Category Strategy Manager

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We're obsessed with making hard work pay off, for our people, our customers, and the world around us. As a Fortune 500 company and a leading AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, we're shaping the future of work so teams can reach their potential and focus on what matters most. The minute you join, you'll feel it. Not just in the products we build, but in how we show up for each other. Our culture is rooted in integrity, empathy, and shared enthusiasm. We're in this together, tackling big challenges with bold ideas and genuine care. We look for curious minds and courageous collaborators who bring sun-drenched optimism and drive. Whether you're building smarter solutions, supporting customers, or creating a space where everyone belongs, you'll do meaningful work with Workmates who've got your back. In return, we'll give you the trust to take risks, the tools to grow, the skills to develop and the support of a company invested in you for the long haul. So, if you want to inspire a brighter work day for everyone, including yourself, you've found a match in Workday, and we hope to be a match for you too.

About the Team
Workday's Technology Sourcing team is a group of Sourcing professionals who are passionate about technology and enabling our internal customers through Workday's incredible growth journey. We build strong relationships with our suppliers who provide the critical technology infrastructure that powers our products and our internal operations. We are driven by a passion for forging close working relationships throughout the company. We're a diverse group of people, with an invaluable mix of experience and backgrounds. Our team promotes Workday's core values with 'Employees' being the first of them. This is why we:
• Empower you to follow your desired career path & achieve professional and personal goals
• Encourage work-life balance and wellbeing
• Are proud to champion equal opportunities for everyone.
We are a global team but that doesn't stop our sense of collaboration, supportiveness, and fun! We thrive on open lines of communication, transparency, and camaraderie.

About the Role

Workday is seeking a Category Strategy Manager on the Technology Sourcing Team in the Global Procurement Office (GPO). This person will be responsible for developing and executing Software category strategies that deliver value and align with Workday's business objectives. This person will be key in creating innovative cost savings ideas at the enterprise level. Additionally, this role focuses on building and managing strong relationships with the top strategic suppliers to ensure they are aligned with Workday's business requirements and goals.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and Execute Category Strategies: Create and execute comprehensive global category strategies that align with business goals and drive value delivery within the category
• Strategy Communication: Communicate category strategies to operational teams to ensure alignment and effective implementation
• Large Category Initiatives: Develop enterprise-wide, large category initiatives focused on value creation, savings, or sourcing process improvements
• Supplier Relationship Management: Establish and nurture strong relationships with top suppliers, ensuring alignment with business needs and fostering collaboration for mutual success; Identify, qualify and formalize which suppliers should be aligned with preferred supplier status based on segmentation modeling.
• Supplier Business Reviews (SBRs) and Joint Business Planning (JBP): Conduct regular SBRs and JBP sessions with top suppliers within assigned categories
• Project Management: Manage initiatives tied to category and supplier plans in partnership with other S2P teams and Supplier Management
• Market Analysis: Conduct thorough market analysis to identify trends, opportunities, and risks within the category, and adjust strategies accordingly
• Performance Monitoring: Track and analyze category performance metrics, providing regular reports and insights to various stakeholders
• Enterprise Cost Savings: Identify cost-saving opportunities and negotiate favorable terms with suppliers to optimize category spend
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with internal stakeholders, including procurement, finance, and business stakeholders, to ensure category strategies are effectively implemented and supported
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate risks associated with the category, ensuring continuity of supply and compliance with company policies and regulations
• Innovation and Improvement: Drive continuous improvement initiatives within the category, leveraging supplier capabilities and market innovations to enhance value delivery

Critical Skills:

