Senior Manager, Category Strategy, Technology Labor

Overview

This position is primarily remote. Candidates who live within 50 miles of Boston, MA;
Portsmouth, NH;
Seattle, WA;
Indianapolis, IN;
Columbus, OH; or Plano, TX will follow a hybrid schedule, coming into the office two days per week.

We currently have an opening for an experienced Senior Manager Category Strategy who will be responsible for the development and advancement of the Technology Labor Category and supplier spend management strategies that support key business objectives/priorities and result in significant cost savings, service/quality, and process improvements within categories.

The Category Strategist will be the category leader and key stakeholder relationship manager for assigned categories. This position will function as an advocate and change manager for the value of procurement throughout assigned Technology

Functional Area

s and Business Groups by demonstrating category knowledge, adding value and educating stakeholders on the Strategic Sourcing process. The role collaborates closely with key stakeholders to develop effective cost reduction strategies and implement plans and will lead cross-functional, non-reporting teams.

• Develop relationships and work with key business partners to understand strategic direction, supply requirements and corporate business objectives and priorities.
• Work collaboratively with
  
  Functional Area
  
  and Business Group partners to conduct opportunity identification and prioritization.
• Develop and execute multi
  -year category planning process to develop opportunity pipelines.
• Identify and prioritize sourcing initiatives within the categories through Category planning process for annual plan.
• Develop category/ sourcing strategies and lead/coordinate negotiation for a variety of assigned product and service areas. Build reputation as a subject matter expert for assigned product and service areas.
• Lead/participate in cross-functional teams in the development of sourcing strategies. Steps in the process include:
• internal assessments of company current and future needs assessments of market trends and supply base understanding of supplier economics
• agreement on optimal relationship between company and prospective suppliers assessment of total cost of ownership and opportunities to leverage changes in process, systems, and products to lower that cost
• collaborating closely with stakeholders to establish and execute the sourcing strategy, which will include development and implementation of communication strategies for key stakeholders on overall process, timing, and end products
• developing TCO reduction strategy into a business case, obtain stakeholder buy in and create execution plan.
• Drive early engagement of procurement organization drive expanded scope of influence and increase spend under management. Proactively manage supplier performance through disciplined and collaborative feedback channels.
• Provide guidance on monitoring supplier performance against contractual terms and conditions, assess supplier financial health, and develop risk mitigation plans for critical and preferred suppliers.
• Drive and measure annual productivity improvements in the category through establishment of key performance metrics and tracking of results.

• Manages at least USD $200-$400M
• Category Complexity:
  Medium/High Global Enterprise Strategic Software Licensing
• Manage several projects and associated resources to generate at least 5-10% in cost benefit annually
• Manages software rationalization program and optimizing licensing is part of managing this tech category

• Deep understanding of assigned categories, supply markets, suppliers, and products preferred
• Understanding of Six Sigma and Project Management methodologies
• Experience interacting with and defending positions with stakeholders and senior management
• Effectively influences, collaborates, and partners with business leaders to drive results
• Experience developing solutions to complex problems along with strong analytic and negotiation skills
• Regularly uses ingenuity and innovation to develop solutions that are consistent with organization objectives
• Expertise in MS Office including Excel, Word and Power Point
• Superior communications, interpersonal and presentation skills with strong influencing and persuasive abilities
• Working knowledge of online sourcing tools (ideally Ariba), SharePoint and Connect
• Bachelor’s degree (preferably in Business) or equivalent experience; at least 10 years’ experience in related field

Pay Philosophy: The typical starting salary range for this role is determined by a number of factors including skills, experience, education, certifications and location. The full salary range for this role reflects the competitive labor market value for all employees in these positions across the national market and provides an opportunity to progress as employees grow and develop within the role.

Some roles at Liberty Mutual have a corresponding compensation plan which may include…