The Senior Category Manager drives the development and execution of highly complex, strategic category strategies, primarily focused on professional services. This role demands advanced expertise in strategic sourcing, negotiation, and supplier relationship management, coupled with a deep understanding of business drivers and market dynamics. As a critical strategic partner to senior business leaders, this individual consistently delivers substantial value, fosters innovation, mitigates risk, and elevates procurement's strategic impact to drive superior business outcomes. Mastery in scenario-based skills, AI-informed strategies, artifact creation, and mentoring, especially for complex professional services engagements, is essential.
Responsibilities
Strategic Category Leadership:
Develop and execute highly complex, multi-year category strategies for critical spend areas, with deep expertise in professional services (e.g., consulting, managed services).
Conduct advanced market intelligence, risk assessments, economic analysis, and scenario planning to identify disruptive opportunities and inform strategic decisions.
Proactively integrate innovative solutions, AI-driven capabilities, and emerging technologies from the supply base to drive competitive advantage and optimize outcomes.
Lead advanced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), should-cost, and lifecycle costing analyses to optimize strategies and generate long-term value, producing and validating relevant artifact templates, potentially leveraging advanced analytics/AI tools.
Drive supplier strategy decisions (rationalization vs. diversification) for complex categories, balancing risk, innovation, and business continuity requirements.
Accountable for delivering significant, validated financial impact across complex categories aligned to enterprise financial objectives.
Expert Sourcing & Complex Negotiation:
Lead and execute complex, high-value strategic sourcing initiatives from concept to contract, often involving cross-functional teams and global suppliers, including rigorous intake shaping, requirements clarification, and selection of the optimal market approach (RFx, renegotiate, extend, sole source justification).
Masterfully build and execute sophisticated negotiation strategies, leveraging advanced data analytics and AI insights for optimal outcomes, including comprehensive pre-negotiation planning, managing services negotiation mechanics (rate cards*** T&M, milestone-based), and leveraging total cost value optimization and change control.
Champion advanced contract lifecycle management (e.g., Icertis), ensuring robust terms, compliance, and strategic alignment, with expertise in drafting and deconstructing SOWs/SLAs and mitigating risk.
Consistently produce high-quality negotiation plans, SOW/SLA templates, and TCO/should-cost models.
Strategic Supplier Relationship & Performance Management:
Develop and manage executive-level supplier relationships, fostering deep partnerships for joint innovation, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
Design and implement robust supplier performance management frameworks, including scorecards, executive business reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives, with an understanding of post-award value leakage.
Lead supplier rationalization and optimization efforts within assigned categories, with an acute awareness of post-award value leakage and concession tracking fundamentals.
Own enterprise-level supplier commercial performance and proactively address value leakage risks.
Senior Stakeholder Engagement & Strategic Influence:
Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to senior business leaders (Directors, VPs), proactively influencing strategic decisions and co-creating solutions.
Lead difficult conversations and conflict resolution with both internal stakeholders and suppliers.
Challenge existing paradigms and present compelling business cases, translating complex procurement concepts into digestible insights.
Translate complex procurement concepts into easily digestible insights for non-procurement stakeholders, fostering a culture of informed decision-making.
Process, Technology & Data Analytics Leadership:
Act as a subject matter expert in procurement processes and advanced use of procurement technology (e.g., Oracle, Coupa, Archer, Icertis, Sievo for spend analytics, Fairmarket).
Drive continuous improvement in procurement methodologies, tools, and best practices, ensuring the creation and utilization of high-quality, standardized procurement artifacts.
Utilize advanced data analytics from Sievo and explore emerging AI/ML applications to provide actionable insights and support outcome-driven strategic decision-making.
Comprehensive Value Delivery & Risk Management:
Consistently identify, quantify, and deliver outcome-based, significant value beyond traditional cost savings, including innovation, critical risk mitigation, and operational efficiency.
Develop robust business cases and present compelling ROI analyses.
Mentor junior team members on value creation strategies, advanced negotiation, and SOW/SLA best practices.
Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate complex supply chain risks, ensuring strict adherence to corporate governance, legal, and ethical standards.
Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate complex supply chain risks within assigned categories.
Other duties as assigned or requested.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's in Business Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance,e or relevant experience and/or education as determined by the company instead of a bachelor's degree
Extensive experience managing high-value, complex professional services categories
7+ years of progressive experience in strategic procurement, category management, or supply chain, with a proven track record of independently leading and managing complex sourcing initiatives and delivering significant business value.
Expert Negotiation & Strategic Sourcing: Mastery in building and executing complex negotiation strategies for professional services (including pre-negotiation planning, services mechanics, and Total Cost Value Optimization). Proven ability to lead rigorous intake shaping, market approach selection, and optimize SOWs/SLAs to ensure desired outcomes.
Advanced Analytical & Financial Acumen: Expertise in TCO, should-cost, and lifecycle costing modeling, with a proven ability to create, interpret, and drive insights from complex financial data. Experience with platforms like Sievo and a strong understanding of AI/ML applications in procurement analytics is a significant advantage.
Strategic Technology & Process Leadership: Deep expertise in strategic procurement technologies (e.g., Coupa, Icertis, Oracle, Archer, Sievo, Fairmarket) and their application, including the strategic integration of AI/ML solutions.
Strong project management skills, including leading cross-functional teams and artifact creation/utilization.
Executive Communication & Influence: Exceptional communication, influencing, and presentation skills, capable of engaging and persuading executive-level stakeholders and leading difficult conversations. Possesses strong executive presence.
Leadership, Mentorship & Strategic Vision: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop procurement professionals. Exhibits strong change management, strategic thinking, and foresight to anticipate trends, including the transformative potential of AI in procurement. A highly collaborative and influential leader committed to continuous improvement, ethical leadership, and driving sustained value.
Resilience & Innovation: Visionary, innovative, resilient, and a strong business partner with a passion for developing and leveraging procurement artifacts and pioneering outcome-focused, AI-driven solutions
Preferred Qualifications
Master's degree
Experience in a regulated industry (e.g., healthcare, finance) is highly preferred.d
Relevant advanced certification (e.g., CPSM, C.P.M.)