IT Procurement Category Manager

Connecticut Water Service, Inc.•Saco, ME

1d•$103,000 - $142,000

About The Position

H2O America is seeking an experienced IT Procurement Category Manager to lead strategic sourcing and category management for enterprise technology products and services. The role serves as Procurement’s primary commercial partner for assigned technology categories, which may include software and SaaS, computer hardware and end-user devices, cellular and mobile services, telecommunications, cybersecurity products and services, cloud and hosted services, technology maintenance and support contracts, and related professional services such as advisory, program management, and system integration. The position has end-to-end responsibility for assigned categories, including category strategy, competitive sourcing, supplier selection, commercial negotiations, contract lifecycle support, supplier performance, cost optimization, risk management, and sustainable value delivery. The manager may also lead or support other Company-directed strategic sourcing and RFP events as business needs arise. The successful candidate will apply procurement and negotiation expertise alongside sufficient technology acumen to work effectively with Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Finance, Legal, Shared Services, and business stakeholders across H2O America. H2O America is a national investor-owned network of local water and wastewater utilities serving more than 1.6 million people through utilities in California, Connecticut, Maine, and Texas. The role may report out of any of the listed subsidiary locations: Mangolia, Texas; New Braunfels, Texas; Cromwell, Connecticut; San Jose, California; or Saco, Maine.

Responsibilities

Develop, maintain, and execute category strategies for assigned IT and Shared Services spend.
Manage assigned technology categories, including enterprise software and SaaS, computer hardware and end-user devices, cellular and mobile services, telecommunications, cybersecurity products and services, cloud and hosted services, technology maintenance and support contracts, and related professional services.
Analyze spend, demand, supplier performance, contracts, and market conditions to identify sourcing and value-improvement opportunities.
Participate in developing multi-year category and sourcing roadmaps aligned with business requirements and technology priorities.
Identify supplier consolidation, standardization, competitive sourcing, demand-management, and total-cost-of-ownership improvement opportunities.
Maintain visibility into contract expirations, renewals, and upcoming sourcing requirements.
Lead sourcing initiatives from requirements development through supplier selection, negotiation, contracting, and implementation.
Develop and execute RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs for assigned categories and Company-directed sourcing initiatives.
Partner with stakeholders to develop business requirements, statements of work, evaluation criteria, pricing schedules, and sourcing strategies.
Conduct supply-market research, identify qualified suppliers, and manage bidder communications and commercial clarifications.
Develop bid analyses, pricing comparisons, total-cost-of-ownership models, and supplier recommendations.
Develop and execute negotiation strategies addressing pricing, commercial terms, service levels, implementation commitments, renewals, and other business requirements.
Maintain complete sourcing documentation supporting competitive procurement and supplier-selection decisions.
Serve as Procurement’s primary commercial relationship owner for strategic IT-related suppliers within assigned categories.
Build productive supplier relationships while maintaining appropriate commercial discipline.
Monitor supplier performance, service levels, contractual commitments, and commercial outcomes.
Establish supplier scorecards, performance metrics, and business-review cadences.
Coordinate contract renewals, re-sourcing, and supplier-transition activities.
Identify and escalate supplier, commercial, operational, and continuity risks.
Partner with Legal, Cybersecurity, IT, and business stakeholders on supplier agreements, onboarding, and third-party risk requirements.
Analyze spend, supplier pricing, contracts, and demand data to develop fact-based sourcing strategies.
Establish sourcing baselines and identify savings, cost-avoidance, and cost-optimization opportunities.
Evaluate supplier proposals using total-cost-of-ownership and other appropriate financial methodologies.
Partner with Finance to document and track sourcing benefits.
Monitor contract utilization, commercial compliance, and potential value leakage.
Develop category reporting, dashboards, and performance metrics.
Build effective working relationships with Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Finance, Legal, Shared Services, Accounting, and operating-company stakeholders.
Translate technical and business requirements into effective sourcing strategies and lead cross-functional sourcing teams.
Provide commercial insight and constructively challenge requirements when alternatives may improve value, competition, or risk.
Present sourcing recommendations, business cases, and commercial analyses clearly to stakeholders and leadership.
Balance enterprise leverage and standardization with legitimate operational requirements.
Conduct sourcing activities in accordance with applicable H2O America policies, approval processes, and standards for fair and equitable supplier competition.
Maintain clear sourcing documentation and appropriate audit trails.