IT Sourcing Category Manager
About The Position
The IT Sourcing Category Manager will develop and execute multi-year IT category strategies aligned with business and technology objectives. This role involves leading strategic sourcing events, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring competitive pricing and clear scope for IT solutions. The position requires strong negotiation skills for complex IT contracts, including software licensing, SaaS, cloud, and managed services. The Category Manager will partner with IT leadership, Finance, and other stakeholders to translate technical requirements into sourcing strategies, manage budgets, and support project initiatives. Additionally, the role focuses on financial and risk management, including delivering cost savings, mitigating vendor risks, and ensuring compliance with procurement policies. Continuous improvement of sourcing processes, tools, and reporting is also a key aspect of this position, along with providing guidance to procurement staff and supporting automation initiatives.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Information Systems, or related field.
- 7+ years of strategic sourcing or category management experience, with a strong focus on IT spend.
- Proven experience negotiating complex IT contracts (software licensing, SaaS, cloud, managed services).
- Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence technical and executive audiences.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret complex data accurately.
- Financial acumen with experience in tracking actual spend against approved budgets.
- Highly organized and detail‑oriented; able to manage multiple requests in a fast‑paced environment.
- Experience working within ERP / procurement platforms and sourcing tools.
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute multi-year IT category strategies aligned to business and technology objectives (software, SaaS, cloud, infrastructure, telecom, IT services, etc.).
- Lead strategic sourcing events (RFPs, RFQs, and negotiations) for IT solutions, ensuring competitive pricing, clear scope, and measurable outcomes.
- Evaluate market trends, licensing models, and emerging technologies to make informed sourcing decisions.
- Manage strategic IT supplier relationships, including MSPs, system integrators, software publishers, and hardware providers.
- Negotiate commercial terms, SLAs, service credits, renewal structures, and risk protections in coordination with Legal and IT stakeholders.
- Drive contract standardization, renewal governance, and supplier performance reviews.
- Act as the primary procurement partner to IT leadership, translating technical requirements into sourcing and contracting strategies.
- Collaborate with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, cost transparency, and savings validation.
- Support IT project initiatives by ensuring sourcing timelines align with delivery milestones.
- Deliver measurable cost savings, cost avoidance, and value creation across the IT portfolio.
- Identify and mitigate vendor, data security, compliance, and continuity risks within IT contracts.
- Ensure adherence to procurement policies, approval thresholds, and audit requirements.
- Improve IT sourcing processes, tools, and reporting to increase efficiency, visibility, and compliance.
- Provide guidance and mentorship to buyers and supply coordinators supporting IT spend.
- Support automation and analytics initiatives (e.g., spend analysis, sourcing pipeline tracking).
Benefits
- Paid Time Off
- Health, Dental and Vision benefits
- 401(k) with company match
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
