Job Description

Senior Category Manager – Professional Services - REMOTE -  MUST BE US CITIZEN

We are seeking an experienced Senior Category Manager to lead strategic sourcing and category management initiatives across complex, high-value professional services spend, including consulting and managed services.

This is a highly visible role for an accomplished procurement professional who can serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership, lead sophisticated negotiations, optimize supplier relationships, and deliver measurable financial and operational value.

What You’ll Do

Strategic Category Management

• Develop and execute multi-year category strategies for complex professional services spend.

• Conduct market intelligence, economic analysis, risk assessments, and scenario planning to identify opportunities and guide sourcing decisions.

• Evaluate supplier strategies, including consolidation, diversification, and optimization.

• Lead Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), should-cost, and lifecycle cost analyses.

• Identify opportunities to leverage AI, advanced analytics, and emerging technologies within procurement.

• Deliver measurable financial impact aligned with enterprise objectives.

Strategic Sourcing & Negotiation

• Lead complex, high-value sourcing initiatives from initial business requirements through contract execution.

• Determine the appropriate sourcing strategy, including RFx, renegotiation, contract extension, and sole-source approaches.

• Develop and execute sophisticated negotiation strategies for professional services engagements.

• Negotiate rate cards, T&M agreements, milestone-based engagements, SOWs, SLAs, and other complex commercial structures.

• Develop negotiation plans, pricing models, TCO analyses, and other sourcing tools.

• Partner with Legal and business stakeholders to strengthen contract terms, manage risk, and improve commercial outcomes.

Supplier Relationship & Performance Management

• Develop strategic relationships with key suppliers and executive-level stakeholders.

• Establish supplier scorecards, performance metrics, executive business reviews, and continuous improvement programs.

• Identify and address post-award value leakage, contract compliance issues, and supplier performance concerns.

• Lead supplier rationalization and optimization initiatives.

Executive Stakeholder Partnership

• Serve as a trusted procurement advisor to Directors, VPs, and other senior business leaders.

• Translate complex procurement and financial information into clear business recommendations.

• Develop compelling business cases and ROI analyses.

• Lead challenging supplier and stakeholder conversations while balancing business requirements, cost, risk, and long-term value.

Procurement Technology & Analytics

• Utilize procurement technologies and analytics platforms such as Coupa, Icertis, Oracle, Archer, Sievo, and Fairmarket.

• Leverage spend analytics and emerging AI/ML capabilities to improve sourcing and category decisions.

• Drive continuous improvement in procurement processes, methodologies, tools, and best practices.

• Mentor junior team members in strategic sourcing, negotiation, value creation, and SOW/SLA development.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, or a related discipline; equivalent rel