Category Manager

Category Manager

At Disney, we are storytellers, innovators, and creators of experiences that reach audiences around the world. Across entertainment, sports, streaming, consumer products, theme parks, and emerging experiences, technology is central to how we bring stories to life and enable the next generation of business growth.

The Enterprise Sourcing team partners across The Walt Disney Company to develop and execute sourcing and category management strategies that deliver enterprise value, strengthen supplier partnerships, manage risk, and support long-term business and technology priorities.

As a Category Manager, Technology Sourcing, you will serve as a strategic individual contributor and subject matter expert responsible for leading complex sourcing initiatives and shaping category strategies across Disney's global technology portfolio. This role partners with senior business, technology, finance, legal, security, and sourcing leaders to align supplier strategies with enterprise priorities, influence investment decisions, and deliver measurable commercial, operational, and innovation outcomes.

What You Will Do

• Develop and execute enterprise technology category strategies that align supplier capabilities, market dynamics, stakeholder priorities, and Disney's long-term business objectives.
• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to senior business and technology leaders, translating complex requirements into sourcing strategies that enable value, innovation, speed, and risk mitigation.
• Lead high-value and complex sourcing initiatives across software, SaaS, cloud, infrastructure, telecommunications, digital platforms, and technology professional services.
• Own the end-to-end strategic sourcing process, including demand assessment, market intelligence, supplier strategy, RFx execution, commercial negotiation, contracting support, implementation planning, and supplier performance management.
• Build persuasive business cases and executive-level recommendations using spend analysis, cost modeling, benchmarking, market insights, and supplier performance data.
• Partner globally across segments and functions to consolidate demand, rationalize suppliers, leverage enterprise scale, and support technology standardization where appropriate.
• Lead negotiations for complex technology agreements, balancing commercial outcomes with operational, legal, security, privacy, compliance, and business risk considerations.
• Establish and manage strategic supplier relationships that drive accountability, continuous improvement, innovation, and measurable value throughout the supplier lifecycle.
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Security, Technology, Segment Sourcing, and business teams to ensure sourcing strategies and supplier engagements support Disney's enterprise goals.
• Contribute category expertise, market perspective, and best practices to strengthen sourcing capability across the broader organization.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Significant (10+ years) progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, or business consulting, with meaningful experience supporting technology categories in a complex enterprise environment.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute category strategies that influence business decisions, optimize spend, improve supplier value, and manage enterprise risk.
• Deep understanding of technology sourcing categories such as software, SaaS, cloud, infrastructure, telecommunications, digital platforms, hardware, and technology services.
• Proven success leading complex negotiations and structuring technology agreements that deliver strong commercial, operational, and risk outcomes.
• Executive-level communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to influence senior leaders and align cross-functional teams.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen, including experience with spend analysis, supplier proposal evaluation, cost modeling, business case development, and data-driven recommendations.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, matrixed, global organization while managing multiple high-priority initiatives with sound judgment and accountability.
• Experience partnering with Legal, Finance, Security, Technology, Sourcing, and business stakeholders to advance strategic initiatives and resolve complex issues.
• High degree of ownership, intellectual curiosity, business judgment, and comfort working independently as a senior individual contributor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting technology sourcing initiatives within media, entertainment, sports, consumer products, hospitality, digital, or other consumer-facing multinational organizations.
• Scaled enterprise ($1B+) experience developing global sourcing strategies, supplier governance models, or multi-year technology category plans.
• Familiarity with procurement platforms, spend analytics tools, market intelligence resources, and executive reporting methods.
• Experience mentoring or informally guiding sourcing professionals by sharing category expertise, negotiation strategies, and procurement best practices.
• Willingness to travel as needed, up to approximately 10%.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in business, economics, supply chain, technology, finance, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Master's degree, MBA, or relevant professional certification is preferred.

The hiring range for this position in Lake Buena Vista, FL is $120,700.00 to $147,500.00 per year. The hiring range for this position in Bristol, CT is $126,800.00 to $154,800.00 per year. The hiring range for this position in Burbank, CA is $126,800.00 to $154,800.00 per year. The hiring range for this position in San Francisco, CA is $138,800.00 to $169,600.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.