Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. The confidential company is seeking a Senior Project Manager-Senior Category Manager to lead strategic procurement and professional services category management. The role develops complex category strategies, leads high-value sourcing and negotiations, manages executive-level supplier relationships, delivers measurable business value, and mentors procurement professionals while leveraging analytics and AI-enabled tools.
Responsibilities
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
Skills
- 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
- 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.)
Benefits
- Remote work arrangement
Company Overview