Category Manager

Microsoft • Washington, DC

11d • $97,600 - $206,400

About The Position

In alignment with Microsoft values, the company cultivates an inclusive work environment. Cloud Operations + Innovation (CO+I) powers Microsoft’s core cloud platforms and services. The CO+I Supply Chain, Procurement, and Unified Technology (“SCOUT”) team is responsible for establishing a flexible, efficient, and reliable supply chain for complex datacenter operations. This role is a critical part of the SCOUT procurement team, focusing on the data center operations supply chain. Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. Employees are encouraged to have a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to achieve shared goals, upholding values of respect, integrity, and accountability to foster an inclusive culture.

Requirements

• Master's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND 3+ years experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operation OR Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance OR related field AND 4+ years experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operations OR equivalent experience
• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements.
• Must pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Nice To Haves

• Master's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND 3+ years experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operation OR Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance OR related field AND 4+ years experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operations OR equivalent experience
• Strong commercial understanding and experience driving and developing contracts on key categories (General Contractors, Mechanical & Electrical Equipment, Power Generation, Construction Services, Operations Services).
• Experience of collaborating with key stakeholders to jointly develop and implement category strategies to drive efficiencies, improve performance delivery and reduce costs.
• Experience of developing and enhancing supplier relationships.
• Data driven mindset to support continuous improvement and accurate reporting.
• Growth mindset to explore new technologies, new ways of working and new contracting methods.
• Knowledge of data center industry and experience managing a variety of project delivery methods - ability to lead a project team in defining risk and developing the appropriate contracting and compensation approach.
• Technical ability to write contracts, ability to set up sourcing plans and negotiation strategies and execute them.
• Excellent communicator that can interact with diverse groups across organizational levels.
• Familiarity with common process improvement methodologies (Lean, Six-Sigma, etc.) and ability to facilitate change management.
• Ability to implement new processes and get buy in from a cross functional team.
• Category Management experience in one or more key categories including General Contractors, Mechanical & Electrical Equipment, Construction Services, Operations Services.
• Skilled project management experience plus exceptional communication and influencing skills
• Experience with Global and regional planning and development

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a sourcing strategy for complex purchasing categories within datacenter critical environment equipment maintenance and services to ensure optimal costs and continuity of supplies.
• Share industry and category expertise across stakeholder teams to develop and execute sourcing strategies.
• Integrate business specifications into sourcing events, define and manage supplier scorecard criteria, coordinate performance reviews, and drive corrective actions.
• Manage contract and pricing negotiations for a single purchasing category.
• Influence senior managers, adopt practices, and apply market intelligence for quality execution.
• Educate stakeholders to ensure compliance and adapt policy as needed to mitigate risk.
• Drive consistency, timeliness, and quality of deliverables, ensuring stakeholders are aware of Service Level Agreements.
• Process or support stakeholder procurement requests for CE equipment maintenance and services.
• Execute contracts and comply with established control processes, identifying and resolving roadblocks.
• Develop pricing and negotiation strategies, gain senior executive support, and mitigate contract disagreements.
• Drive early business engagements for complex business areas and collaborate with suppliers and leads on onboarding processes.

Benefits

• Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

What This Job Offers

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