Procurement Category Lead

Procurement Category Lead - Boston, MA We are seeking candidates for a Procurement Category Lead position with a highly successful financial services firm located in Boston, MA. The Procurement Category Lead will join the Global Professional Services Procurement team. This role combines hands-on strategic sourcing leadership with category strategy development across key professional services areas including Consulting, Marketing, HR, and Legal. This individual will bring deep sourcing expertise and best-in-class procurement practices to manage end-to-end sourcing, negotiations, and supplier engagement, while also contributing to the development and execution of category strategies that deliver cost savings and operational efficiency. The ideal candidate will have 8+ years of strategic sourcing experience, preferably within professional services procurement. This is a 6-month contract position that will pay $70-74/hr (depending on experience) within a 40-hour workweek. This position is required to be onsite 4 days per week in their office. Responsibilities: Lead end-to-end sourcing for Professional Services (Consulting, Marketing, HR, Legal). Manage RFx processes, competitive bidding, and complex contract negotiations. Partner with legal to ensure contract compliance and execute preferred supplier programs, pricing, and rate cards. Drive cost savings, P&L impact, and operational efficiencies through strategic sourcing and demand management. Negotiate complex commercial agreements with large professional service providers. Conduct spend analysis, supplier performance reviews, and multi-year category strategy development. Manage multiple sourcing projects, cross-functional teams, and internal client relationships. Oversee supplier onboarding, preferred supplier relationships, and procurement issue resolution. Maintain compliance with regulatory, procurement policies, and internal processes; identify process improvements. Support development and mentorship of team members. Contribute significantly to P&L savings and cost avoidance initiatives. Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in a related field preferred. 8-10+ years of strategic sourcing experience, specifically within Professional Services procurement. Experience sourcing across one or more of the following categories: Consulting, HR, Marketing, or Legal services. Demonstrated success delivering cost savings and P&L impact through strategic sourcing initiatives. Strong commercial negotiation skills with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders. Proven experience negotiating with large professional services providers. Experience developing and executing category strategies. Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Strong understanding of procurement best practices, risk management, information security, and payables processes. Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. Ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships diplomatically. #J-18808-Ljbffr