Category Manager

Highmark Health

This job has enterprise-wide responsibility for creating and driving strategic sourcing for an assigned category of spend while building strong client business-oriented relationships by contributing to client strategy and objective setting. The incumbent acts as a strategic business partner, interfacing at the Director levels of the company, providing leadership in the designated spend category for category strategy / plans, strategic sourcing and other strategic procurement processes such as supplier relationship management, spend performance management, demand and compliance management, internal spend and external market analysis, and category governance. Collaborates with key stakeholders on the development and implementation of annual and multi-year category strategies in order to achieve category goals, achieve business strategies and deliver sustainable category value. This position has significant financial and enterprise risk mitigation responsibilities.

Essential Responsibilities :

• Lead creation and implementation of sourcing and demand management strategies for assigned categories of spend, manage the development of RFx materials, detailed analysis of proposals and vendor capabilities, negotiations and supplier selection.
• Plan, schedule and monitor category sourcing initiatives, ensuring proper resource allocation and on-time delivery of projects; exercise tight project management.
• Leverage key metrics to identify problem areas and adopt current and emerging business models with an entrepreneurial mindset and creative approach to drive best practice.
• Strategically partner with business unit leaders and contribute to client strategy by providing procurement expertise and strategic partnering for purchasing opportunities.
• Counsel internal business unit leaders regarding purchasing processes, technology capabilities and policies to assist in the procurement life-cycle.
• Build and manage relationships with priority business unit management, serve as a key member of stakeholder's management team to support implementation of business strategies through advanced procurement initiatives and team alignment, facilitate the entire sourcing process and closely collaborate with clients to select and award business to suppliers.
• Demonstrate a strategic business mindset, organizational savvy, present an executive-level presence, and balance multiple stakeholder interests simultaneously.
• Under the direction of Procurement leadership, create and drive long-term category strategies designed to anticipate enterprise-wide requirements and achieve maximum life-cycle value while optimizing forecasted shifts in both supply markets, industry trends and supplier economic cycles.
• Monitor strategy implementations on-going performance and ensure key issues, risks, and opportunities are elevated to the appropriate level.
• Lead the development and negotiation of contracts with new suppliers and / or re-negotiate existing contracts to accomplish lowest total system cost and savings objectives.
• Conduct category spend analyses and reporting, supplier stratification, supply market and category industry research.
• Perform ethical procurement practices of contracted goods and services which includes compliance with corporate and departmental policies and procedures as well as federal, state and local regulations.
• Develop profound category expertise and leverage knowledge to proactively identify potential procurement opportunities through data analysis, category and industry knowledge, current and emerging business models and discussions with business units.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education :

Required : Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration / Management, Finance, Accounting, Economics, Mathematics, Marketing, Industrial Engineering or Liberal Arts or four years of relevant experience and / or education as determined by the company in lieu of bachelor's degree

Preferred : None

Experience :

Required : 3 years in a procurement role, 1 year in strategic sourcing, Experience providing procurement services to business leads, sourcing planning and execution, contract negotiations and supplier relationship management and performance

Preferred : Experience in Indirect Category Sourcing and / or Health Care Sourcing with demonstrated expertise in influencing the business strategy and shaping Procurement strategic direction. Experience in complex contract negotiations, competitive price analysis, procurement technology and related processes, contract management, and spend analysis Project planning and management experience Prior experience managing diverse stakeholder interests and expectations

Licenses and Certifications :

Required : None

Preferred : Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM)

Skills :

Language (Other than English) : None

Travel Requirement : 0% - 25%

Physical, Mental Demands and Working Conditions :

Position Type : Office-based

Teaches / trains others regularly : Occasionally

Travel regularly from the office to various work sites or from site-to-site : Rarely

Works primarily out-of-the office selling products / services (sales employees) : Never

Physical work site required : Yes

Lifting : up to 10 pounds Constantly

Lifting : 10 to 25 pounds Occasionally

Lifting : 25 to 50 pounds Never

Disclaimer : The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job. Compliance Requirement : This job adheres to the ethical and legal standards and behavioral expectations as set forth in the code of business conduct and company policies.

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