Category Team Manager-Core Banking
About the role
Citizens has transformed the Strategic Sourcing experience across the enterprise. As a Category Team Manager within Strategic Sourcing, you will direct a team of Sourcing colleagues, leverage advanced spend analytics, forward-looking market intelligence, and an integrated source-to-pay ecosystem to serve as a trusted strategic advisor to business line executives.
Responsibilities
Develop and execute multi-year category strategies aligned to business and enterprise objectives.
Define category vision, value targets, performance expectations, and strategic guardrails.
Maintain a comprehensive category strategy that includes demand forecasts, supplier and contract landscapes, market intelligence, and a savings and value roadmap.
Own annual category value targets, including cost savings, cost avoidance, and productivity improvements.
Identify opportunities for demand management, specification optimization, and supplier rationalization.
Track, measure, and report realized savings and category performance outcomes.
Inform contract negotiation by participating in complex, cross-functional sourcing initiatives, including RFIs, RFPs, and supplier negotiations.
Partner closely with Business, Strategic Sourcing, Risk, and Compliance teams to ensure appropriate commercial, regulatory alignment and performance levels and penalties.
Manage strategic supplier relationships through structured governance, including performance scorecards and regular business reviews.
Define and monitor supplier KPIs aligned to business outcomes.
Proactively address supplier performance issues and mitigate operational, financial, concentration, and resiliency risks.
Collaborate with third-party risk, compliance, and information security partners to support effective risk management in a regulated environment.
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior business leaders.
Influence sourcing and demand decisions early in the planning cycle.
Constructively challenge demand and assumptions to optimize enterprise outcomes.
Present clear, executive-ready insights and strategic recommendations.
Lead, coach, and develop a team of sourcing professionals to strengthen category management capabilities and drive consistent execution.
Set clear performance expectations, priorities, and accountability measures aligned to enterprise sourcing objectives.
Provide day-to-day guidance on complex sourcing strategies, stakeholder engagement, supplier negotiations, and issue resolution.
Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture focused on continuous improvement, professional growth, and measurable business impact.
Support resource planning, workload prioritization, and talent development to ensure effective delivery across assigned categories and initiatives.
Requirements
6+ years of progressive experience in category management, vendor management and strategic sourcing.
Demonstrated experience leading complex negotiations and enterprise-wide sourcing initiatives.
Strong commercial acumen and financial modeling capability.
Advanced analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
Experience working cross-functionally and driving consensus across stakeholders.
Structured, organized, and methodical planning skills.
Executive-level communication and presentation skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in financial services or other regulated industries.
Knowledge of third-party risk management frameworks and regulatory environments.
Experience managing large, complex spend portfolios.
MBA or professional certification (CPSM, CIPS, or similar).
Skills
Strategic thinking and long-term planning.
Negotiation and influencing skills.
Financial and analytical rigor.
Risk-aware decision making.
Stakeholder management and executive presence.
Change leadership in matrixed environments.
Benefits
Competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more.
Note, Citizens’ paid time off policy exceeds the mandatory, paid sick or paid time-away policy of every local and state jurisdiction in the United States.
For an overview of our benefits, visit https://jobs.citizensbank.com/benefits.