Director, Global Category Management, Power Conversion & Electrical Systems
Fluence Energy· enterprise· Renewables & Environment· Sep 16, 2026 · 1mo ago
Houston, TX
In office
Full-time
Director
$180K–$250K est.
12+ years exp
Job description
Fluence (Nasdaq: FLNC) is a global market leader delivering intelligent energy storage and optimization software for renewables and storage. Our solutions and operational services are helping to create a more resilient grid and unlock the full potential of renewable portfolios. With gigawatts of successful implementations across nearly 50 markets, we are transforming the way we power our world for a more sustainable future. For more information, please visit fluenceenergy.com .
Job Description:
Role Summary
The Director, Power Conversion & Electrical Systems owns Fluence s global category strategy and commercial execution across the AC power electronics portfolio, including power conversion systems, inverters, transformers, UPS, and electrical and electronic controls. The role also owns the Advanced Procurement function, which partners with Engineering and Product on new product introduction, early supplier involvement, and design for cost.
This is one of two Director level category leaders reporting to the Vice President, Power and Systems. Together the two roles cover Fluence s full non battery direct materials portfolio, which represents approximately $1.2B in annual spend today and is expected to exceed $5B within three years as Fluence converts contracted backlog and pipeline into deployed capacity.
This role carries the power electronics share of that growth. The supplier base, capacity commitments, and commercial structures required at the far end of that curve do not exist yet in their final form. Building them, while running the category and hitting cost commitments in the meantime, is the substance of the job.
Cost is a primary measure of success. Rising volume is leverage, and this role is expected to convert it into year over year unit cost reduction rather than proportional cost growth. Fluence is looking for a category leader who negotiates hard, knows the technology well enough to challenge a supplier on a bill of materials, and wants a path to broader supply chain leadership.
Scope
Power Conversion Systems and Inverters. Core AC power electronics for Fluence energy storage products.
Transformers and UPS. Medium and high voltage transformers, uninterruptible power supply, and associated electrical equipment.
Electrical and Electronic Controls. Control hardware and electrical assemblies supporting the power train.
Advanced Procurement. Procurement engineering embedded in new product introduction, early supplier involvement, sourceability, and design for cost.
The role leads a team of senior Category Managers and Specialists with deep subcategory expertise, and is supported by Engineering, Quality, and Legal partners across regions.
Working Relationship with the Vice President
The Vice President, Power and Systems sets portfolio strategy, annual cost targets, and supplier architecture, and leads the largest and most strategic negotiations. This role owns category level execution against those targets, including day to day supplier management, negotiation within the category, and delivery of committed cost and supply performance.
This role is expected to bring recommendations rather than problems, escalate early on capacity constraints and commercial disputes, and operate with independence on everything short of the enterprise level decisions reserved to the Vice President.
Key Responsibilities
1. Category Strategy and Supplier Portfolio
Own and evolve the multiyear category strategy across power conversion and electrical systems, including commodity segmentation, make or buy decisions, and regional supply balance.
Build and maintain a globally diversified supply base for PCS, inverters, transformers, and electrical controls, prioritizing resilience, competitive commercial positioning, and alignment with the Fluence product and growth roadmap.
Rationalize the supplier portfolio. Define preferred and approved vendor lists, establish tiering, and govern transitions across the portfolio.
Develop emerging and alternative suppliers to create commercial leverage, close capability gaps, and expand geographic coverage in support of the global manufacturing footprint.
Translate business volume commitments and product evolution into actionable sourcing strategies in alignment with Engineering, Product, and Manufacturing.
Execute the domestic content strategy for power electronics in support of IRA qualification, FEOC eligibility, and regional manufacturing requirements.
2. Commercial Execution and Cost Delivery
Own the cost structure for the power conversion and electrical systems categories and deliver the annual cost reduction target committed to the Vice President.
Use rising volume as leverage. Negotiate tiered pricing, volume based price down curves, and rebate mechanisms so that unit cost falls as Fluence volume grows.
Negotiate master supply agreements, long term agreements, and volume commitment structures with Tier 1 and emerging suppliers. Secure pricing mechanisms, IP protections, volume adherence terms, and liability governance.
Build should cost models and clean sheet analyses covering labor, materials, overhead, scrap, OEE, non recurring engineering, and tooling, and use them as the basis for negotiation rather than as after the fact justification.
Maintain PPV, forecast accuracy, and budget governance for the category so that commitments roll up cleanly to the portfolio number.
Manage excess and obsolete exposure, underutilization penalties, and volume adherence enforcement within category agreements.
3. Supply Assurance, Quality, and Risk
Ensure supply continuity across all power electronics categories and regions, including capacity planning, allocation management, and second source qualification.
Secure supplier capacity ahead of demand, with commitments that track the Fluence growth curve rather than current run rate.
Lead category risk strategy addressing geopolitical exposure, single and sole source dependencies, raw material volatility, and capacity constraints. Maintain business continuity and mitigation playbooks including multiregion sourcing, safety stocks, hedging and indexation, and rapid requalification pathways.
Partner with Quality and Engineering on supplier quality maturity, first article approval, corrective action governance, and new product introduction readiness.
