Category Manager - E&I in Houston, Texas at Fervo Energy Company

The Category Manager - Electrical & Instrumentation will own sourcing, supplier relationships, and commercial negotiations, thus ensuring a seamless flow of materials and services that meet the high standards of cost, quality, safety, and sustainability. This role will own a critical portfolio of long lead, high value equipment including power transformers, station service transformers, switchgear, breakers, PDC buildings, E-houses, MCCs, VSDs, electrical buildings, instrumentation, gauges, transmitters, control system components, and related electrical balance of plant equipment. The role will partner closely with Engineering, Project Management, Construction, Legal, Finance, Expediting, Logistics, and Operations to ensure equipment is sourced competitively, contracted effectively, delivered on schedule, and aligned with Fervo’s project execution needs. The Category Manager - Electrical & Instrumentation will report to the Project Procurement Manager.

Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing and Category Management

• Set the vision, craft and execute category management strategies for electrical equipment, instrumentation, and associated services.
• Perform market analysis (including ‘should-cost modeling) and leverage supply chain knowledge to understand and articulate market trends that may impact internal stakeholders and category strategies.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders and senior leadership to forecast demand, define scope, identify risks, and analyze supplier capabilities.
• Manage bid solicitation, evaluation, negotiation, contract execution, implementation, and post award management.
• Identify opportunities for supplier consolidation, preferred supplier agreements, framework agreements, and volume leverage across projects.
• Develop total cost of ownership models that include purchase price, spare parts, freight, duties, inspection costs, commissioning support, warranty coverage, lifecycle cost, and schedule risk.

Supplier Selection and Relationship Management

• Build a best-in-class supplier ecosystem with a focus on technical expertise, quality, delivery performance, and cost competitiveness.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers and service providers to ensure on-time delivery and support high-quality plant operations.
• Monitor supplier performance through QBRs, KPIs and manage corrective actions, continuous improvement initiatives, and supplier development programs.

Contract Development & Negotiation

• Lead commercial discussions with suppliers, ensuring clear statements of work, service-level agreements, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Negotiate terms and pricing to achieve best-value agreements while fostering long-term, collaborative supplier partnerships.
• Provide effective overview of supplier performance to contract. Manage supplier issues and disputes to effective resolution.

Risk Management and Compliance

• Proactively identify and mitigate risks in the supply chain, including disruptions in supply, quality control issues, logistical bottlenecks, and regulatory changes.
• Ensure all procurement and sourcing activities meet company policies, industry standards, and relevant health, safety, and environmental regulations.

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with engineering, operations, finance, legal and other stakeholders to align supply chain strategies with project timelines and budgets.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior supply chain team members, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management or related field
• Minimum 8+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing/category management in energy (geothermal, power generation, oil and gas, etc.).
• Expert understanding of electrical equipment, instrumentation, and related services specific to geothermal, power generation or oil and gas.
• Experience negotiating equipment supply agreements, framework agreements, warranty terms, liquidated damages, milestone payments, and change order terms.
• Proficiency in ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and advanced Excel/analytical skills for data management and reporting.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience building or using should cost models, cost breakdowns, bid evaluations, benchmarks, or total cost of ownership analyses.

Preferred Qualifications

• History of influencing senior leaders, leading cross-functional teams and nurturing talent through mentoring and development programs.
• Self-starter with a track record of developing, implementing, and managing strategic supply chain initiatives
• Ability to influence management through the use of high quality, well-structured communications, both written and verbal to ensure linkage with business strategies and drive understanding of the resulting impact.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, negotiation and problem-solving skills.

Location

Fervo Energy is headquartered in Houston, TX. This position will be eligible for some hybrid work flexibility, but regular in-office presence at the Houston location will be required. Although office based, some travel to Fervo operational sites may be required.