Job Posting End Date
02-26-2026
Please note the job posting will close on the day before the posting end date.
Job Summary
The Category Manager, Project Procurement plays a critical role in coordinating the procurement of goods and services for major strategic initiatives within AEP's capital project portfolio. This position is responsible for developing and executing enterprise-wide sourcing strategies for assigned projects, partnering closely with project teams to plan, monitor, and report on procurement activities, and ensuring alignment with project execution requirements. The role leads complex category projects and portfolios involving large, cross-functional teams and carries significant strategic impact for AEP.
Job Description
Where Putting the Customer First Powers Everything We Do!
At AEP, we're more than just an energy company - we're a team of dedicated professionals committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions. Guided by our mission to put the customer first, we strive to exceed expectations by listening, responding, and continuously improving the way we serve our communities. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact and being part of a forward-thinking organization, this is the company for you!
What You'll Do:
Serve as the primary representative of Procurement to AEP business units and implement sourcing strategies that optimize spend.
Act as the main point of contact for project teams, strengthening partnerships, improving service levels, and driving key Supply Chain performance metrics.
Oversee coordination between Project Procurement professionals and other Supply Chain teams and resources to support project delivery.
Ensure adherence to AEP and regulatory standards, policies, and procedures across all project procurement activities.
Collaborate with Project Procurement professionals and Supply Chain teams to fulfill all material and service requirements for assigned projects.
Represent Supply Chain in project meetings, phase gate reviews, and other forums, ensuring clear communication and alignment.
Lead escalation and resolution of project material issues, including developing corrective actions and recovery plans.
Partner with project managers to develop procurement matrices and plans covering material supply, contracting, logistics, and expediting.
Develop and manage comprehensive Project Procurement Execution Plans, including pricing, PO/MR tracking, order timelines, contractual need dates, and delivery expectations.
Support project engineers, managers, and contractors in procuring goods and services in accordance with approved procurement plans.
Monitor and report on all procurement planning activities, including material requisitions, supply tracking, shortage identification, and expediting.
Assess and communicate quality, cost, and schedule impacts arising from Supply Chain activities; develop mitigation strategies to reduce project risk.
Address escalated issues and ensure timely communication of resolutions to project and Supply Chain stakeholders.
Identify potential schedule delays or changes and evaluate associated cost, schedule, and resource impacts.
Build and maintain strong relationships across AEP's procurement organization.
Develop and sustain collaborative networks with internal stakeholders and suppliers to support demand planning, forecasting, strategy development, and contract utilization.
Lead cross-functional teams including technical subject matter experts and other stakeholders in the development and execution of sourcing strategies.
What We're Looking For:
Education:
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required; preferred fields include Finance, Business, Economics, Engineering, or related disciplines.
MBA, JD, or other relevant graduate degree preferred.
Experience:
Ten (10) or more years of progressively responsible experience in project management, category management, strategic sourcing, purchasing, consulting, cost accounting, finance, or related PMP/SCM fields.
Candidates with an advanced degree or doctorate will be considered with five (5) or more years of relevant experience.
License or Certification:
Professional certifications such as PMP, SCMP, CPSM, or equivalent preferred.
Additional Expectations:
Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with strong influencing and persuasion capabilities.
Demonstrated innovation, initiative, leadership, and management experience.
Ability to lead teams in a matrixed organization, across geographical and functional reporting lines.
Proven experience negotiating large, complex commercial agreements.
Ability to independently manage supplier relationships and performance.
Expertise in project planning, development, and execution, with a track record of achieving measurable results in supplier negotiations.
Ability to apply market intelligence and insights to the project schedule.
Strong understanding of the strategic sourcing process.
Advanced negotiation and project management skills-project management fluency (understand P6 schedules, Critical Path Method (CPM) etc.).
Thorough knowledge of purchasing, accounts payable, work management, and financial systems; familiarity with AEP systems (e.g., SAP, Ariba) preferred.
Ability to analyze and interpret complex business issues using tools such as TCO, NPV, and cost/price analysis.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including Excel (Pivot tables, VLOOKUP) is required; familiarity with visualization tools is preferred (Tableau, PowerBI, or SQL).
What You'll Get:
Expected Salary Range
$137,000.00-$147,000.00 (USD)
In addition to a competitive compensation, AEP offers a unique comprehensive benefits package that aims to support and enhance the overall well-being of our employees.
Compensation Data
Compensation Grade:
SP20-010
Compensation Range:
$136,539.00 - $177,503.00
The Physical Demand Level for this job is: S - Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally (Occasionally: activity or condition exists up to 1/3 of the time) and/or a negligible amount of force frequently. (Frequently: activity or condition exists from 1/3 to 2/3 of the time) to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.
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It is hereby reaffirmed that it is the policy of American Electric Power (AEP) to provide Equal Employment Opportunity in all respects of the employer-employee relationship including recruiting, hiring, upgrading and promotion, conditions and privileges of employment, company sponsored training programs, educational assistance, social and recreational programs, compensation, benefits, transfers, discipline, layoffs and termination of employment to all employees and applicants without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, veteran or military status, disability, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. When required by law, we might record certain information or applicants for employment may be invited to voluntarily disclose protected characteristics.
