Sr. Category Manager – Indirect/Corporate
The Nuclear Company · Columbia, SC or Washington DC · hybrid
The Nuclear Company is the fastest growing AI tech-enabled startup in the nuclear and energy space, pioneering a fleet-scale approach to building the next generation of nuclear reactors. Through our design-once, build-many model, we're accelerating the deployment of safe, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy.
We operate with an AI-first mindset. Every employee is expected to leverage AI, technology, and the Nuclear Operating System (NOS) as integral components of their role to improve the quality, speed, and impact of their work. We expect every team member to continuously identify opportunities to automate workflows, enhance decision-making, improve processes, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of NOS as a strategic operating capability that enables The Nuclear Company to scale with excellence.
We hire people who are driven by purpose, thrive in ambiguity, and are energized by building what has never been built before. Our team combines intellectual curiosity with high agency, embraces candid feedback and continuous learning, and holds themselves and others to exceptional standards. Our values—Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Scrappy, and Tenacity—guide how we hire, collaborate, and make decisions every day. They are not words on a wall; they are the standard by which we operate. TRUST is the foundation of our safety culture, fostering intellectual honesty, accountability, and open communication, while our values challenge every team member to execute with urgency, humility, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to our mission.
About the role
The Sr. Category Manager – Indirect/Corporate partners with functional leaders to develop and execute sourcing strategies across a portfolio of indirect spend categories that support corporate functions. Categories may include areas such as IT, professional services, marketing, workplace, and other corporate spend, and will adapt as organizational needs evolve.
This role brings market insight, commercial expertise, and structured sourcing approaches to inform category strategies and support business objectives. In close collaboration with stakeholders across IT, HR, Finance, Legal, Facilities, and Marketing, the Category Manager helps translate business requirements into effective sourcing approaches. The Category Manager leads structured sourcing activities, advises on supplier selection and contract negotiations, and enables efficient, scalable purchasing channels and pathways. The Category Manager adapts their level of engagement based on business needs and category context, providing both hands-on sourcing support and advisory guidance to enable efficient, effective procurement outcomes in alignment with company policies and established category framework.
This role is accountable for delivering measurable value, including cost savings, cost avoidance, and improved supplier performance. The role also contributes to supplier and contract management activities to drive value, manage risk, and maintain strong supplier partnerships. As part of a growing procurement function, the Category Manager contributes to building standardized, scalable processes and systems that enhance the purchasing experience and support the company’s continued growth, including ERP-enabled procurement capabilities.
NOTE * This is a hybrid position based in either our Columbia, South Carolina, or Washington, D.C. office, with the expectation of working in the office three days per week. This is not a remote position. Candidates must live within commuting distance of one of these locations or be willing to relocate. The position may also be posted in nearby markets where commuting may be feasible.
Responsibilities
Category Strategy & Planning
- Partner with business stakeholders to develop and evolve category strategies for assigned indirect spend areas, aligned to business priorities
- Analyze spend, demand patterns, and supply markets to identify cost optimization and value creation opportunities
- Provide recommendations on supplier strategies, including use of GPOs, strategic suppliers, and marketplace channels
Sourcing & Execution
- Lead structured sourcing processes (RFPs, RFQs, supplier evaluations) in collaboration with stakeholders
- Support and advise on commercial negotiations, pricing structures, and contract terms to achieve best value outcomes
- Coordinate execution of sourcing initiatives, including contracting, onboarding, and implementation with stakeholders
Stakeholder Partnership
- Serve as a trusted procurement advisor to functional leaders (IT, HR, Finance, Legal, Facilities, Marketing, and Others)
- Collaborate with stakeholders to shape sourcing approaches that align business needs with market capabilities
- Adapt level of engagement based on stakeholder needs, ranging from advisory support to leading sourcing activities
- Influence and guide adoption of preferred suppliers and purchasing channels and pathways through data, insights, and user-friendly processes
Supplier & Contract Management
- Support stakeholders in managing supplier relationships, performance expectations, and governance routines
- Identify opportunities for supplier optimization, consolidation, and performance improvement
- Partner with Legal and Finance to develop and maintain contracts, MSAs, and commercial frameworks
Procurement Operations & Process Enablement
- Design and implement efficient, user-friendly purchasing channels and pathways (e.g., GPOs, catalogs, punchouts, marketplaces)
- Support alignment with procurement policies and controls while balancing business flexibility and speed
- Maintain accurate supplier, contract, and purchasing data within procurement systems
Continuous Improvement & Scalability
- Identify opportunities to improve procurement efficiency, reduce cycle times, and enhance stakeholder experience
- Establish and track category performance metrics and value realization (e.g., savings, adoption, supplier performance)
- Enable catalog-based and guided buying capabilities to streamline purchasing
- Contribute to development of procurement standards, templates, and scalable best practices
Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or a related field (equivalent experience can be taken into consideration)
- 7+ years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or category management, with a focus on indirect spend + leading both people and process
- Demonstrated experience leading end-to-end sourcing initiatives from strategy through execution
- Strong negotiation and supplier management experience across multiple indirect categories (e.g., professional services, IT, marketing, workplace)
- Experience partnering with cross-functional corporate stakeholders to support sourcing and purchasing decisions
- Demonstrated ability to build strong, trust-based relationships and work effectively across diverse stakeholder groups
- Demonstrated ability to influence decisions and drive alignment without direct authority
- Familiarity with core procurement processes (e.g., requisitions, purchase orders, contracting, supplier onboarding)
- Experience using ERP or procurement systems to support sourcing and purchasing activities
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment
Nice to Have
- Experience supporting indirect categories such as IT, professional services, marketing, or workplace spend
- Experience operating in a highly collaborative, matrixed environment with shared ownership of decisions
- Experience leveraging GPOs and managing multi-supplier ecosystems
- Exposure to high-growth or scaling organizations, with evolving processes and priorities
- Experience balancing stakeholder needs with commercial outcomes in sourcing decisions
- Familiarity with ERP-enabled procurement or guided buying environments
Benefits
- Competitive compensation packages
- 401k with company matc