Category Manager - European Transportation & Freight Payment (UK)

Arconic is seeking a Category Manager – European Transportation & Freight Payment to join our Global Transportation Team based in the UK.

At Arconic, we take pride in our work and our innovative products and technologies that advance sustainable solutions for a better world. We strive to create a safe, inclusive, and collaborative workplace with competitive benefits, development opportunities, and a culture that values and rewards employees on all levels of the organization.

Strategic Category Management

• Own transportation category spend for European locations (Kofem – Hungary, Kitts Green – UK, Hannover – Germany).
• Develop and execute Category & Sourcing strategies aligned with business objectives and market dynamics.
• Support plant transportation teams with competitive bid processes and sourcing events.
• Manage European transportation activities across all modes—Truckload, LTL, Small Parcel, Ocean, Air, Rail—and related services such as warehousing and transloading.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key and transactional suppliers to ensure performance, compliance, and cost efficiency.
• Lead contract negotiations to secure favorable terms and mitigate risk.
• Provide market-driven headwind/tailwind forecasts to inform budgeting and strategic decisions.
• Partner with U.S. Category Managers on negotiations and sourcing initiatives involving European-based suppliers.

Mode Optimization

• Collaborate with stakeholders to regularly assess transportation modes across lanes, sites, and customer routes, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce cost, and enhance service through optimal mode and equipment selection.

Freight Payment Leadership

• Lead the Freight Payment Team in managing the accounts payable process for European freight, ensuring seamless support for internal and external stakeholders.
• Oversee carrier freight bill processing to guarantee timely and accurate payment disbursement.
• Ensure compliance with contractual agreements, proactively identifying and resolving discrepancies in rates and accessorial charges.
• Analyze recurring variances to identify root causes and implement practical, timely solutions.
• Drive continuous improvement in freight audit and payment processes, strengthening internal controls to increase accuracy and reduce fraud risk.
• Maintain proactive communication with carriers to ensure timely receipt of freight bills and supporting documentation, as well as reconciliation and resolution of past-due amounts.
• Monitor workloads for data entry and audit teams to ensure consistent and efficient processing.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive process documentation and establish KPIs to track performance and ensure