Who We Are
Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips â the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world â like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.Â
What We Offer
Salary:
$108,000.00 - $148,500.00
Location:
Austin,TX
Youâll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possibleâwhile learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more.Â
At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. Weâre committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits.Â
Role Summary
The Global Category Manager - Human Capital Services is the strategic owner of an assigned category of spend, accountable for defining the global category strategy and delivering outcomes across value capture, stakeholder experience, and risk management. This role sets direction (the âWHATâ) through category strategies, supplier portfolio and segmentation decisions, governance, and demand/value roadmaps, while enabling scaled execution (the âHOWâ) through Strategic Sourcing Managers and the Sourcing Center of Excellence (SCoE). Operating in a centerâled âone houseâ model, the Global Category Manager orchestrates crossâfunctional alignment, ensures consistent global standards with regional nuance, and drives measurable business impact for Applied Materials.
Role at a Glance
Job Title
Global Category Manager - Human Capital Services
Organization
Global Sourcing & Procurement (GSP) â Global Category & Sourcing
Reports To
Category Leader / Portfolio Leader (per org design)
Primary Purpose
Own the category strategy, supplier portfolio, governance, and outcome delivery across the enterprise.
Primary Interfaces
Business Unit leaders/stakeholders, Strategic Sourcing Managers, SCoE Leaders, Supplier Executives, Finance (Value Capture), Risk/TPRM, Contracting CoE/Legal, Operations/BPO
Operating Model
Category defines strategy and guardrails; Sourcing executes and refines through data/insights; one unified global team.
Scope Anchors
Global category strategy + wave plan; supplier segmentation and SRM; demand management; risk and compliance integration; category councils and performance governance.
Category Scope
Talent Acquisition (TA) Services
- Own global category strategy, sourcing, and supplier governance for recruiting, executive search, and assessment services, aligned to enterprise hiring demand.
- Lead supplier segmentation, commercial models, and performance management (SLAs/KPIs), partnering with HR while Procurement retains ownership of supplier selection and contracts.
Talent Retention (TR) Services
- Define and execute category strategies for benefits administration, global mobility, immigration, relocation, and expatriate services.
- Drive market intelligence, sourcing decisions, contracting frameworks, and supplier performance governance in support of HRâled programs.
Learning & Development (L&D) Services
- Lead category strategy and supplier management for learning content, platforms, leadership development, and coaching services.
- Optimize supplier portfolios and commercial outcomes while partnering with HR on demand alignment and capability priorities.
Mission Alignment (GSP âDefinition of Winningâ)
- Value Capture: establish multiâyear value levers (savings, cost avoidance, productivity, revenue enablement) and deliver results through a governed pipeline.
- Client Journey: build proactive stakeholder engagement models and predictable delivery experiences through clear intake, governance, and communication.
- Risk Management: embed thirdâparty and supplyâmarket risk thinking into category strategies, supplier decisions, and contracting guardrails.
- Optimize Capability: enable the organization through playbooks, standards, and a talent pipeline that improves execution quality over time.
Key Responsibilities
1) Global Category Strategy & Roadmap Ownership
- Define and maintain a multiâyear global category strategy that aligns to Applied and GSP priorities, including clear goals, value levers, and execution waves.
- Establish category scope, taxonomy alignment, and a demand/supply perspective (demand signals, business requirements, supply market dynamics).
- Develop and refresh a category roadmap that sequences initiatives by impact, urgency, risk, and capacity, maintaining a forwardâlooking pipeline.
2) Supplier Portfolio Strategy, Segmentation & SRM
- Own supplier portfolio design and segmentation (strategic, preferred, transactional) and define the engagement model for each segment.
- Lead strategic supplier relationship management (SRM) for priority suppliers: performance, innovation, commercial governance, and executive alignment.
- Drive supplier rationalization and consolidation opportunities that improve leverage, simplify operations, and reduce total cost of ownership.
3) Business Partnership (BRM) & Stakeholder Governance
- Serve as a trusted advisor to business unit leadership; translate business objectives into category strategies and sourcing priorities.
- Lead category councils and governance forums (e.g., value/risk reviews, supplier performance reviews) to drive decisions, alignment, and accountability.
- Set stakeholder engagement rhythms and communication standards so the category experience is consistent across regions and teams.
4) Value Capture, Financial Stewardship & Performance Management
- Define and govern the category value pipeline (initiatives, baselines, assumptions, milestones) and partner with Finance for validation and reporting.
- Establish outcome metrics beyond savings (service levels, speed/cycle time, quality, compliance, risk reduction, innovation) and monitor performance.
- Ensure sourcing and contracting approaches are aligned to approved category strategies and buying channel guidance.
5) Risk, Resilience & Compliance Integration
- Integrate supplier risk considerations into category plans, including thirdâparty risk management (TPRM) triggers and mitigation actions.
- Partner with Risk/TPRM, Legal, Privacy/Data Governance, and Compliance teams to ensure category decisions and supplier selections protect Applied.
- Proactively monitor supply market risks and translate signals into actions (dual sourcing, contract protections, contingency plans).
6) Execution Orchestration Through Sourcing (One House Model)
- Translate strategy into sourcing wave plans and clearly defined playbooks/guardrails for Strategic Sourcing Managers and SCoE execution teams.
- Oversee implementation progress and remove barriers; ensure handoffs and workflow between Category and Sourcing are efficient and predictable.
- Continuously refine strategy based on execution learnings, market feedback, and data insights (strategy â execution feedback loop).
7) Capability Building & Change Leadership
- Champion standard ways of working, templates, and governance that reduce variability and improve speed and quality across the category.
- Support the talent pipeline by coaching and developing Strategic Sourcing Managers and SCoE practitioners; enable role clarity and development paths.
- Lead change initiatives within the category (process, tools, supplier operating models) and drive adoption through clear messaging and reinforcement.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelorâs degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
- Demonstrated category management leadership: building and executing category strategies, supplier segmentation, and governance models.
- Strong commercial expertise: negotiations, contract strategy, and total cost/value analysis in complex, multiâstakeholder environments.
- Proven ability to lead in a global, matrixed organizationâdriving alignment across regions, functions, and senior stakeholders.
- Experience integrating risk and compliance considerations into supplier and category decisions.
Preferred
- Experience in semiconductor or highâtech indirect categories (e.g., IT, facilities, technical services, labor/services) and global supplier ecosystems.
- Experience with structured category strategy programs, analytics-enabled decision making, and formal value capture governance.
- Professional certifications (e.g., CPSM, CIPS, CPM