Procurement Category Specialist Indirect and IT
Rio Tinto, Boron, CA, United States
Procurement Specialist Services
Be part of a safety-driven team that values inclusion and respect. Join a leading company that offers outstanding personal development and global career opportunities. Rio Tinto Borates - Boron and Wilmington, CA. Hybrid Role Minimum 3 Days Per Week Onsite. The salary range for this role in California is $125,440 - $172,480.
About This Role
Rio Tinto Borates is hiring a Procurement Category Specialist to support California Operations (Boron and Wilmington). This position reports directly to the Site Procurement Manager and serves as a category leader within a defined portfolio. This role offers exposure to site ownership, project management, and category strategy development within a global procurement framework. Working directly with Operations, Engineering, HSE, IT, and site leadership, the successful candidate will deliver strategic sourcing outcomes and commercial value. This is a hybrid role; however, the successful candidate will be required to work onsite at Boron, CA or Wilmington, CA a minimum of three days per week to ensure strong operational alignment and stakeholder engagement.
Reporting to the Site Procurement Manager, you will:
Lead procurement strategy across indirect categories, with an emphasis on IT procurement.
Your scope includes:
Software licensing and SaaS agreements, including:
Owning lifecycle activities including renewal planning, true-ups, and license compliance tracking
Negotiating commercials and terms (pricing models, user metrics, SLAs, audit rights, and data handling) to reduce risk and maximize value
IT hardware and digital systems, including:
Sourcing end-user and site technology (devices, networking, peripherals) aligned to standards and total cost of ownership
Coordinating with IT/OT stakeholders to validate scope, warranty/support, spares, and deployment timelines
Managed service agreements, including:
Defining service scope and performance measures (KPIs, response times, availability) with clear governance and escalation
Managing contract performance, changes, and commercial levers to ensure delivery and continuous improvement
Technology vendor negotiations, including:
Leading competitive sourcing and negotiation strategy, including benchmarking, BATNA development, and stakeholder alignment
Securing favorable terms on pricing, implementation/support, liability, IP, and termination/exit to protect operational continuity
Data security and compliance requirements, including:
Partnering with IT Security and Legal to ensure contracts address privacy, cybersecurity controls, and incident notification obligations
Driving supplier due diligence (risk assessments, SOC reports, data residency, access controls) and documenting compliance requirements
Corporate indirect category management, including:
Aligning site needs to enterprise category strategies, preferred suppliers, and buying channels while identifying local gaps
Maintaining category pipelines, savings tracking, and stakeholder communications to support governance and audit readiness
Core Responsibilities
Serve as category lead within assigned portfolio
Develop and maintain stakeholder-approved Category Strategies
Lead RFI/RFQ/RFP processes
Conduct commercial analysis and present sourcing recommendations
Lead complex negotiations and secure strategic outcomes
Draft and execute contracts and Master Service Agreements
Ensure supplier qualification and compliance with Rio Tinto Procurement Policy
Deliver measurable savings and value creation
Partner closely with site leadership to support operational continuity
Transition selected category management responsibilities currently supported by corporate teams into the site organization
Support separation activities, including contract novation, supplier transitions, and procurement readiness planning, as required
About You
Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, supply chain, or a related discipline preferred. 2+ years of procurement or project management experience. Strong negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills. Analytical and critical thinking capability. Ability to challenge specifications and drive commercial value. Strong health, safety, and ethical mindset. SAP Materials Management experience preferred.
What We Offer
We are committed to providing a generous benefits package to recognize your contributions, your way of thinking and your hard work. Therefore, our benefits include:
A safety-focused and inclusive working environment.
Access to family-friendly health programs including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, and various voluntary benefits.
A 401(k)-matching program in which the company matches.35 per dollar up to 5% of your base pay.
A generous employee share program which allows you to purchase Rio Tinto shares.
Comprehensive leave policies which cover all moments that matter in life: paid time off, paid holidays, and paid bereavement leave.
A favorable child-caregiver leave program.
Ongoing Employee Assistance Program for you and your family to address educational opportunities, addiction treatment, depression, stress, domestic issues, financial management, and legal concerns.
Discount programs for leisure purposes and access to incentives to support your wellbeing.
About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminum, critical minerals, and other materials needed for the global energy transition and for people, communities, and nations to thrive. We have been mining for 150 years and operate with knowledge built up across generations and continents.
Our purpose is to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs while striving for innovation and continuous improvement to produce them with low emissions and to the right environmental, social and governance standards. We need you, so we're focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win and meet opportunities.
Respect and Inclusion
Rio Tinto is committed to equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel safe, respected and valued. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome but are essential to our success. We treat all our people fairly and with dignity. Rio Tinto participates in E-Verify to confirm work authorization. Please visit http://www.ucis.gov/ for more information.
