Category Buyer

Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) is a leading global specialty chemicals and performance materials company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Our businesses deliver a broad range of products and solutions to customers in every corner of the globe, serving the transportation, infrastructure, environment and consumer industry sectors. We bring the power of innovative chemistry to solve customers' challenges today while preparing them to meet tomorrow’s needs. Our commitment to innovation is driven by a passion to advance our customers' businesses through our deep understanding of their applications and the global trends that impact their operations.

If you do not meet every requirement, or your experience is slightly different that what we have listed, we still encourage you to apply! 

Position Summary

Supports the development and execution of sourcing activities for assigned categories, including CAPEX equipment, engineering, construction, and related services. Works under the guidance of a Senior Category Buyer or Category Manager to support business requirement definition, competitive bidding, negotiation, contracting, purchase order placement, delivery follow-up, and supplier performance monitoring. Partners with internal stakeholders to support safety, quality, cost, schedule, compliance, and value objectives.

Job Requirements (Principal Responsibilities)

·       Category Strategy Support: Supports category strategy development by collecting stakeholder requirements, spend data, supplier information, and market intelligence. Assists with aligning local sourcing activities to broader procurement strategies.

·       CAPEX Project Sourcing: Supports procurement activities for capital projects, including equipment, engineering, construction, installation, commissioning support, and other project services. Coordinates with project, engineering, operations, finance, and legal teams to collect requirements, maintain procurement plans, and follow up sourcing schedules and project milestones.

·       Sourcing Execution: Supports supplier qualification, request-for-quotation activities, bid clarification, commercial comparison, negotiation preparation, and award documentation. May independently manage lower-value or lower-complexity sourcing cases in accordance with procurement policies and delegated authority.

·       Commercial and Contract Support: Supports negotiations on pricing, payment terms, warranties, and delivery schedules. Assists with contract documentation, amendments, change orders, issue resolution, and contract closeout in collaboration with senior procurement colleagues, Legal, and project stakeholders.

·       Supplier Management: Supports supplier identification, qualification, onboarding, performance monitoring, and follow-up actions. Maintains supplier records and assists with supplier reviews covering safety, quality, cost, delivery, and service.

·       Stakeholder Collaboration: Works with business users and cross-functional teams to understand needs, collect technical and commercial information, and provide timely sourcing updates and analysis.

·       Procure-to-Pay Execution: Ensures accurate requisitions, purchase orders, contract references, delivery dates, receipts, and invoice resolution for assigned categories and projects. Coordinates with suppliers, operational purchasing, Accounts Payable, logistics, and receiving teams to resolve transaction and delivery issues.

·       Cost and Value Support: Supports the identification, documentation, and tracking of savings, cost avoidance, lead-time improvement, standardization, and supplier improvement opportunities using agreed procurement and project metrics.

·       Risk and Compliance: Follows procurement policies, approval requirements, purchasing ethics, Sarbanes-Oxley 404, Responsible Care®, ISO requirements, company standards, and applicable laws. Escalates identified commercial, supply, schedule, quality, or contractual risks to the appropriate stakeholders.

·       Reporting and Documentation: Maintains sourcing files, contracts, supplier records, and project procurement trackers. Prepares routine updates on sourcing progress, savings, delivery status, supplier performance, and open issues.

·       Continuous Improvement: Participates in improvements to sourcing processes, templates, buying channels, and ways of working, and shares practical feedback and lessons learned.

Competencies (Knowledge, Skills and Behaviors)

·       Technical and Commercial Knowledge: Demonstrates basic knowledge of purchasing, sourcing processes, cost comparison, contract fundamentals, and CAPEX procurement, with the ability and willingness to develop these skills on the job.

·       Teamwork and Collaboration: Works effectively with engineering, project management, operations, finance, legal, suppliers, and procurement colleagues across functions and regions to achieve shared objectives.

·       Customer Oriented: Understands stakeholder priorities and provides responsive, practical procurement support while maintaining appropriate commercial challenge and governance.

·       Communication and Negotiation Skills: Communicates clearly and concisely, coordinates effectively with stakeholders and suppliers, and supports negotiations with appropriate preparation and guidance.

·       Planning & Organizational Skills: Organizes assigned sourcing tasks, follows up actions and deadlines, and maintains accurate information to support project milestones and business commitments.

·       Problem Solving and Judgment: Identifies routine issues, gathers relevant information, proposes practical solutions, and seeks guidance or escalates when decisions exceed the role’s authority or experience.

Education/Experience

·       Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Entry-level purchasing or supply management training or certification is a plus.

·       Typically 1–3 years of purchasing, sourcing, supply chain, project support, or related experience. Exposure to CAPEX procurement, industrial equipment, engineering, construction, or project services is preferred but not required. Internship or project experience may be considered. Experience in a manufacturing or multinational environment is a plus. Good written and spoken English skills are required.

At Cabot, we bring the power of innovative chemistry and a spirit of partnership with our customers to advance solutions that will enable a sustainable future. Our strength in research and development is a major reason why we have been an industry leader for more than 135 years in products such as reinforcing and specialty carbons, battery materials, aerogel, fumed metal oxides, inkjet colorants, masterbatches and conductive compounds.

Our employees around the world are united by our shared purpose: Creating materials that improve daily life and enable a more sustainable future. Through our corporate strategy, “Creating for Tomorrow,” we are focused on our core strengths to lead in performance and sustainability – today and into the future.