Director, Global Category Management, Power Conversion & Electrical Systems

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 mate