Introduction

What are you going to do 

Brunel Energy is recruiting a Category Management Lead to work with a major oil and gas company on a 6-months contract in Houston, TX.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Develop and execute category management strategies that align with business objectives related to cost, operational efficiency, supplier performance, and safety.
  • Lead strategic sourcing activities, including market analysis, RFx processes, supplier evaluations, commercial negotiations, and contract awards.
  • Manage the full contract lifecycle for Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Material Agreements, and other strategic contracts, including post-award contract management.
  • Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders across Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Finance to understand business requirements and deliver procurement solutions.
  • Lead commercial negotiations with suppliers to achieve favorable pricing, contract terms, and long-term value while mitigating commercial risk.
  • Manage critical spend categories supporting industrial or energy operations, ensuring supply continuity and contract compliance.
  • Identify and implement cost-saving and value improvement initiatives through strategic sourcing, supplier optimization, and category planning.
  • Monitor supplier performance through KPIs and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure service quality and operational excellence.
  • Support procurement governance by ensuring compliance with company policies, procurement procedures, and contractual obligations.
  • Analyze spend data and market trends to develop sourcing recommendations and drive continuous improvement across assigned categories.

Essential skills and knowledge

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance, or a related field.
  • 8+ years of experience in Category Management, Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, Supply Chain, or Contract Management.
  • Experience managing high-value service and material contracts within the LNG, Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or Energy industries.
  • Experience using ERP and procurement systems such as Oracle, SAP, Maximo, GEP, or similar platforms.
  • Strong experience leading supplier negotiations and managing the full sourcing and contracting lifecycle.
  • Demonstrated experience developing and implementing category strategies that deliver measurable cost savings and operational improvements.
  • Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders in a fast-paced industrial environment.
  • Strong understanding of commercial contracting, supplier relationship management, and procurement best practices.
  • Excellent analytical, communication, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills.

What we offer 

Closing: 13 August 2026

Apply Now

Are you the perfect match for this vacancy? Apply in 5 minutes and let's get in touch!

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Process of your application

Application process & contact

We will now begin examining your application: We will take a close look at your application documents and ask you for additional information if necessary. If your qualifications match our requirements, we will invite you to meet us for the first time.

Project discussion with our customer

If the introductory meeting goes well for you and us, we will arrange a meeting with the customer who has the perfect project for you. This gives you the opportunity to find out more about the customer and the project.

The decision

If you enjoyed the project discussion and the customer is also convinced of your expertise, we will ask you the final and decisive question: Do you want to get started at Brunel?

Introductory conversation with Brunel

In an introductory meeting, we would like to find out more about your interests, ambitions and professional developments. At the same time, we report on working at Brunel and provide information about all career opportunities and prospects.

Welcome to Brunel

Now great times are beginning! With Brunel you have countless opportunities to help shape technological progress. You decide how your career path goes. We support you in every phase of your career. You always have security behind you: Brunel!