Regional Category Manager – Capex Procurement

Company: Mitsubishi Chemical America, Inc.    Job Description: Regional Category Manager – Capex Procurement North America | Strategic Procurement Leadership Are you a strategic procurement leader who thrives in complex manufacturing environments and enjoys influencing decisions before they happen—not after? Join our team and play a critical role in shaping and delivering capital investment projects across North America. As the Regional Category Manager – Capex Procurement, you will lead regional category strategy and oversee sourcing execution across major capital projects. This role partners closely with Engineering, Project Management, Operations, and Finance to deliver value beyond cost savings—balancing commercial strategy, supplier performance, project execution, and risk management. This is an opportunity to lead a team, influence business decisions at a regional level, and drive meaningful impact across large-scale manufacturing investments. What You’ll Do Lead Category Strategy & Deliver Business Value Develop and execute the North America Capex category strategy aligned to business priorities and project pipeline Deliver measurable results through cost reduction, cost avoidance, and risk mitigation initiatives Drive supplier consolidation, standardization, and specification optimization where appropriate Support Major Capital Projects Engage early with Engineering and Project teams to shape sourcing strategies and commercial decisions Lead sourcing and negotiations for major Capex initiatives including manufacturing equipment, OEMs, EPC providers, and technical services Ensure procurement activities support project milestones and execution timelines Manage Suppliers & Contracts Build and manage a high-performing regional supplier portfolio Negotiate complex commercial agreements and contracts Proactively identify and manage supplier and project execution risks Lead Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner across Engineering, Operations, Finance, Business Units, and Procurement teams Align stakeholders and act as a connector across functions to drive successful outcomes Develop & Lead a Team Lead and develop a Capex Procurement team of 2 direct reports Establish clear priorities, accountability, and growth opportunities Support long-term capability building and succession planning Drive Governance & Continuous Improvement Ensure sourcing compliance while balancing speed and execution Track Capex spend, pipeline activity, and value delivery Advance process improvements and support ESG, KAITEKI, and HSE priorities Scope Region: North America Spend Under Management: Approximately $50M–$100M annually (project dependent) Direct Reports: 2 Travel: Approximately 20% travel Qualifications Bachelor’s degree required 7+ years of procurement experience, including Capex and project-based sourcing Minimum 3 years of people leadership / management experience Manufacturing industry experience required Demonstrated success supporting capital projects within manufacturing, industrial, chemical, process, or plant-based environments Strong negotiation experience managing complex, high-value contracts Experience partnering with Engineering and Project Management teams Proven ability to influence stakeholders and lead through collaboration Strong commercial, analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving capabilities What Success Looks Like Procurement influences projects early—not after scope is defined Capex projects are delivered with strong sourcing and execution discipline Supplier partnerships create long-term business value Risks are identified proactively and mitigated effectively Cross-functional relationships are strong and trusted The team operates with ownership, urgency, and accountability If you enjoy leading strategic procurement initiatives, developing teams, and driving impact across a manufacturing organization, we would love to connect with you. Pay Transparency  The salary range for this position is $119,700-149,600. Factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, job-related skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and business considerations may influence base pay offered. This salary will be subject to a geographic adjustment (according to a specific city and state), if an authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.