Lead Category Management Specialist (Indirect/ Shared Services)

Job Title: Lead Category Management Specialist (Indirect/ Shared Services)
Location: Houston, TX
Work Type: Permanent, Full-Time
Work Schedule: In Office, 5x days a week

NES Fircroft is a leading global technical recruitment company providing professional contract and permanent staff to a diverse worldwide client base across the energy, industrial, and process manufacturing sectors. Our client, major LNG Operator, has a permanent opportunity for a Lead Category Specialist (Indirect/ Shared Services) to be based in Houston, TX.


Position Summary
Our client is seeking a Lead Specialist, Category Management (Shared Services) to support strategic sourcing, contracting, supplier management, and category strategy development across a diverse portfolio of indirect spend categories.
This role will partner closely with internal stakeholders to develop and execute category management strategies, lead sourcing events, negotiate commercial agreements, and drive supplier performance across functions including IT, Human Resources, Facilities, Professional Services, Logistics, Corporate Services, Sustainability, Communications, and Site Services.
The successful candidate will play a key role in supply chain transformation initiatives while helping deliver value, mitigate risk, and ensure security of supply across the organization. Key Responsibilities Category Management & Strategic Sourcing

• Develop and implement category management strategies for assigned indirect spend categories.
• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives, competitive bid events, and supplier selection processes.
• Conduct market analysis and supplier assessments to support sourcing decisions.
• Drive continuous improvement and value creation through category strategy execution.
• Serve as the primary procurement representative for assigned categories.

Contracting & Commercial Management

• Lead commercial negotiations for supplier agreements.
• Draft, evaluate, negotiate, and execute contracts in collaboration with Legal, Tax, Treasury, Risk Management, HSE, and Insurance teams.
• Manage the full contract lifecycle, including implementation, administration, renewals, and supplier performance management.
• Ensure contract compliance and maintain accurate contract documentation and records.

Stakeholder & Supplier Management

• Build strong relationships with internal business partners and external suppliers.
• Align business requirements with market capabilities and sourcing strategies.
• Facilitate supplier performance reviews and drive contractor performance improvements.
• Coordinate with Purchasing and Supplier Assurance teams to support procurement objectives.

Leadership & Program Management

• Develop and maintain procurement and contracting strategy documentation.
• Manage and report procurement activities across assigned categories.
• Influence stakeholders and senior leaders to gain alignment on sourcing and contracting strategies.
• Support supply chain transformation initiatives and process improvements.

Qualifications Education

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education, certifications, and experience will be considered.

Experience

• Minimum 8 years of progressive Supply Chain, Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, or Category Management experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing:
  • Strategic sourcing events
  • Competitive bidding processes
  • RFP development and evaluation
  • Supplier selection
  • Contract negotiation and administration
  • Procurement and purchasing activities

Required Experience

• Indirect services sourcing and contracting.
• Commercial contract negotiation and lifecycle management.
• Supplier relationship and performance management.
• Cross-functional stakeholder engagement.
• Source-to-contract and procure-to-pay platforms.

Preferred Systems Experience
Experience with one or more of the following:

• Oracle
• SAP
• GEP
• Coupa
• JD Edwards (JDE)
• Other enterprise procurement platforms

Industry Experience

• Energy, LNG, Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Industrial Manufacturing, Utilities, or related heavy industry environments preferred.

Knowledge & Skills

• Advanced understanding of strategic sourcing and category management methodologies.
• Strong commercial acumen and contract negotiation skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication abilities.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Advanced Microsoft Office proficiency.
• Experience working within ERP and contract management systems.

Work Environment

• Primarily office-based in Houston, TX.
• Periodic travel to operating facilities as required.
• Hybrid flexibility may be available based on business needs.
• Occasional work outside standard business hours may be required.
• Fast-paced environment requiring effective management of multiple priorities and stakeholders.

Why Join?

• Opportunity to support one of the world's largest LNG and energy infrastructure organizations.
• Significant exposure to executive stakeholders and enterprise-wide procurement initiatives.
• Direct impact on supply chain transformation and strategic sourcing programs.
• Diverse category portfolio offering broad commercial and operational exposure.
• Strong long-term growth opportunities within Supply Chain and Procurement leadership.

About the Company
This is an excellent opportunity to become part of a leading LNG Operator. The successful applicant will receive a competitive annual compensation package, STIP, LTIP, generous medical benefits, PTO, matching 401K, holidays, and more. Candidate must have the authorization to work in the US without a visa or ongoing work permit. If interested in learning more about this opportunity, please apply directly or contact NES Fircroft for a confidential discussion, please contact Mishu Ventura.

With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.