H-1B Visa Category Manager Jobs
Category Manager roles qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship as specialty occupations requiring a bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, or a related field. Employers file a Labor Condition Application with DOL before sponsoring, certifying the role meets prevailing wage. Procurement-heavy industries like retail, CPG, and tech sponsor consistently.
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Company Description
It started with a simple idea: what if surgery could be less invasive and recovery less painful? Nearly 30 years later, that question still fuels everything we do at Intuitive. As a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive care, our technologies—like the da Vinci surgical system and Ion—have transformed how care is delivered for millions of patients worldwide.
We’re a team of engineers, clinicians, and innovators united by one purpose: to make surgery smarter, safer, and more human. Every day, our work helps care teams perform with greater precision and patients recover faster, improving outcomes around the world.
The problems we solve demand creativity, rigor, and collaboration. The work is challenging, but deeply meaningful—because every improvement we make has the potential to change a life.
If you’re ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you’ll find your purpose here.
Job Description
Primary Function of Position
- Manages supply chain of direct materials suppliers and parts (machined parts, castings and motion control components) to support business continuity and optimization, including sourcing, development of category strategy roadmaps, negotiating contracts, analyzing spend, creating inventory management strategies, gathering commodity intelligence, and managing supplier performance; may include limited management of purchase orders.
- Leads and executes strategies with cross-functional category team(s) to optimize supply chain across all manufacturing locations.
- Identifies and implements key Global Supply Chain initiatives.
- Develops and refines key business processes; champions and mentors team members in use of Sourcing processes; monitors industry and professional best practices.
Essential Job Duties
Category Management
- Provides cross-functional team leadership within metals category; leads cross-functional category team meetings.
- Collaborates with manager and cross-functional peers to create long-term supplier strategies and roadmaps. Engages with internal stakeholders to develop and influence category strategy that aligns with long-term business objectives, including capacity management, cost reduction targets, supplier performance improvement plans, inventory health targets and supply risk optimization.
- Co-leads direct procurement supplier selection process with collaboration from Supplier Engineering. Leverages knowledge of strategic sourcing practices to identify a core supply base able to offer lowest total cost of ownership and high-quality product while identifying value improvement opportunities.
- Leads alignment of production supplier requirements and sourcing strategies with those of new product development (NPI) for designated suppliers/categories to ensure uninterrupted material availability, alignment of risk, and cost goals with long term vision for the category / business.
- Prioritizes category team projects in collaboration with manager and ensures team goals and objectives are achieved.
- Leverages knowledge of commodity trends to propose and execute category strategies.
- Develops and presents category strategy reviews for metals category.
Supplier Performance Management
- Leads supplier scorecarding and supplier business reviews for assigned suppliers.
- Effectively identifies areas of improvement and sets internal and supplier targets to align with business objectives.
- Proactively collaborates with supply base and procurement team to understand and communicate demand changes and minimize excess inventory or material shortages.
- Leads continuous improvement efforts needed with suppliers and collaborates internally with cross-functional team to drive performance improvement projects.
- Effectively manages improvement projects and key milestones and presents progress to the internal and external stakeholders.
- Escalates issues with supplier executive leadership and drives resolution to achieve business objectives.
Risk and Capacity Management
- Develops mitigation plans and programs for assigned suppliers and critical sub-tier suppliers; collaborates with manager and cross-functional peers to drive implementation.
- Leads capacity assessments for assigned suppliers and critical sub-tier suppliers; anticipates long-term risks and installs proactive mitigations.
- May serve as project manager for key supplier capacity or risk mitigation initiatives.
- Leverages problem solving skills and develops counter-measures to implement long-term solutions to identified problems.
Contract and Cost Management
- Establishes contractual agreements with suppliers and amendments to existing agreements.
- Negotiates long-term volume pricing, risk mitigation, and capacity agreements with key suppliers to support Intuitive’s volume growth.
- Reviews, administers, and manages long-term purchase order and delivery commitments to designated suppliers as necessary to support production and/or sales requirements within the business.
- Leads identification and implementation of cost reduction ideas to achieve year-over-year cost goals within metals category.
Operational Management
- Supports plant purchasing by leading negotiations with suppliers to adopt and implement lean sourcing principles to enable 100% material availability and optimization of on-hand inventory levels.
- Develops and embraces continuous improvement techniques to drive toward attainment of key purchasing metrics (supplier on-time delivery, quality, risk management, inventory velocity, and cost reduction).
- May lead change management/change order implementation for complex projects.
- Supports master data integrity for suppliers and parts.
- Mentors colleagues within the supply chain organization. Identifies process and training improvement opportunities and drives closure of identified gaps.
Qualifications
Required Skills and Experience
- Experience utilizing strategic sourcing principles, including six step sourcing process, category strategy development, and collaborative supplier management.
- Strong negotiation skills, proven track record of savings, and thorough understanding of key supplier agreement terms.
- Significant understanding of cost modeling, should-cost concepts and building blocks of product cost. Ability to apply cost modeling techniques in metals category to predict impact on product cost and develop mitigation strategies to improve total cost of ownership.
- Significant computer experience including MS Office products and ERP systems. Strong Excel skills.
- Proven track record of effective project management in a fast-paced manufacturing company. Ability to handle multiple tasks and projects successfully and adapt to changing priorities.
- Thorough knowledge of and experience working with kanban systems and other lean principles.
- Working knowledge of buying, material planning, master scheduling, and forecasting.
- Demonstrates concern for precision and thoroughness.
