Category Strategist

Category Strategist

The Category Strategist develops, champions, implements, and communicates strategies aligned with business requirements, while maximizing optimized value from the overall spend. This Strategist oversees many categories including, but not limited to IT, Facilities, HR, Travel, etc. and will report directly to a Senior Manager or Director in the organization.

Essential Job Functions

• Plans and analyzes multiple categories using spend data and market trends. Develops multi-year strategies aligned with enterprise objectives. Adapts strategies based on trends and collaborates with decision-makers. Manages category pipelines through data analysis. - (30%)
• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to foster long-term partnerships. Shares best practices, influences higher management, and presents category reviews. Achieves economies of scale and drive operational efficiency. Monitors and ensures continuous improvement for key suppliers. - (20%)
• Tracks and monitors progress of initiatives to ensure savings. Develops methodologies to calculate and track savings. Shares best practices and translate findings into actionable strategies. Reports spend analysis opportunities and develops new initiatives. - (15%)
• Manages commercial issues in contracts, including SOW and SLA development. Supports business with contract knowledge. Leads or coaches on the sourcing process, including strategy development, supplier selection, negotiation, and contract execution. - (15%)
• Drives project closure from a procurement perspective. Builds relationships with project teams and assists with other projects. Identifies, prioritizes, and executes analytical work to deliver insights across spend categories. Presents findings to leadership. - (10%)
• Supports the procurement process, including RFX development, supplier selection, and evaluation methodologies. Acts as the primary contact for suppliers during the selection process. Uses procurement tools and templates for competitive bidding and spend analytics. - (10%)

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED.
• 2+ years experience in budget cycles, lowest cost of ownership, lease/buy analyses, analytics tools such as OBIEE, Tableau, Expert level Excel user (pivot tables, Macros, etc.).

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Procurement, Project Management.
• 3+ years experience in a banking, insurance or other regulatory environment.

Skills

• Category Strategy
• Contract Management
• Procurement Support
• Project Management Essentials

Reports To: Senior Manager and above Direct Reports: 0 Work Environment

• Normal office environment. (Remote or Hybrid), 3 to 4 days per month are required in office if within 60 miles of a posted Bread Financial location.

Physical and Mental Requirements To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily and meet the physical, mental and work environment requirements. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions, absent undue hardship.

• Communicate/Hearing
• Communicate/Talking
• Stationary Position/Seated
• Typing/Writing
• Maintain focus in high pressure or fast-paced work environment

Other Duties

This job description is illustrative of the types of duties typically performed by this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of each and every essential function of the job. Because job content may change from time to time, the Company reserves the right to add and/or delete essential functions from this job at any time.

Salary Range (unless otherwise noted below):

$69,900.00 - $126,600.00

Full Salary Range for position:

California: $80,400.00 - $158,300.00Colorado: $69,900.00 - $133,000.00New York: $76,900.00 - $158,300.00Washington: $73,400.00 - $145,600.00Maryland: $73,400.00 - $139,300.00Washington DC: $80,400.00 - $145,600.00Illinois: $69,900.00 - $139,300.00New Jersey: $80,400.00 - $145,600.00Vermont: $69,900.00 - $126,600.00Ohio: $69,900.00 - $126,600.00

The actual base pay within this range may be dependent upon many factors, which may include, but are not limited to, work location, education, experience, and skills.

Bread Financial offers medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and other voluntary benefits (including basic and optional life insurance, supplemental medical plans, and short and long-term disability) to eligible associates (regular full-time associates scheduled to work 30 hours per week or more) and their spouses/domestic partners, and child(ren) under the age of 26. New associate elected coverage begins on date of hire (with the exception of disability coverage which has a 6-month waiting period). Six weeks of 100% paid parental leave for eligible parents is available after a 180-day waiting period. Hired associates can immediately enroll in Bread Financial's 401(k) plan.

All associates receive 11 paid holidays. Associates have discretion in managing their time away from work through the Flexible Time Off (FTO) program and may need to notify and receive approval from their manager prior to taking the time off. Associates (except those located in Illinois) receive 80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time ("PSST") upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. Illinois associates receive 40 hours of Illinois PSST upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year and 40 hours of Illinois Paid Leave upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. Illinois Paid Leave must be used before associates in Illinois will be approved to take FTO.

Hired associates will be able to elect the purchase company stock during offering periods in June and December. You will be eligible for an annual incentive bonus based on individual and company performance.

About Bread Financial®

At Bread Financial, you'll have the opportunity to grow your career, give back to your community, and be part of our award-winning culture. We've been consistently recognized as a best place to work nationally and in many markets and we're proud to promote an environment where you feel appreciated, accepted, valued, and fulfilled—both personally and professionally. Bread Financial supports the overall wellness of our associates with a diverse suite of benefits and offers boundless opportunities for career development and non-traditional career progression.

Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers. Our payment solutions deliver growth for some of the most recognized brands in travel & entertainment, health & beauty, technology, electronics, jewelry, home and specialty apparel through our co-brand and private label credit cards and pay-over-time products providing choice and value to our shared customers. Additionally, we offer Bread Financial general purpose credit cards and saving products that empower our customers and their passions for a better life.

Bread Financial proudly marks 30 years of success in 2026. To learn more about our global associates, our performance and our sustainability progress, visit breadfinancial.com.