Senior Category Strategist (Remote)

Job Description

Job Description

ComResource is looking for a Senior Category Strategist.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement fact-based, comprehensive, well-communicated category strategies that deliver superior financial returns and competitive advantages, and keep them responsive to market, customer, supplier, and company needs
• Oversee supplier relationships, selection, development, and management, partnering with internal stakeholders to align business objectives
• Lead strategic sourcing across high-value, diverse spend categories to drive cost reduction, maximize value, and minimize third-party risk
• Act independently, with minimal supervision, to develop methods and procedures for new or special assignments
• Play an active role in sourcing all products and services and in running competitive assessments as needed

Strategic Sourcing

• Drive strategic sourcing, including strategy development, market analysis, supplier selection, RFX development and management, bid analysis, negotiation, and contract execution
• Lead communication with stakeholders and suppliers about business requirements throughout the sourcing lifecycle
• Serve as the primary point of contact for suppliers during selection, driving supplier interactions so stakeholders understand the product or service
• Use sourcing templates, spend analytics tools, and scorecards to provide supplier analysis and recommendations

Category Strategy

• Lead stakeholders in developing and implementing category strategies aligned with business requirements and cost-reduction objectives
• Lead analysis of spend data, benchmarks, and other key metrics to identify savings and maximize value
• Drive a multi-year category roadmap with stakeholders and senior leaders

Contract Management

• Apply expertise in contract lifecycle management
• Review, negotiate, and manage commercial issues related to contracts, payments, and supplier non-performance
• Advise stakeholders on commercial contract issues and proactively drive lifecycle management to add value and mitigate risk
• Advise internal constituents on the full contract lifecycle process and best practices

Relationship Management

• Interact with stakeholders and supplier personnel at all levels of the organization
• Influence the direction of the business and align and engage resources outside your area of responsibility
• Establish processes to monitor supplier performance and ensure continuous improvement
• Demonstrate leadership and commitment to strengthening partnerships

Project Management

• Initiate, lead, plan, execute, monitor, and drive projects to closure, escalating issues at appropriate times to ensure resolution among stakeholders and/or suppliers
• Develop strong relationships with the project team
• Identify risks, measure their impact, and communicate proactively to mitigate them and achieve the desired outcome

Procurement Process Support

• Develop, improve, and implement strategic sourcing processes to increase efficiency
• Lead the department and its activities to ensure KPIs are maintained and goals are met
• Champion consistent processes across the broader organization and drive change management

Initiative Support

• Lead development and implementation of strategies and processes to track and monitor progress across team initiatives and special projects, ensuring targeted value is achieved
• Create and present strategic documents to leadership outlining the progress and impact of initiatives

Reporting

• Build reports that help category strategists and internal stakeholders drive efficiency within their categories
• Maintain a strong understanding of category market conditions and intelligence reporting to identify opportunities in sourcing, demand management, and contract negotiations
• Clearly articulate and present improvement opportunities to all levels of the organization

Talent Management

• Act as a mentor and coach to team members, leading by example

Essentials:

• Strategic sourcing experience, preferably in services purchasing versus commodity purchasing
• Strong contract negotiation skills, including experience negotiating complex, high-value contracts
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Data and financial analysis skills
• Experience managing multiple and diverse categories, including IT, Facilities, Marketing, and Travel

Desired:

• Project management
• Procure-to-pay software system experience
• Category management
• Coupa experience

Req ID: AM128276115