- Proven ability to consistently achieve stretch goals and objectives.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Required Education and Training
- BS degree or equivalent and 10+ years of supply chain experience in a regulated industry manufacturing environment. Master’s degree preferred.
Working Conditions
- ~25% travel to both domestic and international suppliers.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience in the medical device industry preferred.
- SAP and Agile experience preferred.
- Experience managing Metals spend suppliers and/or technical expertise in this category preferred.
- Certifications: CPSM, CPIM, and/or PMP preferred.
Additional Information
Due to the nature of our business and the role, please note that Intuitive and/or your customer(s) may require that you show current proof of vaccination against certain diseases including COVID-19. Details can vary by role.
Intuitive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, genetic information or any other status protected under federal, state, or local applicable laws.
Mandatory Notices
U.S. Export Controls Disclaimer: In accordance with the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR §743.13(b)), some roles at Intuitive Surgical may be subject to U.S. export controls for prospective employees who are nationals from countries currently on embargo or sanctions status.
Certain information you provide as part of the application will be used for purposes of determining whether Intuitive Surgical will need to (i) obtain an export license from the U.S. Government on your behalf (note: the government’s licensing process can take 3 to 6+ months) or (ii) implement a Technology Control Plan (“TCP”) (note: typically adds 2 weeks to the hiring process).
For any Intuitive role subject to export controls, final offers are contingent upon obtaining an approved export license and/or an executed TCP prior to the prospective employee’s start date, which may or may not be flexible, and within a timeframe that does not unreasonably impede the hiring need. If applicable, candidates will be notified and instructed on any requirements for these purposes.
We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair chance laws.
Preference will be given to qualified candidates who do not reside, or plan to reside, in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or Tennessee.
This position may be filled at a different job level than listed here depending on business need and/or on the selected candidate’s experience, knowledge and skills.
Compensation will be based primarily on the job level at which the role is filled and the candidate’s qualifications, consistent with applicable law.
We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives, benefits, and equity. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors, including experience, skills, and qualifications. The target compensation ranges are listed.
Base Compensation Range Region 1: $181,500 USD - $261,100 USD
Base Compensation Range Region 2: $154,300 USD - $221,900 USD
Shift: Day
Workplace Type: Onsite - This job is fully onsite.
LOCATION
- Orange, CT, United States
- Peachtree Corners, GA, United States
- Sunnyvale, CA, United States
Job Type: Not Remote
Manufacturing & Operations
JOB212064
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as a Category Manager
Verify your degree matches the role
USCIS requires your degree field to directly relate to Category Management. A supply chain, business, or economics degree strengthens your petition. A general studies degree with no relevant coursework can trigger an RFE, so gather transcripts that map your coursework to procurement functions.
Target employers with active LCA history
Search DOL's OFLC public disclosure data for companies that have filed LCAs under Category Manager or Procurement Manager job titles. Repeated filings signal an established sponsorship process, not a one-off exception you'd have to educate HR about.
Find sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to filter Category Manager openings by employers with verified H-1B filing history. This cuts out roles where sponsorship is unlikely before you invest time in applications or interviews.
Benchmark your offered salary against DOL wage levels
Your employer's LCA must certify a wage at or above the prevailing wage for your job title and location. Run the OFLC Wage Search before negotiating an offer so you know the DOL wage floor and can flag underpayment before it delays your petition.
Ask about cap-exempt sponsorship pathways
Category Manager roles at universities, nonprofit research institutions, or government contractors may qualify for cap-exempt H-1B sponsorship. If you're open to higher-education or public-sector procurement roles, you can bypass the annual lottery entirely.
Clarify the I-129 timeline before accepting an offer
Ask your employer whether they plan to use premium processing for your I-129 petition. Standard processing can run several months, which affects your start date. Confirming this before signing an offer prevents last-minute status gaps if your OPT or current visa expires.
H-1B Visa Category Manager: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Category Manager role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes, provided the employer can show the position normally requires at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field like supply chain management, business administration, or economics. Roles with vague requirements that accept any degree regardless of field are harder to defend at USCIS. Employers in CPG, retail, and manufacturing typically have well-documented job requirements that satisfy the specialty occupation standard.
Which industries hire Category Managers and sponsor H-1B visas most consistently?
Consumer packaged goods, retail, pharmaceutical distribution, and enterprise technology companies are the most active H-1B sponsors for Category Manager roles. These industries run large, centralized procurement functions that require specialized degree backgrounds. You can browse verified sponsoring employers filtered by this job title on Migrate Mate without sorting through roles that don't offer sponsorship.
Can my employer file an H-1B petition for a Category Manager role without the lottery?
Only if the employer qualifies as cap-exempt, such as a university, affiliated nonprofit, or certain government research entities with procurement needs. Otherwise, your petition enters the annual H-1B cap lottery. If you're already in H-1B status through a prior employer, a transfer to a new Category Manager role does not re-enter the lottery.
What documentation strengthens an H-1B petition for a Category Manager position?
Your employer should document why the role requires a degree in a specific field, not just any bachelor's degree. Supporting materials include the job description with degree requirements, an explanation of how your academic background maps to category strategy or vendor negotiation responsibilities, and your transcripts or foreign credential evaluation. O*NET classification for similar procurement roles can also support the specialty occupation argument.
Does changing employers after an H-1B approval affect my Category Manager sponsorship?
You can transfer your H-1B to a new employer under H-1B portability rules if you've been in valid status and the new employer files an I-129 before your current status expires. The new employer files a fresh LCA certifying the prevailing wage for the Category Manager role at the new work location. USCIS does not require re-lottery for cap-subject transfers.