Category Manager

Fluence (Nasdaq: FLNC) is a global market leader delivering intelligent energy storage and optimization software for renewables and storage. Our solutions and operational services are helping to create a more resilient grid and unlock the full potential of renewable portfolios. With gigawatts of successful implementations across nearly 50 markets, we are transforming the way we power our world for a more sustainable future. For more information, please visit  fluenceenergy.com . Job Description: Role Summary The Category Manager owns the end‑to‑end category strategy and commercial outcomes for strategically important spend categories. This role ensures the company achieves sustainable cost competitiveness, supply continuity, and supplier alignment with product, technology, and manufacturing strategies. This role exists to protect long‑term business performance through deliberate, strategic sourcing decisions , not transactional buying. Key Responsibilities 1. Strategic category ownership Owns and maintains a multi‑year category strategy aligned with business growth, product roadmaps, and manufacturing plans Defines supply market structure, sourcing models, and regional strategy Anticipates cost, capacity, or technology inflection points and positions the category accordingly 2. Supplier sourcing and selection Leads sourcing for strategically critical programs , including NPIs and major ramps Owns RFx processes and supplier evaluations based on TCO, scalability, quality, risk, and capability Makes clear, data‑backed sourcing recommendations with documented trade‑offs 3. Cost leadership and value creation Owns category cost targets and long‑range cost roadmaps Drives structural cost reduction through: should‑cost models supplier productivity initiatives design‑to‑cost and specification influence Acts as the internal authority on category cost drivers and benchmarks 4. Commercial strategy and negotiations Leads high‑value and high‑complexity negotiations , including: long‑term agreements capacity or volume commitments indexation and risk‑sharing mechanisms Ensures contracts balance commercial advantage with long‑term supplier sustainability 5. Supplier performance and development Owns executive‑level relationships with strategic suppliers Leads supplier governance (QBRs, scorecards, escalation) Drives supplier development priorities aligned with future business needs 6. Risk management and supply resilience Serves as the category risk owner Proactively identifies and mitigates: geopolitical and supply concentration risks financial or operational supplier risks Develops and executes mitigation strategies (dual sourcing, localization, exit plans) 7. Cross‑functional leadership Acts as a trusted advisor to Product, Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance, and Strategy teams Influences decisions beyond sourcing, including design choices and footprint strategy May coach junior sourcing professionals informally, without people‑management accountability Success Measures Category delivers sustained cost advantage , not just one‑time savings Supply continuity is maintained through ramps and disruptions Category strategy is actively referenced in leadership decision‑making Supplier base is aligned with future technology, volume, and regional requirements Requirements Experience Bachelor’s degree with 8–12 years of category or strategic sourcing experience or Master’s degree with 5–8 years of progressive responsibility Core expertise Strategic category management and global sourcing Contracting and complex commercial negotiations Cost modeling, TCO analysis, and financial acumen Supplier risk and performance management Professional capabilities Executive‑level written and verbal communication High degree of independence and accountability Comfort operating in international, cross‑cultural environments Role Characteristics Individual Contributor role High autonomy and high accountabili ... (truncated, view full listing at source)