Category Manager​/Sr Category Manager; Professional Services

Intro

Are you ready to explore a world of possibilities, both at work and during your time off? Join our American Airlines family, and you’ll travel the world, grow your expertise and become the best version of you. As you embark on a new journey, you’ll tackle challenges with flexibility and grace, learning new skills and advancing your career while having the time of your life.

Feel free to enrich both your personal and work life and hop on board!

Why you'll love this job

The Professional Services Category is part of American’s Procurement organization and manages end-to-end sourcing for Contact Centers, Consulting Services, Benefits, Contingent Labor, Marketing, Legal, and Financial Services. The Category Manager/Sr Category Manager plays a pivotal role in developing and implementing sourcing strategies, leading contract negotiations, optimizing stakeholder engagement, and driving vendor value creation. The responsibilities range from building relationships with internal partners and vendors, leading sourcing events that deliver measurable savings & improvements, and navigating the complexities of contracting, financial analysis, risk, legal, and regulatory requirements.

What you'll do

• Join a growing, high-performing team of Strategic Sourcing Professionals with a passion for continuous improvement
• Work alongside highly driven, energetic, and collaborative team members
• Develop strategies that achieve cost control, cost reduction, and cost containment targets
• Expand your professional skill set by partnering with cross-functional teams on high-impact projects
• Engage with senior leadership on key sourcing and transformation projects
• Enhance your procurement expertise by utilizing a mix of critical skills - analytics, relationship building, collaboration, and project management
• Build a strong professional network by engaging with vendors and internal stakeholders
• Never have a boring day at work again!
• Lead end-to-end sourcing including scoping the business needs, developing project plans, executing RFx events, driving negotiations to achieve favorable language, supporting stakeholder satisfaction, and monitoring vendor performance
• Negotiate commercial terms to establish contracts that meet business requirements and support category strategies
• Deliver hard savings and cost avoidance through strategic sourcing, demand planning, and process optimization, supporting financial targets and Procurement Transformation Initiatives
• Analyze market trends, supplier proposals, and cost structures, to provide data-driven sourcing decisions
• Identify, evaluate, and onboard innovative suppliers, to expand sourcing options and drive competitive advantage
• Maintain organized documentation by completing financial improvement reports, storing contractual documents, and tracking project progress in the appropriate tools
• Partner closely with Legal, Finance, Business Requestors, and other internal teams to ensure alignment across requirements, risks, and objectives
• Serve as the strategic interface between internal stakeholders and vendors, ensuring alignment of cross-functional and organization needs
• Collaborate with Procurement Excellence team and various sourcing groups to implement best practices in sourcing, contracting, and vendor management
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to engage and support senior stakeholders in a dynamic environment
• Complete professional development activities including training, leadership presentations, and financial reporting
• Identify opportunities for improvement across tools, processes, and operations within your category
• Create, socialize, and implement vendor management tools including scorecards, SLAs/PGs, and Business Reviews
• Partner with Benefits, Legal, Finance, and other cross‑functional teams to ensure sourcing strategies align with applicable regulatory frameworks, including Benefits‑related legal considerations
• Lead contract structuring efforts by developing, reviewing, and negotiating key commercial components such as MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, DSAs, and related agreements
• Apply strong financial acumen to evaluate supplier proposals, assess payment terms,…