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Job Description

Job Title: Global Procurement Category Specialist - Chemicals

For more than 30 years at 3M, I’ve seen firsthand how it’s a place where curious, creative and collaborative people thrive and build a rewarding career. As a leader in this company, my goal is to ensure each 3Mer sees and feels the positive impact we’re making around the world.”

The Impact You’ll Make in this Role

As a Global Procurement Category Specialist - Chemicals, you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative and diverse people around the world.

This role will be based in the Global Capability Centre (GCC) in India and will operate as an individual contributor role. The role will have global responsibility across various Chemicals subcategories, with a significant portion of spend responsibility aligned to the Americas region. The successful candidate will be required to demonstrate flexibility to support USA time zones, including evening or night meetings as needed to collaborate effectively with global stakeholders, suppliers, and category teams.

Here, you will make an impact by:

Procurement Sub-Category Leadership

• Providing procurement sub-category support across 3M Businesses and Divisions for various Chemicals subcategories, serving as a global procurement team member for assigned chemical materials and suppliers.
• Initiating and supporting plans to implement global procurement solutions that achieve measurable business results, including cost savings, supply assurance, working capital improvement, growth, contract coverage and risk reduction.
• Supporting category strategies and sourcing activities for assigned chemical raw materials including subcategories within colorants, inorganics, and speciality chemicals categories.
• Establishing close working relationships with business unit stakeholders, global category teams, regional procurement teams, and suppliers to support sourcing strategies and activities.
• Researching and understanding short- and long-term market outlooks for assigned materials, feedstocks, suppliers, and relevant chemical value chains.
• Leading supplier negotiations, competitive bidding events, supplier analysis, sourcing recommendations, and supplier relationship management activities.
• Performing complex contract negotiations in partnership with global category leaders, business stakeholders, suppliers, and 3M Legal.
• Proactively communicating project direction, sourcing status, supplier issues, risks, and recommended actions to key regional and business stakeholders.
• Recommending and influencing sourcing decisions through data-driven analysis, market intelligence, supplier insights, and alignment with business requirements.
• Negotiating to resolve supplier or business issues, implement sourcing strategies, and ensure stakeholder satisfaction.
• Managing assigned suppliers in collaboration with global and regional Chemicals category teams, with significant focus on spend and supplier responsibilities within the Americas region.

Procurement Analysis and Design

• Determining and implementing sourcing solutions for multi-faceted situations involving distribution of business, supplier negotiations, category strategy, supplier management, external sources of supply, and continuity of supply.
• Conducting spend analysis, supplier analysis, market assessments, cost-driver reviews, and business requirement evaluations to support effective sourcing decisions.
• Developing cause-and-effect analysis and documentation to support sourcing recommendations, supplier decisions, risk mitigation plans, and category strategy execution.
• Developing and recommending tactical and strategic sourcing solutions to business unit stakeholders, global category teams, and procurement management.
• Supporting supplier selection, supplier performance reviews, supplier segmentation, risk assessments, and external supply evaluations.
• Supporting New Product Introduction activities by identifying capable suppliers, validating sourcing options, and ensuring alignment with cost, quality, regulatory, logistics, and supply requirements.
• Partnering with internal 3M stakeholders, including Manufacturing, R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain Operations, and Legal, to support business needs and sourcing execution.
• Using SAP, GEP, and other procurement systems to support sourcing execution, supplier data management, purchase information, reporting, and business analytics.

Procurement Process Improvement

• Identifying and implementing opportunities for process improvements that improve service, speed, compliance, supply continuity, or cost through analysis of sourcing information and metrics.
• Minimizing total product and process cost by supporting cost-reduction efforts and facilitating implementation of innovative sourcing best practices.
• Supporting productivity initiatives, including price negotiations, supplier consolidation, alternate sourcing, demand management, specification optimization, and logistics or working capital improvements.
• Recognizing impacts on related processes and ensuring communication of issues, risks, and proposed solutions to appropriate business and process owners.
• Supporting category risk reduction strategies by partnering with 3M stakeholders and suppliers on dual sourcing, supplier diversification, regional supply options, and material availability plans.
• Tracking project progress, savings delivery, supplier actions, and stakeholder commitments to ensure timely execution of sourcing initiatives.
• Working effectively in a global, matrixed environment while operating from the 3M Global Capability Centre in India.

Contracting Ownership

• Leading contract negotiations with supply partners, working in partnership with 3M Division stakeholders, global category teams, and 3M Legal.
• Implementing and negotiating supplier agreements covering complex supply relationships, including supply agreements, pricing agreements, confidentiality agreements, and other commercial terms.
• Supporting contract structures that may include supplier managed inventory, consigned materials, formula-based pricing, indexed pricing, supply assurance commitments, minimum order quantities, lead time requirements, and service-level expectations.
• Maintaining awareness of contract timelines, renewal dates, pricing mechanisms, supplier obligations, and key commercial terms for assigned suppliers or categories.
• Ensuring supplier agreements support business requirements, sourcing strategies, risk mitigation needs, and applicable 3M processes.

This role supports Divisions across 3M, giving the successful candidate broad exposure to 3M’s diverse businesses, products, suppliers, and global supply base.

Your Skills and Expertise

To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires, at a minimum, the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Industrial Engineering or higher from an accredited institution.
• Minimum 5 to 7 years of experience in Sourcing, Procurement, Supply Chain, Chemical or Polymers Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or related business functions in a private, public, government, or military environment.
• Experience in sourcing, procurement, supplier management, or supply chain activities related to raw materials, chemical, energy, polymers.
• Experience working with global suppliers and cross-functional stakeholders across multiple geographies and time zones.
• Hands-on experience in SAP , GEP, or other procurement/ERP systems.

Additional Qualifications That Could Help You Succeed Even Further in This Role

• Prior work experience in a Global Capability Centre (GCC), shared services, or global operations environment will be an added advantage.
• Strong negotiation skills and attention to detail.
• Initiative, self-starter mindset, and a positive, proactive approach.
• Project management experience with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.
• Experience successfully collaborating with internal and external stakeholders on complex projects.
• Ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Financial acumen and comfort with conducting business analytics, spend analysis, savings tracking, and supplier performance reporting.
• Understanding of chemical supply markets, feedstock dynamics, cost drivers, regulatory considerations, logistics constraints, and supplier risk factors.
• Experience supporting Americas-based stakeholders or suppliers will be an added advantage.
• Ability to operate successfully as an individual contributor in a global, matrixed environment.
• Knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese, German, Chinese, Japanese, or other global business languages is an added benefit.

Travel

May include up to 10% domestic / international travel, depending on business needs.

Relocation Assistance

Relocation assistance within country to be evaluated with HR

Working Time

The role will follow 3M India local guidelines; however, the candidate must be highly flexible since suppliers and stakeholders are located outside India. The role will require flexibility to support USA time zones, including evening or night meetings and calls as needed.

Work Authorization

Must be legally authorized to work in the country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status.

Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M.

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