Senior Category Manager

Bessemer Trust•Woodbridge Township, NJ

6h•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Director of Procurement Operations, the Senior Category Manager is accountable for building and executing category strategies that deliver measurable business value across cost, risk, service quality, and supplier performance. This role partners closely with Procurement & Sourcing, Legal, Finance, Vendor Management, and IT/Security to translate business demand into scalable sourcing strategies, lead sourcing events end-to-end, and manage strategic supplier relationships. The ideal candidate is a experienced category leader with a proven track record managing both large, complex sourcing initiatives and fast-turn tactical events across multiple categories. The hired individual is expected to influence senior stakeholders, drive alignment across competing priorities, and deliver sustainable outcomes through strong governance, commercial discipline, and data-driven decision-making. This role will also leverage AI to automate and streamline tactical procurement work, enabling greater focus on strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and value creation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
6-12 years of progressive procurement/category management experience, including ownership of category strategy and end-to-end sourcing execution.
Demonstrated success delivering measurable savings and value outcomes across multiple categories (direct and/or indirect), with the ability to quantify impact.
Strong track record of stakeholder leadership, executive influence, and navigating complex decision-making environments.
Experience with procurement systems and processes (ERP, eProcurement, intake/orchestration, supplier management, CLM); involvement in at least one system implementation strongly preferred.
Strong commercial acumen including negotiation strategy, contract structuring, cost modeling, and supplier performance governance.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute robust category strategies grounded in demand analysis, market intelligence, supplier economics, and total cost of ownership (TCO) modeling.
Build multi-year category roadmaps and value pipelines, including savings forecasts, risk mitigation initiatives, and supplier-led innovation opportunities.
Challenge demand assumptions and identify demand management levers that reduce cost while protecting business outcomes and service quality.
Lead sourcing events from intake through award and implementation for Indirect Categories (IT, Market Data, Marketing, etc.), including requirements definition, RFx design, negotiation planning, supplier evaluation, and executive-ready recommendations.
Execute a mix of high-complexity strategic sourcing initiatives and smaller, high-velocity events, consistently delivering results on time and with stakeholder buy-in.
Own commercial negotiations including pricing, contract structure, SLAs, performance metrics, risk terms, and governance frameworks.
Serve as the primary category business partner, aligning cross-functional stakeholders around strategy, trade-offs, and final decisions.
Influence senior leaders through structured business cases, clear recommendations, and fact-based options analysis.
Help develop and drive governance discipline across category decisions, supplier performance, and sourcing outcomes.
Manage strategic supplier relationships including performance reviews, QBRs, risk assessments, and continuous improvement plans.
Establish and monitor KPIs, SLAs, and corrective action plans to improve service delivery, compliance, and cost performance.
Identify and mitigate supplier-related risks across operational resilience, security, compliance, and financial stability.
Leverage AI and automation to streamline tactical work (e.g., spend analysis, RFx drafting, requirements synthesis, supplier research, meeting summaries, pipeline tracking), improving speed and decision quality.
Partner with Procurement Operations and IT to improve procurement workflows, intake/orchestration, and system adoption across the business.
Contribute to procurement technology enablement, with experience supporting at least one implementation of ERP, eProcurement, CLM, intake, or orchestration tools.

Benefits

Competitive base salary plus discretionary annual bonus for select positions
A 401(k) plan with a generous annual profit-sharing contribution
Personalized development and career opportunities, including tuition reimbursement support
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with zero contributions for employee coverage
Employee assistance (EAP) and wellness programs
Hybrid work environment: 60% in office, 40% remote for most positions
Paid time off and paid parental leave
Employer-paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage
Legal services and financial wellness plans at no cost to employees

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