Lead/Principal Category Analyst

Lead/Principal Category Analyst Location Findlay, OH : An exciting career awaits you At MPC, we're committed to being a great place to work - one that welcomes new ideas, encourages diverse perspectives, develops our people, and fosters a collaborative team environment. Overview: Marathon Petroleum Company LP is seeking a Lead/Principal Category Analyst to play a critical role in driving data-informed decisions and strategic sourcing initiatives. This position is responsible for analyzing business processes, performing financial and spend analysis, and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce cost, and increase overall value to the organization. The successful candidate will be a key contributor in the development of dashboards, reports, and data models—leveraging both internal and external data sources to generate actionable insights. You will work cross-functionally with internal stakeholders to ensure the selection of goods and services aligns with Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) principles, supports category strategies, and mitigates supply chain risk. In addition, this role will actively explore and implement the use of Continuous Improvement and/or AI-driven tools and technologies to enhance decision-making, streamline sourcing processes, and unlock new opportunities in Category Management. This includes integrating advanced analytics, automation, and machine learning to improve forecasting, supplier evaluation, risk mitigation, and value delivery. Key responsibilities include supporting and executing category plans, facilitating contract negotiations, optimizing supplier portfolios, and ensuring alignment with sourcing strategies at the site level. You will also develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for critical suppliers to measure performance, drive continuous improvement, and ensure Marathon's procurement practices deliver sustainable value. Key Responsibilities: Collaborates on the development and execution of category strategies in close alignment with Category Manager. This includes performing market intelligence, KPI tracking/reporting, building business base-cases/scope for commercial negotiations, supporting supplier selection and leading/supporting contract negotiations. Conducts ongoing market analysis and leverage Supply Chain knowledge related to market trends and spend analytics. Supports sourcing events & economic analysis, cost modeling, and total cost of ownership analysis. With the support of the Category Manager, participates in the preparation and negotiation of agreements with key Suppliers, and periodically renew pricelists, terms, and conditions. Runs benchmark studies, gather, and analyze data, and makes recommendations to the Category Management team in alignment with business objectives and category strategies. Performs root cause and sensitivity analysis related to supply challenges, disruptions, or other market forces. Onboards new Suppliers in close collaboration with the Category Manager and coordinate regular supplier evaluations. Seeks and identifies opportunities for value capture (cost savings, cost avoidance, revenue enhancement) and risk reduction within assigned categories. Supports site operational and transactional Supply Chain activities to ensure alignment with category strategies. Analyze current business processes and workflows to identify areas for improvement. Utilize data analytics and performance metrics to assess operational efficiency and effectiveness. Lead and support continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, and other process improvement methodologies. Develop and maintain performance dashboards and reports, using data to facilitate more effective decision-making. Explore ways to enrich our data with internal and external data sources to improve insight and opportunities. Bring economic and statistical models and tools to enhance the use of data and inform business decisions. Ability to understand, cleanse, and aggregate data from multiple sources. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree required. Supply Chain Management, Computer Science or a similar discipline is preferred. Five (5) or more years Supply Chain or business relevant experience. Focus areas include process improvement, data analytics, operations analysis, or a related experiences. Proficient in data visualization and process mapping tools (e.g., Power BI, Visio, Signavio, Microsoft Power Tools). Energy industry experience in refining, midstream, and logistics. Preferred background in economics, economic modelling, statistical and regression analysis. Travel requirements: 25% or less. Skills & Competencies: Adaptability, Authentic Communicator, Business Acumen, Category Planning, Continuous Improvement Mindset, Critical Thinking, Customer Engagement, Financial Acumen, Influencing Others, Innovation, Market Research, Results Driven, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Performance Management, Supply Chain Risk Management ** Grade 11/12. This position is part of a job family with multiple levels. The successful candidate will be placed at a posted level commensurate with experience and qualifications **. As an energy industry leader, our career opportunities fuel personal and professional growth. Location: Findlay, Ohio Additional locations: Job Requisition ID: 00017171 Location Address: 539 S Main St Education: Bachelors (Required) Employee Group: Full time Employee Subgroup: Regular Marathon Petroleum Company LP is an Equal Opportunity Employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, reproductive health decision-making, age, mental or physical disability, medical condition or AIDS/HIV status, ancestry, national origin, genetic information, military, veteran status, marital status, citizenship or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. If you would like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant, click here . If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process at Marathon Petroleum LP, please contact our Human Resources Department at [email protected] . Please specify the reasonable accommodation you are requesting, along with the job posting number in which you may be interested. A Human Resources representative will review your request and contact you to discuss a reasonable accommodation. Marathon Petroleum offers a total rewards program which includes, but is not limited to, access to health, vision, and dental insurance, paid time off, 401k matching program, paid parental leave, and educational reimbursement. Detailed benefit information is available at .The hired candidate will also be eligible for a discretionary company-sponsored annual bonus program. Equal Opportunity Employer: Veteran / Disability We will consider all qualified Applicants for employment, including those with arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws. In reviewing criminal history in connection with a conditional offer of employment, Marathon will consider the key responsibilities of the role.