Category Manager

Location: San Diego, CA (4 days onsite / 1 day WFH)
Schedule: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Duration: 2-year contract (possible conversion to FTE)
Pay Range: $70-$80/hr

About the Role

Our client is seeking a Category Manager to join their Purchasing department. This role owns a portfolio of cross-functional spend categories, driving cost reduction strategies, supplier negotiations, and total cost of ownership savings across multiple concurrent sourcing projects. The ideal candidate is a senior contracting contributor with strong RFP and negotiation experience who is comfortable engaging stakeholders across the business, Legal, Risk, and Senior Management.

Responsibilities

• Manage and support a variety of strategic sourcing and category management initiatives within the Purchasing department.
• Manage portfolio spend and develop cost reduction strategies.
• Conduct rigorous market analyses and recommend short- and long-term sourcing opportunities.
• Provide risk/benefit analysis to support sourcing decisions.
• Lead and facilitate supplier evaluations, negotiations, and change management efforts.
• Manage cost reduction programs and transactional activities to drive total cost of ownership savings and enhanced service levels.
• Oversee a portfolio of cross-functional categories with multiple concurrent projects.
• Manage cross-functional teams to execute category-specific sourcing strategies, including development of requirements.
• Develop market intelligence for the assigned category portfolio, including supplier capabilities, competitive landscape, market trends, and factors impacting cost, price, and availability.
• Track and report on category portfolio performance and manage any portfolio modifications.
• Develop project plans for relatively complex sourcing projects.
• Establish or support the establishment of contracts for strategic purchases and large spot buys when no existing contract is in place.
• Develop and sustain processes and procedures for efficient sourcing and procurement.
• Partner closely with internal stakeholders and the Manager of Purchasing to identify and achieve category goals.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required (Business or related field); MBA strongly preferred.
• 4-8 years of strategic sourcing or supply chain-related experience with a major company preferred.
• Insurance industry experience preferred; Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) certification a plus.
• 5-8 years of experience in a senior-level contracting role.

Skills

• Senior-level contracting contributor with experience drafting, negotiating, assembling, and strategizing contracts and RFPs.
• Customer-focused, with the ability to speak and interact with business stakeholders, Legal, Risk, and Senior Management personnel.
• Detail-oriented.
• Proficiency in Ariba, or ability to quickly learn the Ariba system.
• Demonstrated success leading project teams to achieve quantifiable savings through various sourcing methods.
• Strong project management skills and results-oriented approach.
• First-hand working knowledge of strategic sourcing methodology.
• Knowledge of eProcurement and eSourcing systems a plus.
• Category content knowledge in Travel, IT, Facilities, and Marketing preferred.
• Strong negotiation experience with excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.