Senior Category Manager - External Talent (Contingent Labor)

McKinsey • Boston, MA

47d

About The Position

You are someone who thrives in a high-performance environment, bringing a growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle meaningful challenges that have a real impact. In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we'll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to help you quickly broaden your expertise, grow into a well-rounded professional, and contribute to work that truly makes a difference. When you join us, you will have: Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey. A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You'll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes. Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm's diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Exceptional benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family. As Senior Category Manager for External Talent Category (e.g. Non-Tech External Worker (EW) and Advisor) you will lead a high-impact, enterprise-wide portfolio encompassing hundreds of suppliers across a diverse external worker and advisor supplier domain. You will be accountable for shaping and executing a comprehensive category strategy that supports the firm's broader business objectives, driving financial value, ensuring regulatory and policy compliance, advancing sustainable procurement practices, and enhancing the colleague's experience. In this strategic role, you will define the long-term direction of the Non-Tech EW and Advisor categories by developing forward-looking plans, building strong cross-functional partnerships, and fostering relationships with top-tier and niche external worker providers. You'll drive innovation and efficiency in how the firm sources and manages external worker and advisor engagements, particularly in complex or high-risk areas-ensuring that supplier relationships deliver measurable business outcomes. You will collaborate closely with global and local business leaders to identify and act on opportunities to rationalize the supplier landscape, expand strategic partnerships, and optimize costs without compromising quality, performance, or client satisfaction. A strong focus will be placed on risk mitigation, improving contract structures, and ensuring invoice accuracy and audit readiness. Through disciplined supplier performance management and strategic sourcing initiatives, you will streamline procurement operations, reduce complexity, and unlock economies of scale. You will also serve as a key knowledge hub-building and leveraging relationships with industry experts, peer organizations, and suppliers to continuously enhance the firm's category management capabilities and bring best-in-class thinking into procurement decisions Your work will drive the evolution to a scalable and sustainable strategy that continuously unlocks value through supplier relationship management, operational efficiencies and financial impact that empowers the Firm to scale and innovate effectively.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (e.g., MBA, PhD) or equivalent practical experience strongly preferred
• 7 years of experience in sourcing, category management, procurement, or consulting, with a strong track record of delivering business value
• Proven ability to assess complex problems, synthesize insights, and drive data-backed decisions. Skilled in creating and interpreting analytical outputs, including Excel models and category performance reports
• Ability to produce high-quality deliverables, including PowerPoint presentations, sourcing documentation, contract summaries, and other written materials that support decision-making
• Highly organized and self-motivated, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, balance long- and short-term goals, and see initiatives through from concept to execution
• Strong time management and attention to detail in a dynamic, fast paced, and often autonomous work environment
• Demonstrated ability to drive structured processes and deliver consistent, repeatable outcomes
• Adept at building trusted relationships across functions, geographies, and levels of seniority
• Ability to influence without authority and work effectively in cross-functional teams
• Embraces a collaborative, non-hierarchical approach and fosters a culture of mutual respect and accountability
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages to a variety of audiences and seniority levels. Comfortable presenting to, and influencing, senior stakeholders

Nice To Haves

• Proven experience in managing a large global contingent workforce program is preferred

Responsibilities

• Shaping and executing a comprehensive category strategy that supports the firm's broader business objectives
• Driving financial value
• Ensuring regulatory and policy compliance
• Advancing sustainable procurement practices
• Enhancing the colleague's experience
• Defining the long-term direction of the Non-Tech EW and Advisor categories by developing forward-looking plans
• Building strong cross-functional partnerships
• Fostering relationships with top-tier and niche external worker providers
• Driving innovation and efficiency in how the firm sources and manages external worker and advisor engagements
• Collaborating closely with global and local business leaders to identify and act on opportunities to rationalize the supplier landscape, expand strategic partnerships, and optimize costs without compromising quality, performance, or client satisfaction
• Mitigating risk
• Improving contract structures
• Ensuring invoice accuracy and audit readiness
• Streamlining procurement operations
• Reducing complexity
• Unlocking economies of scale
• Building and leveraging relationships with industry experts, peer organizations, and suppliers to continuously enhance the firm's category management capabilities and bring best-in-class thinking into procurement decisions
• Driving the evolution to a scalable and sustainable strategy that continuously unlocks value through supplier relationship management, operational efficiencies and financial impact that empowers the Firm to scale and innovate effectively.

Benefits

• Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development.
• A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You'll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions.
• Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm's diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions.
• Exceptional benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees