Category Specialist - Direct Procurement

Requisition ID:  34560  

At Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, our 8,000+ global associates proud to come to work each day, knowing that what we do impacts the lives of patients around the world. For Terumo, for Everyone, Everywhere.

We make medical devices and related products that are used to collect, separate, manufacture and process various components of blood and cells. With our innovative technologies and service offerings, we touch a patient’s life every second of every day and are committed to continuing to increase the number of patients we serve. Advancing healthcare with heart.

With some of the best and brightest minds in the industry, an unmatched global footprint, comprehensive benefits and a distinct culture, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is a great place to work, grow and be part of a team that is focused on making a difference. Join us and help shape wherever we go next. You create your future and ours.

In this high‑impact role as a Category Specialist, you’ll play a key part in shaping our global procurement strategy by optimizing category spend, strengthening supplier performance, and driving cost‑effective purchasing practices across the organization. Acting as a strategic extension of the Category Manager, you’ll lead spend analysis, support global sourcing initiatives, and help build supplier relationships that ensure optimal inventory levels, supply assurance, quality, and delivery. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives in a data‑driven, fast‑paced environment and wants to influence category strategy on a global scale while making a measurable difference in operational efficiency and total cost reduction.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Identify and execute alternate sourcing, supplier consolidation and localization to maximize pricing leverage, and cycle time improvements.
• Drive and manage enhanced margin through improved material cost savings.
• Drive category performance improvement to stated goals: Lead time improvements, Minimum Order Quantity improvements, Localization or Vendor Managed Inventory opportunities, Payment Terms, Incoming Quality, decrease inventory levels and increase inventory turns.
• Drive supplier performance improvements to stated goals.
• Understand Internal and Supplier Manufacturing Processes to improve cost and reduce waste.  
• Prepare Business Cases, including ROI models, and effectively present Cost Savings and Risk Mitigation proposals to appropriate parties for approval and qualification.
• Develop and execute RFQ’s, cost models, and estimates for initial project resourcing needs.
• Negotiate business T & C's relating to: payment terms, delivery terms, inventory strategies, lead times, price improvement, supply assurance and other strategic issues with key suppliers.
• Provide rigorous analysis of spend data and market trends/dynamics by site, supplier and/or category to prioritize and launch sourcing initiatives.
• Monitor current category market conditions, technology roadmaps and identify supply/demand challenges.  Develop, implement and communicate tactical and strategic category plans internally as appropriate.
• Accountable for working closely with customer-facing teams, operation teams, and R&D and supplier engineering teams to ensure that the supplier strategy supports product and customer needs.
• Manage commodities/materials/spend to achieve the annual performance metrics applicable to Supply Chain – planning, logistics, warehousing, and procurement.
• In conjunction with operations leadership, direct supervisor, and peer leads in other regions, construct category and supplier strategies by region that support the manufacturing technologies currently produced in each region.
• Ensure that all supplier and sourcing strategies support the “best total landed cost” objective of the business, including costs of inventory ownership, transport, customs, duties and lead-time.
• Ensure that product compliance of suppliers meets all existing and future corporate social responsibility and product compliance requirements. Conduct periodic reviews of suppliers to ensure such compliance.
• Prepare and provide documentation of such compliance as is required by corporate and other regulatory reporting agencies.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential functions of the job may be considered.

Experience

• Minimum 4 years’ experience in Sourcing/Procurement/Supply Chain or Manufacturing/Operations or R&D in a large, multi-national, medical device company.
• Operational Excellence (Lean, Six Sigma, or Similar) experience.
• Proven success in managing suppliers or in managing complex manufacturing processes.
• This position can be fulfilled as a learning experience or career broadening role for associates with experiences in fields other than those listed.

Skills

• Knowledge and use of relevant PC software applications and skills to use them effectively.
• Proven track record of driving positive results.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement initiatives by leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, and data analytics to optimize processes, reduce waste, and enhance cross-functional efficiency.

• Highly self-motivated team player who can work effectively with management, business unit personnel, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to interact with diplomacy and tact while maintaining appropriate assertiveness and persistence.
• Effective project management skills.

• Proven ability to positively persuade and influence decision making, at all levels in the organization.
• Person of true convictions; Willing to stand up for those convictions; Able to communicate, reinforce and coach/counsel others on those convictions; Unafraid of change / improvement.
• Interpersonal skills that could be described as “firm but fair”; Objective yet compassionate in evaluating performance; Can connect all people of the organization to the mission and goals of the organization.
• Ability to prioritize very well and maintain appropriate balance in a fast-paced, heavy-workload environment.
• Sound problem-solving skills in both functional areas of operations and interpersonal relationship management.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

APICS and/or CPSM certification or willingness to work towards same.

-Or-

An equivalent competency level acquired through a variation of these qualifications may be considered.

LOCATION

Lakewood, Colorado or Remote. 

TRAVEL

Willing to Travel regional and globally as required 10 - 25%.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Typical Office Environment requirements include: reading, speaking, hearing, close vision, walking, bending, sitting, and occasional lifting up to 20 pounds.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential duties of this job. 
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

Target Pay Range:  $104,600.00 to $130,800.00  -  Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data
Target Bonus on Base:  7.0%

At Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, we provide competitive total reward offerings that consist of compensation, benefits, recognition, along with a wealth of other well-being, work-life and recognition programs which support in unlocking the potential for you and your family. Included in our expansive list of benefits offerings are multiple group medical, dental and vision plans, a robust wellness program, life insurance and disability coverages, also a variety of voluntary programs such as group accident, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance and much more. To help you save for retirement, we offer a 401(k) plan with a matching contribution and for work-life balance we have vacation and sick time programs for associates. For us, it’s about protecting the personal welfare of our associates and their families, helping to achieve personal goals and offering those extra touches for convenience, security and overall peace of mind.

• Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is part of Terumo Group, founded in 1921 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
• In 2024, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies reached $1.5 billion in revenue.
• We employ nearly 8,000 associates globally, with global headquarters in Lakewood, CO, U.S., and regional headquarters in Brussels, Buenos Aires, Singapore and Tokyo.
• We manufacture devices, disposable sets and solutions at our facilities in Belgium, India, Japan, Northern Ireland, the U.S. and Vietnam. Our global presence enables us to serve customers in more than 130 countries.
• Our core values help set our direction, guide our actions and keep us true to our corporate mission of contributing to society through healthcare.
  • Respect – Appreciative of others
  • Integrity – Guided by our mission
  • Care – Empathetic to patients
  • Quality – Committed to excellence
  • Creativity – Striving for innovation
• We contribute to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), raising $2.4 million USD since 2025.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer.  All applicants will be afforded equal opportunity without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, order of protection status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability unrelated to ability, military status or an unfavorable discharge from military service.

Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is committed to providing a safe, healthy and secure working environment. Our Colorado campus locations are tobacco-free workplaces, and we maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing and detailed background verification.