick time, floating holidays, and paid holidays for full-time employees.

We provide a progressive parental leave package for our eligible Airgas parents, offering generous paid time off for the birth or placement of children, including 14 weeks of paid child birth benefit for birth mothers on leave, as well as paid parental leave benefits for other associates.

Additionally, we offer our employees a 401k plan with company matching funds, tuition reimbursement, discounted college tuition for employees' dependents, and an Airgas Scholarship Program for dependent children.

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Your differences enhance our performance

At Airgas, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace that embraces the diversity of our employees, our customers, patients, community stakeholders and cultures across the world.

We welcome and consider applications from all qualified applicants, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability or any other protected characteristic. We strongly believe a diverse organization opens up opportunities for people to express their talent, both individually and collectively and it helps foster our ability to innovate by living our fundamentals, acting for our success and creating an engaging environment in a changing world.

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Equal Employment Opportunity Information

We are an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

Please click here to view the EEO Know Your Rights poster and here to view the Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination poster. Airgas, an Air Liquide Company invites any applicant and/or employee to review the Company's written Affirmative Action Plan or Policy Statement. This plan or policy statement is available for inspection upon request.

Airgas, an Air Liquide Company and its group of companies does not discriminate against qualified applicants with disabilities and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to the known disabilities of such individuals so as to ensure equal access to benefits and privileges of employment. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact us by email at us-accommodationrequest@airgas.com.

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