Senior Manager, IT Category Management (Procurement) - (Hybrid)

Leadership & Team Development

Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of sourcing and vendor management professionals.
Foster a collaborative, performance-driven environment built on trust, transparency, and accountability.
Set clear goals, provide ongoing feedback, conduct performance evaluations, and support professional development.
Promote engagement and continuous improvement as the team strengthens American Family's procurement capabilities.

Category Strategy & Strategic Sourcing

Lead the development of enterprise IT category strategies aligned with American Family's technology roadmap and financial goals.
Oversee the full sourcing lifecycle including market analysis, RFX execution, supplier evaluation, negotiation strategy, and contract execution.
Build structured sourcing pipelines, negotiation guides, and sourcing best practices across the IT procurement team.
Identify opportunities for cost optimization, supplier consolidation, and improved commercial models across the IT vendor portfolio.

Vendor Management & Governance

Establish governance frameworks to manage supplier performance, contract compliance, and service delivery across strategic technology vendors.
Lead supplier relationship management and performance reviews with important partners.
Ensure contract management practices and agreement on commercial, legal, and operational requirements.
Monitor supplier risk and performance, reporting progress, vendor performance, and market trends to senior leadership.

Stakeholder Partnership & Value Delivery

Develop strong partnerships with technology and business leaders to support strategic initiatives and enterprise programs.
Promote category management, strategic sourcing, and vendor management practices that enhance value and mitigate risk.
Use data analysis and performance metrics to communicate insights, influence strategy, and support decision-making.
Align team resources and sourcing priorities to support key business initiatives and operational goals.

Specialized Knowledge & Skills

• Demonstrated experience providing customer-driven solutions, support or service.
• Solid communication and influencing skills across varying leadership levels.
• Demonstrated experience driving business results.
• Demonstrated experience in creating meaningful data analysis and metrics to support business needs.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills related to complex vendor matters.
• Extensive knowledge of vendor contracts and commercial/legal terms and conditions.

Additional Specialized Knowledge & Skills

• Enterprise Sourcing & Technology Procurement
• Significant experience leading sourcing initiatives within large enterprise organizations managing substantial technology spend.
• Experience working within large, highly matrixed organizations with extensive supplier portfolios.
• Deep knowledge of procurement processes including category strategy development, RFX execution, supplier evaluation, contract negotiation, and vendor governance.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to develop total cost of ownership models and supplier benchmarks.
• Experience using data analysis and metrics to develop insights, communicate strategy, and influence business decisions through effective storytelling.
• Strong problem-solving capabilities with the ability to navigate complex vendor and commercial situations.

Leadership & Influence

• Demonstrated experience leading teams and developing procurement talent.
• Strong communication and influencing skills across multiple levels of leadership.
• Ability to manage complex initiatives and drive alignment across cross-functional stakeholders.
• Customer-focused mindset with experience delivering measurable results.

Travel Requirements

Up to 20%.

Physical Requirements

Work that primarily involves sitting/standing.