Senior Category Manager

About the role

The Senior Category Manager leads sourcing and vendor governance activities for assigned IT categories, focusing on reducing total cost of ownership through effective strategies and processes while mitigating risk through strong vendor governance.

Responsibilities

• Establish sourcing strategies for an assigned category(ies) in conjunction with internal stakeholders and their associated business strategy.
• Conduct sourcing events, including development of project work plan, category profile, category strategy, minimum requirements and evaluation criteria, solicitation.
• Develop and implement assorted bid documents and requests (i.e. RFP, RFI, RFQ); and manage status reporting and performance metrics of sourcing and category management activities.
• Understand, analyze and forecast complex market and industry dynamics and share subject matter expertise and industry knowledge within the established portfolio of products and services.
• Partner with stakeholders to source products and services using proven tools, processes, and analytics to drive and achieve business results.
• Evaluate analyses of sourcing results from a total cost of ownership perspective and provide optimization recommendations.
• Participate in cross-functional teams responsible for complex vendor negotiations, including those that require specialized subject matter expertise, nonstandard risk mitigation solutions, and coordination of multiple arrangements.
• Review and lead supplier relationship management and performance within an assigned category.
• Proactively establish and foster successful, positive working relationships with vendor personnel. Drive vendor engagement through formal and informal transactions.
• Engage stakeholders to implement and execute vendor relationship management plan.
• Coordinate and host vendor business reviews.
• Develop, track and manage yearly vendor plans for assigned vendors within the assigned category(ies) and ensure vendor compliance.
• Capture and manage vendor risk assessments and develop plans to track and address significant risks.
• Serve as an escalation point for the business in resolving vendor contractual issues.
• Manage contracts and collaborate effectively with Corporate Compliance, Legal, Audit and Risk Management and other internal stakeholders for compliance activities to ensure regulatory conditions are met.
• Develop new procedures, training, initiatives, specifications and recommendations for process or policy changes and improvements, as appropriate.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or advanced degree (where required)
• 5+ years of experience in related field
• In lieu of degree, 7+ years of experience in related field
• Bonus Points: Experience sourcing and negotiating IT contracts including hardware, software, and services
• Experience with telecom and networking contracts
• Experience procuring hardware and software through Value Added Resellers
• Experience working in an IT department

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Information Technology, or related field
• Advanced degree preferred

Skills

• Category Management
• Category Sourcing
• Process Improvements
• Procurement
• Sourcing Strategies
• Sourcing Techniques
• Strategic Sourcing
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Vendor Compliance
• Vendor Management
• Vendor Negotiations
• Vendor Relationship Management
• Vendor Risk Management

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Multiple health and wellness programs
• Parental leave and support
• Adoption and surrogacy assistance
• Career development programs and tuition reimbursement for continued education
• 401(k) with employer match
• Paid Time Off (PTO)

Pay

• $89,174.00 - $142,679.00

Schedule

• Hybrid Flex approach is built on presence with a purpose – giving you flexibility to work remotely with intentional in-person connection – that supports a workplace that’s flexible, connected, and future focused.