Supply Chain Category Specialist - Akron, OH

First Energy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers' lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

First Energy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, First Energy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.

About The Opportunity

This is for three open positions with the First Energy Service Company, a subsidiary of First Energy Corp.

Role Overview

We are expanding our Strategic Sourcing and Category Management organization and seeking multiple Supply Chain Category Management Specialists to support high‑impact sourcing initiatives across enterprise‑critical spend categories.

This role partners with cross-functional stakeholders and suppliers to drive cost optimization, supplier performance, market intelligence, and digital procurement transformation. You will help execute strategic category plans that align with enterprise goals for risk mitigation, sustainability, operational excellence, and value creation.

This position will be a full time onsite position located at either Akron, OH or Greensburg, PA.

Key Responsibilities

* Strategic Sourcing & Category Optimization

* Design and execute multi‑year category roadmaps, cost‑reduction initiatives, and strategic supplier strategies.

* Develop Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) strategies to improve service levels and unlock value beyond price.

* Build and deploy category strategies that incorporate market trends, risk modeling, value-engineering, demand forecasting, and supplier innovation.

Digital Procurement Enablement

* Leverage technology platforms, spend analytics, supplier performance management, and market intelligence tools to drive data‑driven decisions.

* Apply analytics to supplier spend, evaluate market dynamics, and benchmark pricing to identify value opportunities.

Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)

* Lead supplier selection events, including RFP development, proposal assessments, and score carding.

* Monitor and track supplier performance KPIs to ensure continuous improvement and compliance.

* Build robust supplier partnerships that support innovation and reliability.

Contracting & Negotiations

* Guide contracting strategy, negotiate commercial terms, and support value‑based contract optimization.

* Partner with technical stakeholders to evaluate proposals and ensure sourcing alignment with business needs.

Category Intelligence & Market Analysis

* Track category‑specific market trends, economic drivers, price movements, and supply risks.

* Define cost benchmarks, analyze supplier landscape shifts, and contribute insights to enterprise category strategy.

Stakeholder Engagement & Change Enablement

* Serve as a strategic advisor to business partners, ensuring alignment of sourcing strategy with operational and financial objectives.

* Ensure user satisfaction through transparent communication and high‑quality execution.

Qualifications include:

* Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related discipline and 4-7 years of relevant experience OR High school diploma and 7-10 years' sourcing/supply chain experience.

* Preferred experience in utility, engineering, construction, energized equipment, IT software/hardware, professional/consulting services, and related utility level procurement.

* Demonstrated success driving category improvements, cost optimization, and supplier performance enhancements.

* Knowledge of procurement policies, sourcing governance, terms and conditions (MSA) review, and compliance requirements.

* Experience with Coupa sourcing platform a plus.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At First Energy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes…