Senior Category Manager & Head of Sourcing Operations

The Metropolitan Museum of Art•New York, NY

2d•$180,000 - $200,000•Onsite

About The Position

About the Metropolitan Museum of Art The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since its founding in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as the audiences we engage. Our staff members are art lovers who are passionate about working toward a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring art museum in the world. At The Met, every staff member – from security officers to researchers to scientists and beyond – lives by our core values of respect, inclusivity, collaboration, excellence, and integrity. Respect: Engage one another with collegiality, empathy, and kindness, always. Inclusivity: Ensure that all are and feel welcome and valued. Collaboration: Reach across boundaries to exchange ideas and work together toward our shared mission. Excellence: Lead the cultural world in quality and expertise—and inspire curiosity and creativity. Integrity: Hold ourselves to the highest moral standards, admit when we fall short, and then evolve. About the Department Supplier Strategy & Operations (S2O) drives the strategy and optimization of purchases across The Met, ensuring world-class strategic sourcing through an efficient Intake-to-Pay (I2P) process. By applying industry best practices, S2O manages risk, streamlines sourcing activities, and safeguards the Museum’s interests. Through this work, S2O: Embeds a culture of standardized, strategic sourcing and negotiations across the institution; Acts as a financial steward, proactively delivering cost savings and efficiencies; Serves as the subject matter experts in all aspects of strategic sourcing; Oversees Supplier Relationship Management; Ensures business processes are sustainable and future-ready; and Balances strong controls with operational efficiency to effectively manage risk. GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONCIBILITES & DUTIES As the Senior Category Manager & Head of Sourcing Operations, you will serve as both a senior leader and category manager, partnering closely with the Chief Procurement Officer to design and execute institution-wide sourcing strategies, policies, and processes. In partnership with stakeholders from across the museum you will maximize opportunities, mitigate risk, and drive sourcing strategy across the Museum. You will have direct responsibility for the Capital Projects, Facilities, and Buildings portfolio, including oversight of sourcing execution, operational optimization, supplier relationship development, and alignment of sourcing activities with The Met’s commitments to excellence, sustainability, diversity, and community impact. As a visible and trusted leader, you will build credibility with colleagues across Finance, Operations, project management, departments, and senior leadership—guiding staff to embrace best practices and institutional strategies—while also representing the Museum externally with suppliers and partners.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance or other related areas, advanced degree or MBA a plus.
10 years of sourcing / procurement experience, with at least 7 years in leadership roles.
Demonstrated expertise in sourcing and category management in construction, facilities, infrastructure, technology, and/or exhibitions.
Proven success managing large, visible projects with multiple stakeholders and delivering measurable cost and performance improvements.
Strong business management, change leadership, and supplier relationship management skills.
Polished, articulate, and effective presenter to senior leadership and boards.
Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability in sourcing practices.

Responsibilities

Liaise with and articulate the CPO’s vision and objectives, ensuring clarity of direction across S2O team and to stakeholders.
Drive both short- and long-term sourcing category & supplier strategies, with alignment to internal teams and key stakeholders.
Develop and grow SRM and sustainability programs, measuring and reporting progress to the CPO.
Present high-profile updates and recommendations to CPO & senior leadership.
Support institutional reporting needs, including inflation data, tariff risks, supply chain disruptions, diversity, and spend/cost analysis.
Partner with S2O, technology, data teams to enhance ERP utilization (Workday, WSS, etc.), business intelligence and sourcing tools.
Ensure adherence to sourcing policies, risk management practices, and compliance with institutional standards.
Liaise with Comptroller’s office on administration of p-card, corporate card, sourcing roles and reporting.
Lead a team of two direct (and multiple indirect) reports, providing feedback, coaching, motivation, and skills development.
Mentor high-potential staff, creating succession pipelines and career advancement opportunities
Develop specific sourcing strategies for Capital Projects, Buildings, Facilities, Construction, and related categories.
Partner with Budget & Financial Planning to align sourcing initiatives with institutional objectives.
Oversee complex sourcing projects from intake to pay, including SOW development, vetting, RFxs, bidder communications, bid leveling, negotiations, contracting, and supplier onboarding.
Ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to quality standards — especially exhibitions with fixed launch dates.
Monitor and benchmark incumbent suppliers, validating value-for-money and introducing alternate sources as needed.
Drive supplier investment, smart cost reduction, total cost of ownership optimization, and ROI improvements in assigned categories.
Measure cycle times, analyze performance, and implement process enhancements; act as a change agent motivating staff and stakeholders.
Develop and implement supplier engagement strategies, including preferred supplier designations, performance measurement, innovation partnerships, and remediation when performance lags.
Ensure compliance with contract terms and service-level agreements.
Champion opportunities for diverse and local suppliers, including sub-tier participation in sourcing processes.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
403(b) basic retirement plan and optional matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and 13 Museum holidays
Long-term disability coverage
Flexible Spending Accounts & Health Savings Account (pre-tax income for eligible health care expenses)
Commuter benefits (pre-tax income for parking or mass transit expenses)
Free financial-planning services
Financial assistance for relevant coursework, seminars, and training programs
25% discount for staff in Museum shops
A subsidized staff cafeteria
Access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions