JobsMotorola Solutions

Senior Procurement Category Manager - Battery Cells & Battery Packs

Motorola Solutions · Chicago, IL

Posted Aug 9, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Walk me through a category strategy you built for a component like battery cells or battery packs, from market analysis to execution.

whether the candidate has actually run a full strategic sourcing cycle, not just tactical buying

Tell me about a time you negotiated a strategic contractual agreement with a supplier that included non-disclosure and long-term commercial terms. What was the hardest term to land?

depth of contract negotiation experience with complex commercial and legal terms, not just price haggling

Tell me about a cost reduction goal you were assigned that felt unrealistic. How did you approach hitting it anyway?

track record of delivering on savings targets under pressure, and honesty about tradeoffs made

Tell me about a time a supplier relationship was breaking down over performance or quality. How did you rebuild it, or did you walk away?

skill in supplier relationship management beyond contract enforcement, including judgment on when to exit

Describe your experience managing battery cell or battery pack procurement specifically. What made that category different from other components you've sourced?

whether the preferred direct experience is real and specific, not adjacent electronics sourcing

Technical

Battery cell supply has been through shortages and price swings the last few years. How would you monitor commodity market conditions for this category and build a supply continuity plan before a shortage hits?

real knowledge of battery raw material and cell market dynamics, not generic risk-management talk

How do you evaluate a battery cell or pack manufacturer's technology capability and business scale before adding them to a preferred list?

technical fluency in what actually distinguishes a capable battery manufacturer from a risky one

What commercial terms do you consider non-negotiable when signing a corporate supplier agreement for a critical component category, and why?

depth of understanding of contract structure and what actually protects the company long-term

Situational

Say you inherit a Preferred Manufacturer List for battery packs and discover one supplier has 70 percent of volume but weak financials. What do you do in the first 90 days?

ability to assess supply risk and act on supplier concentration without panic or delay

Describe how you'd run a Strategic Component Team here, pulling in design engineers, quality, and suppliers to work on things like design rule libraries or part manufacturability.

whether they can actually lead cross-functional technical collaboration, not just chair meetings

You're presenting a sourcing recommendation to an internal executive who disagrees with your supplier choice for cost reasons, while you believe the alternative carries more supply risk. How do you handle that conversation?

ability to hold ground with senior stakeholders using data, and communicate risk in business terms

This role requires 25 to 50 percent travel and working across global teams and suppliers. How have you managed a global cross-functional sourcing team across time zones and cultures?

practical readiness for the global, hybrid nature of the job and team leadership across distance

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The full job description

As published by Motorola Solutions.

Company Overview At Motorola Solutions, we believe that everything starts with our people. We’re a global close-knit community, united by the relentless pursuit to help keep people safer everywhere. We build and connect technologies to help protect people, property and places. Our solutions foster the collaboration that’s critical for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals, safer businesses, and ultimately, safer nations. Connect with a career that matters, and help us build a safer future. Department Overview In Global Procurement, we don’t just manage a supply chain; we build the lifelines that connect people in their moments of greatest need. Every component we source and every partnership we forge directly impacts the reliability of the communication systems used by police, fire, and emergency services worldwide. We are a team of strategic orchestrators, navigating a complex global landscape to ensure that when the call for help comes, the technology is ready. Join us in building a more resilient world. The Procurement team is moving beyond traditional sourcing goals to create value for the enterprise by improving profitability, increasing supplier collaboration, and supporting new solution development. We are a client focused team designed to bring value and help lead innovations within the enterprise. Job Description Motorola Solutions is building talent pipelines to meet future hiring demands. This is a pipeline role, while there is not an immediate opening, we want to build relationships with prospective candidates like you. If your background is a match to our requirements, we’ll follow up with an exploratory conversation. Location: Employee must be based in the Greater Chicago Area with the expectation to be in office up to 3 days per week. In this role you will be responsible for: • Leading global, cross functional team in developing and executing a cohesive category strategy for battery cells and battery packs,  with focus on developing a supply base to meet the changing requirements of the assigned category, analyzing market trends and business environment and long term commercial strategic direction. • Leading supplier negotiations within a framework of a strategic contractual relationship, managing non-disclosure and corporate supplier agreement. • Managing overall supplier relationships including supplier performance, capability development, capacity planning, contracting, risk mitigation, cost and quality improvements • Identify cost savings through negotiations, event driven activities, and alternate sourcing to achieve assigned cost reduction goals. • Ensure components supply assurance by maintaining the appropriate Preferred Manufacturer List with the right industry manufacturing technology capability and business setup scale. • Monitor current commodity market conditions to identify potential supply challenges and develop a supply continuity plan • Lead the Strategic Component Team (SCT) to identify and drive projects which improve cost, quality and delivery to Motorola; included but not limited to supplier footprint expansion, roadmap alignment, design rule libraries, supplier capability metrics as guidance for designer in supplier and materials selection, and part design manufacturability, to cultivate cost conscious design approach • Other duties as assigned Qualifications: • Product management or technical experience in the areas of Hardware/Software Product Development. • Excellent contract negotiations skills and understanding of key commercial terms and conditions • Strong analytical, communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work at various levels of management including internal and external Executive levels. • A good team player, mature and self-motivated with ability to lead with personal integrity • Able to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment • Experience managing complex strategic sourcing projects • Direct experience managing Battery Cell and/or Battery Pack Procurement is preferred. #LI-AB1 #LI-HYBRD Target Base Salary Range: $140,000 - $170,000 Consistent with Motorola Solutions values and applicable law, we provide the following information to promote pay transparency and equity. Pay within this range varies and depends on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The actual offer will be based on the individual candidate.   Basic Requirements • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Supply Chain, Procurement, or a similar business discipline. • Overall Experience: 10+ years of experience in Supply Chain or Procurement. • Specialized Experience: Minimum of 5 years of dedicated experience in a strategic procurement role or a closely related business function. • Legal authorization to work in the U.S. indefinitely is required.  Employer work permit sponsorship is not available for this position. Travel Requirements 25-50% Relocation Provided None Position Type Experienced Referral Payment Plan No Our U.S. Benefits include: • Incentive Bonus Plans • Medical, Dental, Vision benefits • 401K with Company Match • 10 Paid Holidays • Generous Paid Time Off Packages • Employee Stock Purchase Plan • Paid Parental & Family Leave • and more! EEO Statement Motorola Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally-protected characteristic.  We are proud of our people-first and community-focused culture, empowering every Motorolan to be their most authentic self and to do their best work to deliver on the promise of a safer world. If you’d like to join our team but feel that you don’t quite meet all of the preferred skills, we’d still love to hear why you think you’d be a great addition to our team. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience for candidates with disabilities, or other physical or mental health conditions. To request an accommodation, please complete this  Reasonable Accommodations Form  so we can assist you.

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