Be part of a safety-driven team that values inclusion and respect. Join a leading company that offers outstanding personal development and global career opportunities. Rio Tinto Borates - Boron and Wilmington, CA. Hybrid Role Minimum 3 Days Per Week Onsite. The salary range for this role in California is $125,440 - $172,480.
About This Role
Rio Tinto Borates is hiring a Procurement Category Specialist to support California Operations (Boron and Wilmington). This position reports directly to the Site Procurement Manager and serves as a category leader within a defined portfolio. This role offers exposure to site ownership, project management, and category strategy development within a global procurement framework. Working directly with Operations, Engineering, HSE, IT, and site leadership, the successful candidate will deliver strategic sourcing outcomes and commercial value. This is a hybrid role; however, the successful candidate will be required to work onsite at Boron, CA or Wilmington, CA a minimum of three days per week to ensure strong operational alignment and stakeholder engagement.
Reporting to the Site Procurement Manager, you will:
Lead procurement strategy across indirect categories, with an emphasis on IT procurement.
Your scope includes:
Software licensing and SaaS agreements, including:
Owning lifecycle activities including renewal planning, true-ups, and license compliance tracking
Negotiating commercials and terms (pricing models, user metrics, SLAs, audit rights, and data handling) to reduce risk and maximize value
IT hardware and digital systems, including:
Sourcing end-user and site technology (devices, networking, peripherals) aligned to standards and total cost of ownership
Coordinating with IT/OT stakeholders to validate scope, warranty/support, spares, and deployment timelines
Managed service agreements, including:
Defining service scope and performance measures (KPIs, response times, availability) with clear governance and escalation
Managing contract performance, changes, and commercial levers to ensure delivery and continuous improvement
Technology vendor negotiations, including:
Leading competitive sourcing and negotiation strategy, including benchmarking, BATNA development, and stakeholder alignment
Securing favorable terms on pricing, implementation/support, liability, IP, and termination/exit to protect operational continuity
Data security and compliance requirements, including:
Partnering with IT Security and Legal to ensure contracts address privacy, cybersecurity controls, and incident notification obligations
Driving supplier due diligence (risk assessments, SOC reports, data residency, access controls) and documenting compliance requirements
Corporate indirect category management, including:
Aligning site needs to enterprise category strategies, preferred suppliers, and buying channels while identifying local gaps
Maintaining category pipelines, savings tracking, and stakeholder communications to support governance and audit readiness
Core Responsibilities
Serve as category lead within assigned portfolio
Develop and maintain stakeholder-approved Category Strategies
Lead RFI/RFQ/RFP processes
Conduct commercial analysis and present sourcing recommendations
Lead complex negotiations and secure strategic outcomes
Draft and execute contracts and Master Service Agreements
Ensure supplier qualification and compliance with Rio Tinto Procurement Policy
Deliver measurable savings and value creation
Partner closely with site leadership to support operational continuity
Transition selected category management responsibilities currently supported by corporate teams into the site organization
Support separation activities, including contract novation, supplier transitions, and procurement readiness planning, as required
About You
Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, supply chain, or a related discipline preferred. 2+ years of procurement or project management experience. Strong negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills. Analytical and critical thinking capability. Ability to challenge specifications and drive commercial value. Strong health, safety, and ethical mindset. SAP Materials Management experience preferred.
What We Offer
We are committed to providing a generous benefits package to recognize your contributions, your way of thinking and your hard work. Therefore, our benefits include:
A safety-focused and inclusive working environment.
Access to family-friendly health programs including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life insurance coverage, and various voluntary benefits.
A 401(k)-matching program in which the company matches.35 per dollar up to 5% of your base pay.
A generous employee share program which allows you to purchase Rio Tinto shares.
Comprehensive leave policies which cover all moments that matter in life: paid time off, paid holidays, and paid bereavement leave.
A favorable child-caregiver leave program.
Ongoing Employee Assistance Program for you and your family to address educational opportunities, addiction treatment, depression, stress, domestic issues, financial management, and legal concerns.
Discount programs for leisure purposes and access to incentives to support your wellbeing.
About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and materials company. We operate in 35 countries where we produce iron ore, copper, aluminum, critical minerals, and other materials needed for the global energy transition and for people, communities, and nations to thrive. We have been mining for 150 years and operate with knowledge built up across generations and continents.
Our purpose is to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs while striving for innovation and continuous improvement to produce them with low emissions and to the right environmental, social and governance standards. We need you, so we're focused on creating partnerships to solve problems, create win-win and meet opportunities.
Respect and Inclusion
Rio Tinto is committed to equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel safe, respected and valued. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome but are essential to our success. We treat all our people fairly and with dignity. Rio Tinto participates in E-Verify to confirm work authorization. Please visit http://www.ucis.gov/ for more information.