Job Description

Senior Category Manager - Packaging at Exact Sciences summary:

The Senior Category Manager - Packaging at Exact Sciences leads the development and execution of sourcing strategies for packaging materials essential to diagnostic products, ensuring regulatory compliance, sustainability, and supply continuity. This role collaborates cross-functionally with multiple teams to manage supplier relationships, drive cost savings, and support innovative packaging solutions. The position requires strong negotiation skills, category management expertise, and the ability to operate in a dynamic healthcare environment with a focus on quality and patient experience.

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At Exact Sciences, we’re helping change how the world prevents, detects and guides treatment for cancer. We give patients and clinicians the clarity needed to make confident decisions when they matter most. Join our team to find a purpose-driven career, an inclusive culture, and robust benefits to support your life while you’re working to help others.

Position Overview

The Category Manager – Packaging is responsible for the development and execution of category strategies supporting Exact Sciences’ sourcing needs for primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging. This includes materials such as corrugated shippers, folding cartons, labels, pouches, blisters, kits, and other components essential for diagnostic sample integrity, regulatory compliance, and patient experience. The Category Manager partners cross-functionally with Packaging Engineering, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Quality, Operations, and Marketing to manage supplier relationships, drive cost savings, improve sustainability, and ensure continuity of supply for packaging components used across commercial and clinical products. This role reports to the Associate Director, Strategic Sourcing - Global Category Management.

Essential Duties

Include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Serves as the sourcing SME for the Packaging category, including corrugate, labels, blisters, inserts, molded components, and temperature-sensitive secondary packaging used in diagnostic kits and shipments. Monitors the external environment to identify new trends and opportunities.
• Support development and implementation of sourcing strategies aligned to product packaging requirements, regulatory compliance, and sustainability goals.
• Collaborate with Packaging Engineering and Quality teams on packaging component specifications, supplier qualifications, material changes, and testing protocols.
• Engages business stakeholders to clarify and prioritize the value that is required from the category. Collaborates to establish category targets and tracks progress against targets. 
• Partners to negotiate contracts meeting cost savings and risk mitigation objectives.
• Ensures development and application of advantageous sourcing strategies, managing strategic vendor selection through proven/approved RFx processes. 
• Provides problem-solving and innovative ideas to support internal customers. Identifies value-generating opportunities (e.g. savings, efficiencies, or revenue growth).
• Drives an awareness of supplier expectations and requirements within the organization to foster win-win relationships.
• Monitors overall category strategy development and implementation, suggests changes to the strategy in line with the changing business environment. Identifies and resolves emerging issues with suppliers within category.
• Plays a key role in the phased roll out of category management across the organization, partnering closely with business stakeholders to ensure business objectives are met.
• Drives forward aggressive savings initiatives for indirect spend while continuously managing savings pipeline based on key procurement targets.
• Documents and communicates the savings success and engages business owners in needed process changes.
• Ensures Category Management policies are followed across the organization through education to impacted departments.
• Regularly presents to internal and external stakeholders.
• Leads and manages several varied projects at one time, with frequent changing priorities.
• Ability to effectively communicate to all levels within the organization.
• Ability to adapt to a quickly changing work environment with rapidly changing needs and requests.
• Ability to make decisions with limited information and operate with autonomy.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and negotiating skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to organize, present, and convey complex problems or issues within and across other functions.
• Uphold company mission and values through accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, and teamwork.
• Support and comply with the company’s Quality Management System policies and procedures.
• Ability to act with an inclusion mindset and model these behaviors for the organization.
• Regular and reliable attendance.
• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds for approximately 5% of a typical working day.
• Ability to work on a mobile device, tablet, or in front of a computer screen and/or perform typing for approximately 90% of a typical working day.
• Ability to comply with any applicable personal protective equipment requirements.
• Ability and means to travel between local Madison Exact Sciences locations.
• Ability to travel 15% of working time away from work location, may include overnight/weekend travel.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in supply chain, finance, or a field related to the essential duties.
• 5+ years of industry experience in sourcing, supply chain, procurement, or a field related to the essential duties.
• Demonstrated experience developing category management strategy and successful execution.
• Demonstrated experience in negotiation and contract management, including a working understanding of contractual terms and conditions and risk mitigation.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office programs, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Demonstrated ability to perform the Essential Duties of the position with or without accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience working within Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, such as SAP.
• Demonstrated experience in organizational sourcing transformation and/or change management specific to implementation of category management strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex and/or detailed information to multiple individuals/audiences with differing knowledge levels.
• Professional working knowledge with 21 CFR Part 820, ISO 13485, and/or cGMP structured environments.

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Salary Range:

$89,000.00 - $151,000.00

 

The annual base salary shown is for this position located in US - WI - Madison on a full-time basis. In addition, this position is bonus eligible.

Exact Sciences is proud to offer an employee experience that includes paid time off (including days for vacation, holidays, volunteering, and personal time), paid leave for parents and caregivers, a retirement savings plan, wellness support, and health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage. Learn more about our benefits .

Our success relies on the experiences and perspectives of a diverse team, and Exact Sciences fosters a culture where all employees can develop personally and professionally with a sense of respect and belonging. If you require an accommodation, please contact us here .

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We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, protected veteran status, and any other status protected by applicable local, state, or federal law.

To view the Right to Work, E-Verify Employer, and Pay Transparency notices and Federal, Federal Contractor, and State employment law posters, visit our compliance hub . The documents summarize important details of the law and provide key points that you have a right to know.

Keywords:

category management, packaging sourcing, supply chain, cost savings, regulatory compliance, supplier management, procurement, diagnostic kits, sustainability, negotiation

Job Tags

Full time, Contract work, For contractors, Work at office, Local area, Night shift,

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