Category Manager/Sr Category Manager, Procurement (Professional Services-Benefits)

IntroAre you ready to explore a world of possibilities, both at work and during your time off? Join our American Airlines family, and you’ll travel the world, grow your expertise and become the best version of you. As you embark on a new journey, you’ll tackle challenges with flexibility and grace, learning new skills and advancing your career while having the time of your life. Feel free to enrich both your personal and work life and hop on board!Why you'll love this jobThe Professional Services Category is part of American’s Procurement organization and manages end-to-end sourcing for Contact Centers, Consulting Services, Benefits, Contingent Labor, Marketing, Legal, and Financial Services. The Category Manager/Sr Category Manager plays a pivotal role in developing and implementing sourcing strategies, leading contract negotiations, optimizing stakeholder engagement, and driving vendor value creation. The responsibilities range from building relationships with internal partners and vendors, leading sourcing events that deliver measurable savings & improvements, and navigating the complexities of contracting, financial analysis, risk, legal, and regulatory requirements. Join a growing, high-performing team of Strategic Sourcing Professionals with a passion for continuous improvement Work alongside highly driven, energetic, and collaborative team members Develop strategies that achieve cost control, cost reduction, and cost containment targets Expand your professional skill set by partnering with cross-functional teams on high-impact projects Engage with senior leadership on key sourcing and transformation projects Enhance your procurement expertise by utilizing a mix of critical skills - analytics, relationship building, collaboration, and project management Build a strong professional network by engaging with vendors and internal stakeholders Never have a boring day at work again! What you'll doLead end-to-end strategic sourcing activities, including category strategy development, RFx execution, supplier evaluation, market research, negotiations, and vendor performance monitoring.Manage sourcing activity across the benefits vendor ecosystem, including medical carriers, PBMs, TPAs/ASO administrators, stop-loss carriers, brokers/consultants, benefits administration platforms, wellness vendors, voluntary benefits providers, and specialty point solutions.Run structured RFIs, RFPs, RFQs, renewals, benchmarks, and market checks that support fair supplier comparisons, documented decision-making, competitive leverage, and defensible sourcing outcomes.Negotiate commercial and contractual terms, including pricing, administrative fees, rebates, guarantees, SLAs, implementation obligations, audit rights, data-access rights, market-check language, termination terms, confidentiality, and renewal protections.Analyze supplier proposals, claims/utilization trends, renewal projections, administrative fees, PEPM/PMPM structures, PBM economics, rebate arrangements, stop-loss terms, service levels, and total cost of ownership to support data-driven levers for negotiation.Deliver hard savings, cost avoidance, value protection, and working-capital improvements through competitive sourcing, contract optimization, vendor consolidation, fee transparency, market checks, rebate and performance guarantee improvements, and process optimization.Partner with Legal, Finance, consultants, IT/security, and business stakeholders to align sourcing strategies, contract terms, implementation plans, financial impacts, and risk considerations.Support compliance-aware vendor management by recognizing when ERISA fiduciary concepts, DOL service-provider oversight, broker/consultant compensation disclosures, voluntary benefit safe harbor requirements, RxDC, gag clause attestation, Transparency in Coverage, HIPAA, ACA, COBRA, or plan-document considerations require review.Create and manage vendor governance tools, including scorecards, performance guarantee trackers, SLA dashboards, QBR/BR materials, corrective action plans, escalation paths, renewal dashboards, and contract compliance reviews.Monitor vendor performance against contractual, operational, financial, service, implementation, reporting, member-experience, and compliance expectations, and drive timely issue resolution when performance gaps arise.Maintain organized, audit-ready documentation, including sourcing strategies, RFx materials, evaluation records, negotiation summaries, business cases, financial improvement reports, contract documents, and vendor governance records.Demonstrate strong project management, executive communication, stakeholder influence, analytical storytelling, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage high-visibility and regulatory-complex projects in a dynamic environment.All you'll need for successMinimum Qualifications- Education & Prior Job Experience​Bachelor's degree in relevant field 3+ years related work experienceDemonstrable skills for category management, commercial negotiations, securing hard savings and cost avoidance, and executing complex deals in a regulated environment. Experience working in preconstruction, construction, or major capital projectsPreferred Qualifications- Education & Prior Job Experience​Master's Degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business Administration, Business Management, Finance, Accounting, or other related fieldKnowledge of Source to Pay systemsStrong project management skillsProcess Mapping abilitiesSupplier Risk AnalysisSupplier Relationship ManagementExperience working for a General Contractor (GC) or Engineer Procure Construct (EPC) companySkills, Licenses & CertificationsSkilled in Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint)​A potential team leader with strong communication skillsUnderstanding of supply chain concepts, with work experience applying those conceptsNegotiating and influencing skillsSelf-directed and resourceful with the ability to handle multiple, simultaneous tasks with exhibited follow through and initiativeBusiness understanding, particularly in project management, early supplier involvement, total cost management and financial analysisUnderstanding and use of technical tools for analysis, problem solving, forecasting and quality improvementPrevious experience with Source to Pay systemsProficient in ExcelHigh ethical standardWhat you'll getFeel free to take advantage of all that American Airlines has to offer: Travel Perks: Ready to explore the world? You, your family and your friends can reach 365 destinations on more than 6,800 daily flights across our global network.Health Benefits: On day one, you’ll have access to your health, dental, prescription and vision benefits to help you stay well. And that’s just the start, we also offer virtual doctor visits, flexible spending accounts and more. Wellness Programs: We want you to be the best version of yourself – that’s why our wellness programs provide you with all the right tools, resources and support you need.401(k) Program: Available upon hire and, depending on the workgroup, employer contributions to your 401(k) program are available after one year.Additional Benefits: Other great benefits include our Employee Assistance Program, pet insurance and discounts on hotels, cars, cruises and moreFeel free to be yourself at AmericanFrom the team members we hire to the customers we serve, inclusion and diversity are the foundation of the dynamic workforce at American Airlines. Our 20+ Team Member Business Resource Groups are focused on connecting our team members to our customers, suppliers, communities and shareholders, helping team members reach their full potential and creating an inclusive work environment to meet and exceed the needs of our diverse world. Are you ready to feel a tremendous sense of pride and satisfaction as you do your part to keep the largest airline in the world running smoothly as we care for people on life’s journey? Feel free to be yourself at American.