Senior Category Strategist

About the role

The Senior Category Strategist works with minimal supervision to develop, champion, implement, and communicate strategies aligned with business requirements, while maximizing optimized value from the overall spend. This position oversees many categories including, but not limited to IT, Facilities, HR, and Travel.

Responsibilities

• Plans and analyzes for multiple categories, using internal and external category spend data, market trends, and insights.
• Collaborates with both internal and external procurement stakeholders, fostering long-term partnerships.
• Develops and implements strategies to track and monitor the progress of initiatives across categories.
• Manages the commercial issues relating to contracts, payments, and non-performance.
• Drives project closure from a procurement perspective, escalating issues to ensure resolution.
• Supports the procurement process for the development of RFX’s, supplier selection, and communication.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED.
• 5+ years of experience in budget cycles, lowest cost of ownership, lease/buy analyses, analytics tools such as OBIEE, Tableau, Expert level Excel user (pivot tables, Macros, etc.).

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Procurement, Project Management.
• 7+ years of experience in a banking, insurance, or other regulatory environment.
• Experience with software, SaaS, PaaS, MFaaS, or AI contracting.

Skills

• SoftwareSaaSPaaSMFaaSAI Contracting
• Category Strategy
• Contract Management
• Financial Analysis
• Financial Budgeting
• Lease Analysis
• Microsoft Excel Macros
• Pivot Tables
• Project Management
• Risk Management
• Sourcing and Procurement
• Spend Analysis
• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Reports

Essentials

• Communicate/Hearing
• Communicate/Talking
• Stationary Position/Seated
• Typing/Writing
• Maintain focus in high pressure or fast-paced work environment

Physical And Mental Requirements

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily and meet the physical, mental and work environment requirements.

Other Duties

• This job description is illustrative of the types of duties typically performed by this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of each and every essential function of the job.

Salary Range

$79,500.00 - $144,100.00

About Bread Financial®

Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers. Our payment solutions deliver growth for some of the most recognized brands in travel & entertainment, health & beauty, technology, electronics, jewelry, home and specialty apparel through our co-brand and private label credit cards and pay-over-time products providing choice and value to our shared customers. Additionally, we offer Bread Financial general purpose credit cards and saving products that empower our customers and their passions for a better life. Bread Financial proudly marks 30 years of success in 2026.