Technology Category Buyer

Caterpillar Inc.•Peoria, IL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Indirect Procurement group in the Finance Services Division currently has an opening for a Technology Procurement Buyer, located in Peoria, IL. As a Category Buyer you will assist our Business Units globally acquiring technology solutions via executing sourcing to contract and procure to pay processes. This role leads the development of comprehensive negotiation plans by identifying leverage points, evaluating all deal variables, and preparing effective counteroffers. The role also ensures strong collaboration with third-party advisory firms to strengthen market intelligence and negotiation strategies. The position is responsible for leading the development, management, implementation, and execution of site, regional, or global sourcing strategies for technology procurement. Responsibilities include managing global supplier relationships across supplier performance, cost, risk, and category network management. Additionally, this role leads and manages agreements, policies, source catalogs, and special procurement programs, and serves as the liaison with Category Buyers and the Center of Excellence (COE) / Regional Buying Center (RBC) teams. The role is accountable for delivering annual savings targets and other key performance metrics for the category.

Requirements

Knowledge of successful negotiation concepts and techniques; ability to negotiate successfully across the organization and with external vendors and clients in a constructive and collaborative manner.
Knowledge of policies, standards, and processes of how to manage and administer contracts; ability to use proper processes and practices for managing and administering a variety of contractual agreements.
Knowledge of techniques and processes for inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data; ability to discover useful information, draw logical conclusions, and support decision-making.
Understanding effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.

Nice To Haves

Typically requires a bachelor's degree (preferably in Business, Finance, Purchasing/Supply Chain, Law, or IT) or equivalent (CIPS Level 6 / NVQ Level 4) or progressive experience in sourcing/purchasing for Indirect, Direct or IT Categories.
High-level understanding of business and IT strategy/planning and overall understanding of IT solutions, capabilities, and project lifecycle.
Expert communicator: proficient in building collaborative and trusted partnerships to work across an internal matrix organization and external Supplier network.
Well-developed interpersonal skills, acting with integrity in tough and emotive situations; able to mediate and reach consensus within a group environment.
Recognized as a strong negotiator, able to interpret, analyze, and negotiate commercial terms, and mentor junior buyers to develop these skills.
In-depth knowledge of business principles, including demand management, project management, commercial contracting, technology licensing, and negotiation best practices.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary contact between Caterpillar and the global supply base for key initiatives.
Act as the functional lead for commercial discussions and negotiations, serving as the recognized expert for the assigned portion of the global category and supporting the development and execution of global category strategies.
Lead the development of comprehensive negotiation plans by identifying leverage points, evaluating all deal variables, and preparing effective counteroffers.
Ensure strong collaboration with third-party advisory firms to strengthen market intelligence and negotiation strategies.
Lead the development, management, implementation, and execution of site, regional, or global sourcing strategies for technology procurement.
Manage global supplier relationships across supplier performance, cost, risk, and category network management.
Lead and manage agreements, policies, source catalogs, and special procurement programs.
Serve as the liaison with Category Buyers and the Center of Excellence (COE) / Regional Buying Center (RBC) teams.
Deliver annual savings targets and other key performance metrics for the category.
Provide leadership for strategic sourcing, business continuity, supplier risk management, and resource management decisions.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives and/or projects within Purchasing that will be supporting Business Unit customers.
Conduct alignment reviews with internal stakeholders on negotiation plans, strategy, timing, and process steps, ensuring team-wide understanding and buy-in.
Own contract management and work with legal, risk assessments, supplier commercial negotiations, cost/spend analysis, supplier on boarding/off boarding, and resource management decisions.
Engage with stakeholders on supplier RFx requirements, participate in supplier technology evaluations, and partner with other supporting teams to deliver the end results.
Promote the highest level of professionalism and business ethics.
Lead strategic sourcing and supply base strategy development and subsequent execution for the technology procurement category portfolio.
Develop comprehensive negotiation strategies, ensuring all points of leverage are identified, deal variables are thoroughly considered, and effective counteroffers are formulated.
Draft, negotiate, and execute a broad range of complex procurement and legal agreements.
Serve as a senior commercial and contracting expert for the team.
Independently draft, negotiate, and execute Master Software License Agreements (MSLAs), Master Cloud Service Agreements (MCSAs), Schedules and Statements of Work (SOWs), End User License Agreements (EULAs), Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and other procurement related contractual documents.
Partner closely with Legal to assess risk, ensure compliance, and achieve commercially sound outcomes.
Handle a substantial flow of procurement activities and projects with challenging or expedited timelines.
Actively manage procurement efforts end to end with a hands-on approach, guiding contracts through completion by working effectively with Business Unit stakeholders, Service Owners, Subject Matter Experts, Legal, Tax, and other partners as needed to resolve negotiation issues and execute agreements.
Develop and maintain strong relationships built on trust and accountability with internal Business Units.
Manage day to day execution and ongoing engagement with a defined portfolio of global strategic software suppliers, including supplier performance monitoring, cost optimization, risk awareness, and category network participation.
Partner closely with Business Units, the Vendor Management Office, and suppliers to drive continuous improvement initiatives, strengthen supplier capabilities, and foster mutually beneficial relationships across organizational levels.