Senior Category Manager

Transamerica•Cedar Rapids, IA

2d•$94,000 - $120,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sr. Category Manager leads complex, high value negotiations and establishes category plans across the insurance, investments, and technology portfolios, while ensuring contracting strategies align with business objectives, compliance standards and risk tolerance. This role leverages market insights to optimize value while balancing speed to market. With a mastery in redlining and navigating complex terms, this role will gain consensus among diverse stakeholders, and drive negotiations to closure through a disciplined, project based approach with clear milestones. The ideal candidate will be action oriented, comfortable with ambiguity, exhibit a high degree of agency, and demonstrate strong commercial acumen and stakeholder management.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, supply chain management or a related field, or equivalent experience
Five years of experience category management, procurement, strategic sourcing, supplier management, and contract management
Strong supplier identification, evaluation, and selection skills
Excellent negotiation skills with the ability to build good rapport with suppliers, while keeping the company’s interests in mind
Skilled in supplier management, procurement, and category management best practices and industry trends for relevant technology space
Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills requiring a balance of assertiveness, tact and diplomacy
Strong business acumen and ability to put strategic plans into operations, influence others, and drive change
Ability to influence and lead conversations, collaborate, facilitate, and achieve consensus among key stakeholders
Ability to work effectively and cultivate relationships across all levels of the organization and external parties
Ability to work effectively with teams across geographic locations and time zones
Ability to manage ambiguous situations and drive towards clarification
Analytical and problem-solving skills, and attention to detail
Ability to work under pressure, set priorities, and meet deadlines in a rapid-paced environment
Self-motivated and the ability to manage multiple projects and support activities within a single job function

Nice To Haves

MBA, JD, or equivalent combination of advanced education and experience.
Experience in the financial services (insurance or investment) industry.
Experience managing outsourcing and/or professional services suppliers with global product/service provisioning models
Global perspective and experience working with diverse customer and suppliers
Understanding of outsourcing models, supplier, products and services
Experience working in a Contracting Lifecycle System (CLM)
Certified Sourcing Professional (CSP), Certified Outsourcing Professional (COP), or similar industry certification
Participation in Sourcing, Procurement, and/or Outsourcing Industry Associations such as Sourcing Industry Group (SIG), International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP), Procurement Foundry, institute for Supply Management (ISM), or National Contract Management Association (NCMA)

Responsibilities

Lead end‑to‑end, high‑stakes negotiations (often multi‑million, multi‑year) for professional services, SaaS/software/technology, data & analytics, outsourcing (BPO/ITO/managed services), etc.; structure and execute RFx, evaluation and award strategies to deliver measurable value, speed and risk‑balanced outcomes.
Serve as the primary point of contract for assigned business partners, translating business goals and risk appetite into contracting strategies and decision frameworks; facilitate cross‑functional alignment and executive updates.
Immerse in the assigned business area to understand its drivers, challenges, and success metrics; proactively engage with stakeholders to learn what makes the function tick, and tailor procurement strategies to align with its unique needs and objectives.
Own the redline to signature lifecycle by driving issue logs and closure plans; draft, redline, and reconcile master terms, SOWs/work orders, order forms, and amendments with precise change control.
Help the business understand risk by translating contracting language to business terms with quantified trade-offs.
Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure contracts and supplier agreements support operational efficiency, innovation and scalability.
Develop and execute category strategies that optimize value, manage risk and support corporate priorities.
Act as a trusted advisor to business stakeholders for procurement decisions related to the category.
Spearhead the greenfield development of category strategies where necessary.
Use market intelligence (benchmarks, supplier stratification, consolidation opportunities and innovation scouting) to shape category strategies and supplier partnerships that improve capabilities and total cost of ownership.
Track and report outcomes (savings, avoidance, and broader value creation) in line with department reporting standards.
Mentor and provide guidance to fellow team members on negotiation tactics, contracting best practices and category trends.
Assure continuous improvement of category process, strategies, data sources, tools, and metrics.

Benefits

Competitive Pay
Bonus for Eligible Em ployees
Benefits Package
Pension Plan
401k Match
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Tuition Reimbursement
Disability Insurance
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Employee Discounts
Career Training & Development Opportunities
Paid Time Off starting at 160 hours annually for employees in their first year of service.
Ten (10) paid holidays per year (typically mirroring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) holidays).
Be Well Company holistic wellness program, which includes Wellness Coaching and Reward Dollars
Parental Leave – fifteen (15) days of paid parental leave per calendar year to eligible employees with at least one year of s ervice at the time of birth, placement of an adopted child, or placement of a foster care child.
Adoption Assistance
Employee Assistance Program
College Coach Program
Back-Up Care Program
PTO for Volunteer Hours
Employee Matching Gifts Program
Employee Resource Groups
Inclusion and Diversity Programs
Employee Recognition Program
Referral Bonus Programs