Category Management Director, (M6)

Overview We're seeking a strategic and operationally excellent leader to run our global category management function for Workplace, Construction, Real Estate, Security, Energy, Labs, and MRO. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for shaping and executing category strategies across ~$2B+ in global OpEx / CapEx spend. You'll drive innovation, cost efficiency, and risk mitigation by architecting scalable organizational structures, governance models, and supplier partnerships that unlock long-term value. You will hire, develop and lead a high-performing team, build trusted stakeholder partnerships across Engineering, Global Workplace, Legal, Environmental Health & Safety, and Finance, and engage global leaders to ensure alignment on strategic goals. You will act as a general manager of your category—accountable for performance, strategy, supplier relationships, demand management and long-range planning. Key Responsibilities Category Strategy & Execution Own end-to-end category strategy across Workplace, Construction, Real Estate, and MRO—ensuring alignment to Applied's business and sustainability goals. Integrate long-term planning, market intelligence, and supplier capabilities to drive innovation and resiliency. Drive holistic value across cost, performance, quality, compliance, sustainability, and innovation. Organizational Design & Capability Building Design and evolve the organizational structure to deliver on stakeholder needs, including segmentation of spend, talent development, and strategic governance. Lead a global team, including matrixed and BPO resources, to deliver category results with operational rigor and agility. Stakeholder Engagement & Strategic Business Partnering Serve as the single point of accountability for key executives across Facilities, Construction, Real Estate, and Engineering. Champion strategic alignment and visibility through executive business reviews, supplier governance, and proactive communication. Supplier & Risk Management Segment and manage a global supply base—differentiating between strategic, critical, core, and transactional partners. Lead executive engagement for top-tier suppliers and ensure category-specific performance metrics and supplier improvement plans are in place. Drive risk mitigation strategies related to business continuity, regulatory compliance, ESG, and security. Innovation & Value Delivery Develop and operationalize frameworks to measure total value beyond cost: including Progression (innovation), Productivity, Protection (risk), Performance, and Partnership. Lead initiatives that scale emerging supplier capabilities and technologies globally. Qualifications 12+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, or supply chain. 5+ years leading large global teams and managing category portfolios exceeding $500M in indirect spend. Strong expertise in real estate, construction, facilities management, security, and MRO sourcing. Must have experience in support lab environment to include consumables, tool installs, niche and complex CapEx equipment for mab and mfg use. Proven success in organizational design and operating model development. Deep familiarity with supplier risk, contract lifecycle management, and global governance. Strong communication, leadership presence, and ability to influence at all levels, including executives. Bachelor's degree required; MBA or relevant certifications (CPM, CPSM, CIPS) strongly preferred. Tools & Technology Experience with SAP Ariba, Fieldglass, ServiceNow, and advanced procurement analytics (e.g., Tableau, Power BI). Proficient in Excel modeling, supplier scorecards, and contract lifecycle tools.

Applied Materials is the global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips – the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world – like AI and IoT. If you want to work beyond the cutting-edge, continuously pushing the boundaries of science and engineering to make possible the next generations of technology, join us to Make Possible® a Better Future.