Category Manager

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia • Millbourne, PA

13d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Category Manager is a member of the Strategic Sourcing Team, which is responsible for supporting the contracting and sourcing requirements of the CHOP enterprise. This position reports to a Strategic Sourcing Manager. The Category Manager performs core functions to include defining business requirements, vendor identification, negotiation, evaluation, award and implementation. This position also provides tactical leadership for CHOP's contracting group. Core Required skills include project management, analytical skills, vendor and stakeholder relationship management and staff development. This role functions as an individual contributor while partnering closely with other Category Managers to identify, address, and resolve cross-category challenges. Through strategic collaboration and independent ownership, the position plays a direct role in advancing CHOP’s Financial Stewardship goals by driving cost-savings initiatives and supporting responsible, value-based decision-making across the organization. This role offers a unique opportunity to directly support the clinical, research, and operational mission of a world-class pediatric hospital. As a Category Manager at CHOP, your work is highly visible and deeply meaningful—enabling patient care, advancing groundbreaking research, and supporting families, with a tangible impact on children’s lives every day. You’ll gain significant cross-functional exposure by partnering closely with Legal, Finance, IT, Facilities, Supply Chain, and senior departmental leadership, providing broad insight into organizational decision-making and strategy. You’ll also be part of a highly collaborative, supportive, and relationship-driven Strategic Sourcing team. Mentorship, knowledge sharing, and professional development are integral to how the team operates, creating an environment where you can grow your career while making a difference.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree - Required
• At least five (5) years related experience - Required
• Skills / experience in: Contract administration
• Customer and supplier relationship management
• Proven project management skills with small to medium sized projects (3-10 people).
• Moderate to advanced proficiency with Excel, PowerPoint, data analysis, business case development, ERP systems.
• Contracting / Supply Chain
• Strong understanding of commodity contracting, including the full contracting life cycle, contract language, terms and conditions.
• Proactively collaborates with stakeholders and/or key internal customers on a regularly scheduled basis to review spend analysis and develop initiatives.
• Acts as a liaison to assist stakeholders reach business objectives.
• Incorporates key cost drivers (price, product, process), supplier, market, and technology profiles, vendor rationalization, contract penetration status, spend optimization and strategies for addressing spend in category plans.
• Considers patient safety and outcomes in decision making processes.
• Leads negotiations with business partners.
• Understands and interprets financial analysis such as contract cost impact statement and pricing comparison.
• Proactively analyzes spend data to determine new areas for contracting or to enhance current contracts.
• Strong project management and process improvement skills; Leads work groups, creates work plans, deliverables, savings estimates and desired outcomes for initiatives with targeted due dates.
• Sets priorities based on customer input, savings potential, and organizational readiness.
• Reports progress on a monthly or as requested basis.
• Analytical Skills
• Ability to analyze and interpret qualitative data.
• Keen ability to compile data and evaluate data and improve processes.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, with different deadlines, simultaneously.
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Quick learner, Inquisitive and motivated individual.
• Other
• Strong leadership and collaboration skills with the ability to build effective relationships and influence peers and key stakeholders.
• Communicates and influences effectively, with the ability to motivate and influence others inside and outside of Supply Chain.
• Experience in managing multiple sourcing projects.
• Skilled problem solver.
• Mature leadership skills; can lead inter-department teams and external stakeholder project teams.
• Robust understanding of contracting, project management and process improvement practices.
• Should understand audit and controls processes.
• Ability to mentor and develop subordinates.
• Must be detail, action, and results oriented.
• Must demonstrate mature judgement in managing responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

• Master's Degree - Preferred
• At least seven (7) years related experience - Preferred
• Experience working in a healthcare provider environment or with medical products.

Responsibilities

• Identifies savings opportunities and develops category sourcing plans based on commodity, vendor, or strategic initiative, documenting cost savings and process improvement activities.
• Collects and conducts analysis of spend data and other utilization data to identify expense reduction and operational improvement opportunities.
• Targets high-volume/high-cost supplies for focused attention and manages the contracting efforts to reduce cost and consumption.
• Leads strategic vendor negotiations on behalf of CHOP.
• Validates and documents achieved savings for budgetary purposes.
• Provides strategic guidance for sourcing for the various departments within the hospital.
• Works closely with customers throughout the entire strategic sourcing process, including analysis of current contract information, spend aggregation, identification of potential vendors, interviewing of internal hospital stakeholders, RFx development, RFx analysis, assistance with negotiations, final vendor selection, and identification of savings opportunities.
• Partners with suppliers and stakeholders to establish and maintain positive business relationships.
• Works collaboratively with all levels of Supply Chain staff.
• Interfaces with the CHOP Legal department, as necessary, to review contracts and proposals.
• Proactively ensures compliance with CHOP’s supplier-diversity objectives relative to contracting, including ensuring that awarded contracts meet and/or exceed CHOP objectives.
• Seeks out new suppliers to engage in business.
• Monitors vendor performance and end-user satisfaction throughout the term of the contract.
• Supports Value Analysis (CHOPtimize), Supplier Diversity, and other Supply Chain programs as needed with activities such as market research, cost analyses, and other data and information to assist in the decision-making and contracting processes.
• Provides insight and suggestions for process and communication improvement between Supply Chain stakeholders.
• Successfully manages simultaneous projects with short timelines and challenging logistics.
• Understands Supply Chain’s vision and participates in defining goals and objectives, coordinating efforts to achieve those goals.
• Reports progress on a monthly or as-requested basis.
• Mentors junior staff, such as Contract Administrators and Sourcing Analysts, in their job responsibilities.
• Participates in work groups, forums, and professional societies, including participation in at least one Supply Chain improvement work group per year.

Benefits

• CHOP offers countless ways to change lives. Our diverse community of more than 20,000 Breakthrough Makers will inspire you to pursue passions, develop expertise, and drive innovation. At CHOP, your experience is valued; your voice is heard; and your contributions make a difference for patients and families. Join us as we build on our promise to advance pediatric care—and your career.
• This job is eligible for an incentive program.
• At CHOP, we are committed to fair and transparent pay practices. Factors such as skills and experience could result in an offer above the salary range noted in this job posting. Click here for more information regarding CHOP's Compensation and Benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level