Sr. Consultant, Procurement Category Management | HR and Corporate Services

Senior Procurement Category Lead

If you're passionate about being part of a dynamic organization that enables a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales to drive innovation and adopt new technologies that deliver business results, then Nationwide's Technology team could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, "on your side" goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we're looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

This role serves as a senior procurement category lead for Human Resources and select Corporate Services sourcing, with primary ownership of the Total Rewards portfolio. The role directly owns category strategy, sourcing execution, and supplier management for Associate and Retiree Benefits Planning & Programs, Retirement Programs, and Disability and Leave Management.

In addition to direct category ownership, this position provides leadership and coverage across a broader HR and Corporate Services portfolio supported by a team of three, including Talent Acquisition & Culture, Compensation, Associate Wellbeing & Safety, Talent Management, Fleet Services, Aviation, and Protective Services work streams.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead category strategy development, sourcing execution, supplier negotiations, renewals, and contract support across assigned HR and Corporate Services categories.
• Serve as the primary Procurement partner for Total Rewards stakeholders and coordinate closely with team members aligned to Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, and Corporate Services support areas.
• Drive stakeholder alignment, supplier governance, risk mitigation, and long-range category planning across strategic and service-intensive spend categories.
• Translate business needs into sourcing strategies that balance service quality, compliance, supplier performance, and enterprise value.

Preferred experience and profile:

• Strong experience in category management and sourcing for benefits, retirement, leave management, talent-related services, or other complex business services categories.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholder groups
• Ability to lead complex negotiations, oversee strategic suppliers, and coach or coordinate work across consultants and specialists supporting adjacent categories.

Job Description Summary

Procuring goods and services necessary to successfully run and grow our business is critical. Whether working to enable the processes that support buying decisions or finding the best supplier, price or contract terms, we bring expertise, skill and talent to the task. If you are collaborative, a top-level communicator, highly ethical and have the ability to manage key relationships by providing outstanding service, we want to know more about you!

As a Senior Consultant, you'll be responsible for finding and acquiring goods and services that deliver long-term value for Nationwide. We'll count on you to find ways to enhance processes and drive efficiency. You'll have opportunities to advise business units on the acquisition of complex, specialized and highly technical products and services, including SAAS software licenses, offshore outsourcing, Marketing, Employee Benefits and more.

Key Responsibilities:

• Partners and collaborates with multiple Business Partners, Finance, Technology and other Procurement team members to manage new, complex sourcing requests, current contract pipelines for multimillion dollar categories and vendor agreements. Work with reporting teams to develop data analytics and make changes to Procurement policy and procedures to ensure a predictable, easy-to-follow and efficient procurement process.
• Conducts extensive, continuous industry research and benchmark analysis within a defined spend category. Establishes a detailed category strategy for a highly technical domain, monitors purchasing trends and identifies top suppliers and innovations within the category.
• Consults with Business Partners and is a trusted advisor to manage Business Unit and Procurement relationship, by building forecasts of demand, service levels requirements, Total Cost of Ownership models, contractual and…