Category Strategy Lead

At Oshkosh, we build, serve and protect people and communities around the world by designing and manufacturing some of the toughest specialty trucks and access equipment. We employ over 18,000 team members all united by a common purpose. Our engineering and product innovation help keep soldiers and firefighters safe, keep communities clean, and support daily work.
The Senior Category Specialist role is a senior level position within the supply chain category management and new product development functions. The role engages in advanced data gathering, analytics, and manipulation, frequently using internal and external data to provide category usage, trends, and company/customer supply chain impact. It regularly conducts benchmarking, market intelligence, and supply base research to identify and capture value for the business.

Responsibilities

• Gather and analyze spend and category data using advanced analytics tools.
• Act as subject matter expert on spend category.
• Formulate business cost/value opportunities within category/commodity through independent critical thinking.
• Maintain knowledge of suppliers, supply markets, and supplier relationship management.
• Interpret engineering technical drawings and manage part taxonomy.
• Understand category connections to the global marketplace.
• Manage supplier engagement, preference, and long‑term contract strategies.
• Identify, communicate, and manage supply chain risk.
• Validate and govern category/commodity prices, including total cost of ownership models.
• Support and lead strategic sourcing initiatives, including the sourcing process and procedures.
• Lead projects from concept to launch, using project management to coordinate programs and councils.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and five (5) or more years of experience in Supply Chain Management or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to travel 10‑20%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Category strategy experience within the manufacturing industry.
• Effective communication skills.
• Team‑work orientation.
• Strong organizational, time‑management, and prioritization skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a fast‑paced environment with constantly changing requirements.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and other web‑based software applications.

EEO Statement

Oshkosh is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, religion, color, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status.