Job Title: Director Category Management
Location: Columbus, OH (preferred) & Merrillville, IN
Hybrid Schedule: Onsite Tuesday - Thursday
Job Summary
The Director Category Management leads the design, development and execution of the NiSource Supply Chain Category Management strategy and all associated category-level strategies. The Director manages a team of professionals to support the supply chain needs of NiSource stakeholders in a high-quality, consistent and cost-effective manner. By optimizing category strategies, fostering supplier innovation, advocating for Economic Inclusion, and driving cost efficiencies, the Director Category Management plays a critical role in ensuring a resilient, cost-effective, and sustainable supply chain.
- The Director Category Management is responsible for managing the largest spend category at NiSource and all things related to provide procurement services for our Gas business
Essential Functions
- Owns overall accountability for strategic sourcing and category management strategy to support the business partner goals and objectives
- Promotes Economic Inclusion strategies and reinforces their value in category management strategies
- Leads diverse team of qualified individuals with authority to hire, terminate, promote, demote, coach, develop and performance manage
- Leads the collaboration with Strategic Sourcing & Procurement and Economic Inclusion teams to execute on ongoing Supplier Relationship Management programs across all categories and facilitate desired outcomes including supplier sourcing and contract negotiation activities
- Engages with Category Management leaders in other industries to explore the applicability of strategies and tactics
- Collaborates with Supply Chain leaders and key business partners to gain a comprehensive understanding of business requirements and Supply Chain’s role in to effectively assess risk levels, manage supply continuity, develop contingency plans and establish risk management strategies to mitigate risk
- Defines the standard for business knowledge for the Category Management team and supports team member engagement with the business via experiential learning, local engagement and close partnership
- Continuously identifies and implements strategies and improvement initiatives to reduce cost, improve quality and result in a lower total cost of ownership
- Owns Category Management KPIs and reports performance to leadership (e.g., TCO, category spend under management, purchase price variance, on-time delivery, etc.)
- Develops forecasts and implementation plans to ensure category strategy goals are achieved
- Continuously evaluates supplier performance and creates and leads teams to improve supplier performance as necessary
- Conducts external research to stay abreast of the supply market trends and their potential application at NiSource
- Analyzes category spend management opportunities and deploys appropriate strategic plans
- Explores ways to leverage advanced analytics/AI to identify performance improvement opportunities and optimize strategies
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor level degree from an accredited institution required (following fields are preferred: Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Finance, Technology)
- 10+ years supply chain and category management experience
- 5+ years of experience leading category management teams
- Experience managing critical suppliers and associated contractual agreements
- Proven track record of delivering results and achieving goals in a collaborative/matrixed environment
- Current knowledge of leading supply chain practices and benchmarks
- Ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with leaders within and outside the company
- Highly developed strategic thinking, decision-making, conflict resolution and relationship building
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, including experience delivering presentations and recommendations to Executive Leadership
- Demonstrated leadership and ability to build support and consensus
- Proven cost management skills and financial acumen
- Experience assessing business risks and ability to identify, problem solve and drive innovative solutions
- Experience with supply chain and/or ERP applications (e.g., Ariba, Coupa, SAP, etc.)
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, BI
- Travel requirement: some travel to all states of the footprint with construction teams for projects as needed (quarterly business reviews with main suppliers held in Columbus)
Preferred Additional Qualifications for Position
- MBA
- Category Management experience in the Utilities or Telecommunications industries
- Experience/certification in performance improvement methods (e.g., Lean and/or Six Sigma)
- Advanced certifications: Portfolio Management Professional (PMP), CIMP/CSCP, CPA
Physical Demands
- Standing - Occasionally
- Walking - Occasionally
- Sitting - Constantly
- Lifting - Rarely
- Carrying - Rarely
- Pushing - Rarely
- Pulling - Rarely
- Climbing - Rarely
- Balancing - Rarely
- Stooping - Rarely
- Kneeling - Rarely
- Crouching - Rarely
- Crawling - Rarely
- Reaching - Rarely
- Handling - Occasionally
- Grasping - Occasionally
- Feeling - Rarely
- Talking - Constantly
- Hearing - Constantly
- Repetitive Motions - Frequently
- Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination - Frequently
- The preceding description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required of the position.
As a public utility, NiSource is required to provide continuous service to customers at all times. To ensure we fulfill that obligation, employees may be required to work outside their normal work hours and perform tasks outside of their normal responsibilities in support of emergency operations.
Work Authorization
Authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship.
Workplace Connection
Value inclusion within your day to day responsibilities by respecting others perspectives/convictions, engaging others opinions, creating a safe environment where people, ideas, and opinions are valued within your Team/Customers and external partners.
Respect the unique lived experiences within your Team/Customers and external work partners by valuing different world views, challenges, and cultures that represents all walks of life and all backgrounds.
Treat others with respect and consideration. Actively participate in creating and contributing to a positive work environment.
Equal Employment Opportunity
NiSource is committed to providing equal employment opportunities in each of its companies to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, veteran status, disability, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), genetic information, citizenship status, or any protected group status as defined by law. Each employee is expected to abide by this principle.
By applying, you may be considered for other job opportunities.
ADA Accommodations
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process or to perform the essential functions of the position, please contact OneHR at [email protected] or 1-888-640-3320
Safety Statement
Promote a safe work environment by actively participating in all aspects of our employee safety program. Report any unsafe conditions and take actions to prevent personal injuries. Support our interdependent safety culture by ensuring the safety of your co-workers. Stay focused on the task at hand and promote productivity through good work habits.
E-Verify
NiSource participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program. As part of this process, we provide the following notices to all job applicants: These documents inform you of your rights and responsibilities under U.S. law. You can view or download them using the links below:
- E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) E-Verify Participation Poster English and Spanish
- Right to Work Poster (English and Spanish) If you have the right to work, don't let anyone take it away
Salary Range*:
$160,100.00 - $240,100.00
*The salary offered to a candidate is based on several factors including but not limited to the candidate’s skills, job-related knowledge, and relevant experience , as well as internal pay equity .
Posting Start Date:
2026-07-28
Posting End Date (if applicable):
2026-08-07