Run performance management discipline across the supply base through scorecards, business reviews, and escalation protocols.
Implement trade, regulatory, and ESG compliance across regions, and advance responsible sourcing and supplier sustainability KPIs.
4. Advanced Procurement and Product Lifecycle
Own the Advanced Procurement function. Embed procurement engineering specialists in new product introduction programs to drive early supplier involvement, sourceability, and cost targets from concept through launch.
Partner with Product and Engineering on component roadmaps, design to cost initiatives, and qualification of next generation power conversion architectures.
Represent procurement in product lifecycle decisions including end of life planning, engineering change management, and excess and obsolete exposure.
Align with Global Logistics and manufacturing operations on inbound material flow, lead time management, and inventory strategy.
5. Team Leadership and Development
Lead, coach, and hold accountable a team of senior Category Managers and Specialists. Set clear targets and hold the standard on commercial rigor and technical depth.
Grow the team as spend scales, including hiring, onboarding, and capability development in should cost modeling, negotiation, and supplier business review leadership.
Build a bench with succession depth, so that category coverage does not depend on any single individual.
6. Cross Functional Partnership
Serve as the procurement voice into Engineering, Product, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, and Legal on all power conversion and electrical systems matters.
Support the Vice President in quarterly business reviews, board materials, and customer facing proposal reviews where bill of materials cost, lead time, and supply risk are at issue.
Lead supplier executive business reviews for the category and prepare escalations for the Vice President where they exceed category authority.
Performance Expectations
Year one. Category strategy refreshed and committed. Supplier base assessed against the growth curve with capacity gaps identified and mitigation underway. Annual cost reduction target delivered. Should cost coverage established on the highest value commodities.
Year two. Cost commitments delivered on a larger spend base, with volume leverage terms embedded in the major category agreements. Capacity secured ahead of demand. Second source coverage in place on critical commodities.
Year three. A category organization operating at multiples of today s volume with unit costs materially below today s levels, supply continuity intact, and a Category Manager bench capable of running the day to day independently.
Qualifications
12 years in strategic sourcing, category management, or supply chain leadership, including 4 years managing teams.
Track record leading global category work in high growth, complex hardware manufacturing environments.
Ownership of at least $250M in annual category spend, with accountability for measurable cost performance.
Demonstrated year over year cost reduction on a growing spend base, traceable to margin rather than to cost avoidance.
Deep familiarity with power electronics supply chains, including PCS, inverters, transformers, and electrical controls, sufficient to lead technically credible discussions with suppliers and internal engineering.
Experience negotiating multiyear supplier agreements including volume commitments, non recurring engineering, and performance terms.
Experience leading advanced procurement or procurement engineering, including early supplier involvement and new product introduction sourcing.
Strong financial acumen across TCO, should cost, and PPV.
Familiarity with IRA manufacturing requirements, FEOC rules, and domestic content compliance relevant to energy storage supply chains preferred.
Bachelor degree required. MBA or advanced technical degree preferred.
Leadership Profile
A hands on category leader who stays close to the product and the supplier, not above it.
Commercially aggressive and technically credible in the same conversation.
Treats volume growth as leverage to reset terms rather than as a reason to accept higher cost.
Sets direction and delegates execution while maintaining accountability across a team of senior subject matter experts.
Thrives in fast scaling organizations and balances long term positioning with the operating discipline a global delivery organization requires.
Data driven, with a bias for clarity, accountability, and team development through coaching.
Customer and product aware. Understands how sourcing decisions affect Fluence competitive positioning and project delivery commitments.
On a growth trajectory. This seat is a development path toward broader supply chain leadership at Fluence.
Location and Travel
Based in Houston, Texas, with an expectation of 3 to 4 days per week in the office.
Travel of 25 to 35 percent, domestic and international.
Fluence is an equal opportunity employer.
Our Culture
At Fluence, our culture is the foundation that drives our ambitious growth strategy and fuels our mission to transform the future of energy. Our core cultural pillars empower us to innovate, collaborate, and lead with purpose, ensuring we continue to deliver unparalleled value to our customers and the world.
Unleash Voices
We believe every voice matters. We encourage openness, active listening, and decisive action to create a culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute to our success. We foster an environment where diverse perspectives are heard and valued, driving innovation and progress.
Customer Fluent
Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We’re committed to delivering exceptional value that exceeds expectations by understanding our customers needs and adapting swiftly to meet them. Our deep focus on customer satisfaction drives us to continuously improve and innovate.
Infinite Impact
We are committed to creating the impossible. We push boundaries to deliver sustainable, game-changing solutions that shape a brighter, more energy-efficient future for all. Our team is passionate about making a lasting impact that will resonate for generations to come.
All In
We are all in for growth. Our teams are relentlessly focused on identifying and seizing opportunities that propel us forward. We embrace an ownership mindset, pushing ourselves and each other to accelerate progress and create lasting success.
Equal Opportunity Employer
At Fluence, we believe great teams are built on a collaborative and connected culture. We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome qualified applicants of all backgrounds. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other status protected by law.
Work Authorization
To join our team, you’ll need to be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout your employment, without the need for employer sponsorship. Please note that Fluence does not sponsor work visas for this position.
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