• Sourcing and Procurement - ability to identify, evaluate, and acquire goods or services from external sources in a cost-effective and efficient manner, involving understanding market trends, supplier performance, supply chain management, negotiation tactics, contracts, and quality assurance
• Sourcing Strategies - the implementation of methods to manage procurement processes effectively, involves understanding the supply market/market analysis, cost modeling/assessing total cost of ownership, performance monitoring, risk management, and negotiation tactics
• Supplier Relationship Management - ability to develop and manage strong partnerships with vendors that supply goods, materials, and services, while understanding procurement strategies, supplier performance monitoring, and risk management, ensuring alignment with business needs and fostering collaboration for mutual success, involves fostering effective communication and collaboration with suppliers to streamline processes, improve supplier performance, reduce procurement costs, and ensure a steady supply of high-quality goods/services.
• Relationship Building - ability to establish and nurture strong connections with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to collaborate effectively by understanding interpersonal dynamics, effective communication strategies, empathy, and the ability to manage conflicts or disagreements
• Results-Oriented - ability to focus on the desired outcome of a project or task, while setting clear goals and prioritizing tasks to achieve the desired outcome and consistently monitoring progress to ensure that the goals are being met
• Analytical Thinking - breaking down complex information or identifying trends and insights for better understanding, decision making, and complex problem-solving
• Business Strategies - ability to develop, communicate, and implement comprehensive plans of action to achieve long-term goals and objectives, understanding market trends, stakeholder analysis, financial planning, risk management, applying strategic thinking to make strategic decisions based on these factors
• Program Management - ability to coordinate and manage multiple projects to achieve a set of business objectives, involving strategic alignment, stakeholder management, benefits realization, governance, and risk management, enabling the successful delivery of complex initiatives, efficient use of resources, and the realization of strategic objectives through the effective management of interdependencies, risks, and potential benefits
• Strategic Planning - ability to envision a desired future, translate this vision into broadly defined goals or objectives and a sequence of steps to achieve them, involving understanding the mission, vision, and values, conducting SWOT analysis, setting strategic goals, developing plans to achieve those goals, and measuring progress

About You

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance or related degree
• 8+ years of experience in category management, procurement, supply chain management, strategy management, or consulting.

Other Qualifications:

• A proven track record of managing large-scale programs from ideation to execution and keeping diverse stakeholders engaged and aligned.
• Deep experience and interest in the Software/SaaS landscape, including an understanding of Software Lifecycle Management (SLM) and deployment models.
• Ability to drive software rationalization initiatives - identifying overlapping functionalities across the enterprise and developing strategies to consolidate and optimize the software portfolio.
• Ability to translate, analyze and create solutions from advanced financial modeling and data analysis
• Experience managing sourcing programs, conducting market research, and applying category management concepts to drive value.
• Proficient understanding of contracts and experience developing negotiation strategies for complex, high-value agreements.
• Experience conducting supplier business reviews and managing strategic partnerships to ensure long-term alignment.
• Proficient at standard Sourcing and Category Management concepts, practices, and procedures

Workday Pay Transparency Statement

The annualized base salary ranges for the primary location and any additional locations are listed below. Workday pay ranges vary based on work location. As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Workday Bonus Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus, as well as annual refresh stock grants. Recruiters can share more detail during the hiring process. Each candidate's compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, skills, job duties, and business need, among other things. For more information regarding Workday's comprehensive benefits, please click here.

Primary Location: USA.UT.Salt Lake City

Primary Location Base Pay Range: $123,800 USD - $185,600 USD

Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $117,600 USD - $208,800 USD

Our Approach to Flexible Work

With Flex Work, we're combining the best of both worlds: in-person time and remote. Our approach enables our teams to deepen connections, maintain a strong community, and do their best work. We know that flexibility can take shape in many ways, so rather than a number of required days in-office each week, we simply spend at least half (50%) of our time each quarter in the office or in the field with our customers, prospects, and partners (depending on role). This means you'll have the freedom to create a flexible schedule that caters to your business, team, and personal needs, while being intentional to make the most of time spent together. Those in our remote "home office" roles also have the opportunity to come together in our offices for important moments that matter.

Pursuant to applicable Fair Chance law, Workday will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Workday is an Equal Opportunity Employer including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.

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