Category Lead Case Study: H.B. Fuller Strategic Sourcing Search

Client profile

H.B. Fuller is a global adhesives manufacturer headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. The company has a full talent acquisition team, which had been recruiting internally for its sourcing roles in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

The team needed a Category Lead with strategic sourcing experience, and the search had stalled.

The challenge

H.B. Fuller's greatest need was strategic sourcing talent: people who manage categories and vendors, negotiate contracts, and reduce supply risk. 

1. The salary range sat below the market for strategic sourcing

Sourcing roles fall into two groups. Tactical buyers place purchase orders, follow up with vendors, manage lead times, and handle invoices. Strategic sourcing professionals run RFQs, negotiate contracts, consolidate vendors, and manage supply risk. Pay rises sharply once a role moves to the strategic side, and Minneapolis-St. Paul pays well for the Midwest. The posted range for this role was closer to what tactical buyers earn.

2. Applicants brought tactical experience

The roles drew plenty of applicants, mostly buyers and supply chain logistics professionals. Their experience was centered on day-to-day purchasing. The hiring team needed category management, contract negotiation, and vendor risk experience, and few applicants had it.

3. Job titles in sourcing vary widely

The same title can mean very different jobs from one company to the next. At one company a buyer is mostly strategic; at another a category manager places purchase orders. The talent team regularly debated which title to post, and the title shaped who applied.

How we approached the search

1. Market guidance on pay and role level

We started by laying out the difference between tactical and strategic sourcing roles and what each typically pays in Minneapolis-St. Paul. That gave the talent team and hiring manager a clear picture of what their range could attract, and which level of experience the role truly required.

2. A title that fit the budget and the experience

We reviewed the role and coached the team on the job title. The goal was a title that would reach candidates within H.B. Fuller's price range who still had the strategic sourcing experience the hiring manager needed.

3. Direct outreach to passive candidates

We built the ideal candidate profile around strategic experience: category management, contract negotiations, RFQs, and vendor risk. We focused on people who had started in tactical buying and taken on more strategic projects over their first few years, which is a common path into category roles. From there, we reached out directly to passive candidates through our database of supply chain professionals, LinkedIn, and industry groups like ISM and ASCM. We also drew on our experience recruiting in adhesives, plastics, and related manufacturing.

4. Screening by recruiters who know procurement

Our founders worked as global category managers, and every recruiter on our team comes from supply chain, procurement, or logistics. We used follow-up questions to confirm each candidate had done the strategic work on their resume. Each candidate we submitted came with a scorecard comparing them to the ideal profile, along with detailed interview notes.

The placement

We placed a Category Lead with strong stakeholder management skills and a willingness to be hands-on. Category roles work across internal teams and suppliers, so stakeholder management was central to the job. Being hands-on meant the candidate could support day-to-day sourcing work alongside the strategic responsibilities.

The results

We filled H.B. Fuller's Category Lead role in 3 weeks. The talent team had been recruiting for the role internally before bringing us in.

Takeaway

This search was hard for three reasons. The salary range sat below the market for strategic sourcing, applicants brought mostly tactical experience, and sourcing titles vary widely. Filling the role took market guidance on pay and role level, a job title that fit both the budget and the experience needed, and direct outreach to passive candidates with strategic sourcing backgrounds. That approach filled the role in 3 weeks.

If you're hiring for a strategic sourcing or category management role, talk with our procurement recruiting firm about your search.