Category Manager

Procurement Professional

Location: Onsite 5 days/week in Northbrook, IL - 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062

Overview:

• Client is looking for a procurement professional with deep experience in corporate services, marketing, communications, software, and professional advisory vendors.
• This role requires someone who can manage complex vendor relationships across multiple functions, lead end-to-end RFPs, and bring structure to a fast-moving environment.
• Individual should act as a "Project Sourcing Manager" having core knowledge of sourcing capital equipment and collaborate with cross functional partners. Contract negotiation is a must-have skill.

Responsibilities:

• Develop, negotiate, and manage MSAs, SOWs, and licensing agreements across corporate service categories.
• Lead RFPs and vendor negotiations for Marketing, HR, Finance, Legal, Communications, and software/advisory partners.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align priorities, budgets, and business requirements.
• Partner with internal Legal, Cybersecurity, and Compliance to ensure smooth vendor onboarding and contract execution.
• Drive process improvements within procurement to ensure efficiency, compliance, and visibility of spend.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 5-10 years of procurement/vendor management experience with exposure to Enterprise Software, Marketing, HR, Legal, or Finance categories.
• Demonstrated success leading vendor and contract negotiations and end-to-end RFPs.
• Confident communicator with strong stakeholder management skills to work across teams, stakeholders, and vendors.
• Detail-oriented and comfortable managing complex, multi-stage projects.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, lean team environment with competing priorities.

Required Skills: Vendor Relations, Purchasing / Procurement