Director, IT Sourcing & Category Management

Intuitive•Sunnyvale, CA

About The Position

The Director, IT Sourcing & Category Management leads Intuitive’s global IT procurement strategy, category management, supplier management, and sourcing operations across software, cloud, hardware, telecommunications, digital services, and professional services. The role partners with the CIO, Head of Digital Products, executive IT leadership, and cross-functional stakeholders to develop category strategies, optimize supplier performance, manage risk, deliver cost savings, and support business growth and innovation. It leads a team of sourcing professionals and drives procurement transformation, operational excellence, and strategic supplier partnerships aligned with company objectives. The position develops global category strategies and multi-year roadmaps; leads sourcing initiatives from opportunity identification through negotiation, contracting, implementation, and supplier management; and advances procurement best practices, policy adoption, and process compliance. It oversees team development and performance, executive supplier relationships and governance, stakeholder partnership, complex commercial negotiations, savings and value targets, and improvements to procurement tools, processes, governance, metrics, and reporting.

Requirements

12 or more years of progressive procurement, strategic sourcing, and category management experience.
7 or more years of people leadership experience within IT sourcing and category management teams.
Experience managing complex technology categories, including software, SaaS, cloud, infrastructure, telecommunications, AI services, professional services, and emerging technologies.
Proven track record leading large-scale negotiations and delivering measurable business value.
Strong executive presence and ability to influence stakeholders at all organizational levels.
Deep understanding of IT sourcing, supplier management, contracting, and procurement best practices.
Exceptional negotiation, supplier management, and relationship-building skills.
Strong financial, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
Ability to develop and execute long-term category strategies while managing day-to-day priorities.
Experience leading organizational change and procurement transformation initiatives.
Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to build consensus, navigate ambiguity, and drive results in a fast-paced environment.
High integrity, accountability, and attention to detail.
Ability to lead teams through change and continuous improvement initiatives.
Bachelor’s degree required.
Candidates may be required to show current proof of vaccination against certain diseases, including COVID-19; requirements may vary by role.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field preferred.
MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute global category strategies across IT spend, including software, cloud infrastructure, hardware, telecommunications, digital services, and professional services.
Create and maintain multi-year category roadmaps aligned with business objectives, market trends, and technology priorities.
Lead strategic sourcing initiatives from opportunity identification through negotiation, contracting, implementation, and supplier management.
Drive enterprise procurement best practices, policy adoption, and process compliance.
Partner with IT leadership to align procurement strategies with technology investment plans and organizational priorities.
Identify opportunities to optimize spend, reduce risk, improve supplier performance, and enhance business value.
Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of sourcing and category management professionals.
Establish team priorities, performance expectations, development plans, workforce plans, resource allocation, and workload balancing.
Foster accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer service; conduct performance reviews, coaching, succession planning, and talent development.
Establish and manage executive-level relationships with strategic technology suppliers.
Develop supplier segmentation and governance strategies, lead executive business reviews, and oversee supplier performance management.
Identify and mitigate supplier financial, operational, cybersecurity, compliance, and business continuity risks.
Drive preferred supplier strategies and supplier consolidation where appropriate.
Serve as the primary procurement business partner to the CIO, Head of Digital Products, executive leadership, and functional stakeholders.
Build executive relationships to influence sourcing strategies and investment decisions; facilitate alignment among Procurement, IT, Finance, Legal, Information Security, and business stakeholders.
Support business case development, supplier evaluations, executive decision-making, strategic planning, and major technology initiatives.
Lead high-value and complex negotiations involving enterprise software, cloud services, hardware, telecommunications, digital platforms, and technology services.
Develop negotiation strategies that optimize commercial outcomes and mitigate business and contractual risk.
Partner with Legal, Information Security, Privacy, Finance, and other stakeholders throughout the contracting lifecycle.
Ensure contract compliance and improve commercial terms and supplier accountability.
Drive annual savings, cost avoidance, and value creation targets.
Lead initiatives to improve procurement tools, processes, governance, and operational effectiveness.
Drive adoption of procurement technologies, sourcing tools, contract lifecycle management, and intake/orchestration platforms.
Establish metrics, reporting, and dashboards to measure procurement outcomes and category performance.
Promote continuous improvement to increase efficiency, transparency, and stakeholder satisfaction.