Category Lead

Medica is a nonprofit health plan with more than a million members that serves communities in Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri, and beyond. We deliver personalized health care experiences and partner closely with providers to ensure members are genuinely cared for.

We're a team that owns our work with accountability, makes data-driven decisions, embraces continuous learning, and celebrates collaboration - because success is a team sport. It's our mission to be there in the moments that matter most for our members and employees. Join us in creating a community of connected care, where coordinated, quality service is the norm and every member feels valued.

The Category Lead is accountable for category performance, vendor outcomes, and strategic alignment across assigned business functions. Rather than focusing on RFx execution alone, this role emphasizes when and why to go to market, how to structure the existing vendor ecosystems, and how to continuously improve performance across categories.

• Lead the full vendor lifecycle for strategic vendors (Tier One = Vendors with direct Category Lead ownership) while supporting broader vendor portfolio on business demand
• Own category strategy and vendor outcomes, while working with Contract Managers to execute sourcing initiatives aligned to those strategies
• Act as the single point of accountability for category health, value delivery, and business alignment.

• Shape Medica's Procurement transformation to a category-led operating model
• Expand influence beyond sourcing and contracting into enterprise decision-making
• Own end-to-end vendor and category outcomes

Performs other duties as assigned.

• Category & Strategy Leadership
  • Own and evolve category strategies aligned to business objectives, financial targets, and risk frameworks
  • Use market intelligence, supplier insights, and internal data to shape proactive plans and sourcing approaches
  • Identify opportunities to consolidate vendors, optimize demand, and improve overall category performance.
• Strategic Sourcing Integration
  • Lead RFx strategies (RFI/RFP/RFQ) tied to category plans
  • Partner with ES&P peers and business stakeholders to structure deals, negotiate outcomes, and align contracts to business value from a pre-sale position. (Commercial contract experience is nice to have but not required as contracting is managed by a separate function.)
  • Apply best-practice sourcing levers such as benchmarking, competitive analysis, & pricing models to improve outcomes without increasing process burden
• Data-Driven Decision Making
  • Leverage spend data, market insights, and performance metrics to lead decisions and prioritize actions
  • Develop reporting on savings, value realization, and service performance
  • Leverage market insights, spend data, and vendor performance metrics to inform strategy, prioritize actions, and drive measurable outcomes
• Business Partnership & Advisory
  • Serve as the primary strategic interface between business stakeholders and vendor ecosystem
  • Translate business needs into category strategies, sourcing approaches, and vendor actions
  • Influence senior leaders through data-driven insights and forward-looking recommendations
• Vendor Lifecycle & Performance Management
  • Maintain vendor scorecards, SLAs, and performance dashboards to ensure strong service delivery and accountability for strategic vendors. Reports on broader vendor portfolio ticket performance
  • Drive continuous improvement, innovation, and remediation plans with vendors
  • Facilitate Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and ongoing strategic engagement with strategic vendors
• Risk, Compliance & Governance
  • Ensure vendor and category alignment with contractual obligations, regulatory requirements, and risk frameworks identified during pre and post contracting audit
  • Monitor compliance, manage audit findings, and mitigate risks across the category
  • Partner with internal teams (Risk, Compliance, Legal) to ensure consistent governance

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, or related field
• 8+ years of experience in vendor management, sourcing, or procurement (Combine is ok!)
• Strong understanding of vendor…