Category Manager - Enterprise Technology

The Senior Category Manager - Enterprise Technology to define and execute global category strategies across a broad portfolio of enterprise technology spend, including enterprise and specialty software, IT security, hardware, and IT professional services. This role provides end-to-end category leadership for large, complex, enterprise-wide spend portfolios and serves as a strategic business partner to various IT and Engineering teams across multiple entities. It is critical for architecting and building out a strategic category around Enterprise Technology that will be able to scale alongside company and procurement organization growth., Category Strategy & Portfolio Leadership

• Own and lead global category management strategies for enterprise software, IT security, specialty software, enterprise hardware, and IT professional services

• Develop and execute multi-year category roadmaps aligned to business objectives, technology strategy, and future-state operating models

• Lead the end-to-end source-to-contract lifecycle, including spend analysis, market intelligence, sourcing strategy, RFx execution, negotiations, and contract award

• Responsible for making critical decisions regarding entering contracts, negotiating pricing/terms, signing agreements and committing capital.

• Drive measurable value through cost optimization, risk mitigation, service quality, innovation, and supplier performance

• Apply advanced sourcing techniques (e.g., competitive RFx, eAuctions, clean-sheeting, demand management, license optimization) to deliver industry-leading results

• Identify opportunities to standardize, consolidate, or elevate spend into strategic categories based on value and risk profiles

• Lead multiple, complex sourcing initiatives concurrently in a global, matrixed environment

Procurement Automation, Guided Buying & Enablement

• Define and execute strategies to automate high-volume, low dollar purchasing, reducing manual effort and increasing compliance
• Lead the design, implementation, and expansion of guided buying experiences, including:

• Supplier punch-out integrations
• Hosted and supplier-managed catalogs
• Preferred supplier purchasing channels

• Partner with Procurement Operations, IT, and Finance to improve P2P adoption, policy compliance, and user experience
• Drive standardization and reduction of maverick spend across indirect technology categories

Stakeholder & Supplier Management

• Act as a trusted strategic partner to enterprise stakeholders for technology sourcing decisions

• Responsible for making critical decisions on supplier selection and partnerships

• Build strong, collaborative relationships with senior business leaders, IT leadership, and cross-functional partners

• Lead supplier selection, negotiations, contracting, and ongoing supplier relationship management

• Manage complex supplier ecosystems, including enterprise software publishers, specialty and research software providers, hardware vendors, resellers, and IT service providers

• Drive vendor rationalization, license optimization, and demand management initiatives

• Establish accountability for supplier performance through SLAs, KPIs, and governance frameworks

• Assess and mitigate commercial, operational, and legal risks in existing and new contracts

• Negotiate contracts and statements of work in partnership with Legal

• Optimize commercial terms, including pricing models and payment terms, to support working capital objectives

• 10+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, category management, or procurement leadership, with a strong focus on enterprise technology categories
• Demonstrated experience managing large, complex, enterprise-wide software and IT services-spend portfolios
• Experience leading procurement transformation, digital procurement, or P2P optimization initiatives
• Experience working in global, multi-entity, or matrixed organizations
• Proven success in spend analytics, category segmentation, and strategic portfolio management
• Experience designing and executing procurement automation and guided buying solutions (e.g., punch-outs, catalogs, P2P optimization)
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous, and highly matrixed environments
• Strong commercial acumen, analytical capabilities, and executive-level communication skills, * Bachelor's degree required, preference for Supply Chain Management, Business, Information Systems, Operations, or a related field
• Strong knowledge of software licensing models, hardware sourcing, IT services contracting, and technology supplier ecosystems