Lead Category Manager - Public Sector Subcontract Management

About Lumen

Lumen connects the world. We are igniting business growth by connecting people, data and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Together, we are building a culture and company from the people up – committed to teamwork, trust and transparency. People power progress.

We’re looking for top-tier talent and offer the flexibility you need to thrive and deliver lasting impact. Join us as we digitally connect the world and shape the future.

The Lead Category Manager oversees strategy, sourcing, negotiation, and contracting of highly complex services and products, aligning procurement strategies to business objectives while optimizing supplier value and performance.

In this role, you will also serve as a senior Public Sector subcontracting lead, supporting capture/proposal work, subcontract award execution, and subcontract administration/performance expectations for Public Sector programs.

This is a work from home position within the U.S.

Analyze category spend (sub-category, supplier, business unit), market conditions, and should-cost; partner with Reporting & Analytics to leverage standard analytics.

Monitor supplier landscape, market shifts, and innovation; ensure full cross-segment spend visibility.

Build and lead VP+ strategy discussions using crisp, decision-ready content.

Translate insights into an annual category plan aligned to business-unit goals and budget targets.

Execute value levers: sourcing events, negotiation, demand management, and value engineering.

Define RFx approach, lead high-complexity events, and delegate tactical execution as appropriate.

For Public Sector subcontracting, support subcontract requests (RFP/RFI/ROM/LoE) with disciplined scope, PoP (period of performance), and required documentation.

Negotiate and manage high-complexity agreements; transition lower-risk, lower-complexity contracts to procurement using approved templates and standard terms.

Own or co-own Public Sector subcontract lifecycle for third parties: contract discovery, NDA confirmation, and MSA/subcontract templating with Legal review when required.

During capture/proposal, shape the supplier/subcontractor team; enforce NDA coverage before sharing information.

Draft and execute agreements defining scope, deliverables, SLAs, milestones, and schedules.

Enable efficient Legal review by providing clear business context; flag risks, misalignment, and policy conflicts early.

Operate as a strategic partner: align priorities, anticipate demand, and run a regular operating cadence to track outcomes and remove blockers.

Partner across Public Sector stakeholders (Program Management, Product, Sales, Legal) per the procurement support model (RFx, proposal support, negotiation, supplier management).

Serve as primary supplier contact; orchestrate interactions and prepare stakeholders for supplier communications, including QBRs and SLA performance.

Track performance; deliver actionable feedback and drive continuous improvement.

For Public Sector subcontractors, define performance reporting and initiate corrective actions—including replacement or termination—when performance warrants.

• Bachelor’s degree and/or relevant experience; minimum 8+ years of related experience.

• Proven background negotiating high-complexity, high-dollar contracts in a fast-paced environment; intermediate-to-advanced experience reviewing contract terms.

• Experience administering or supporting subcontracts under FAR/DFARS-governed prime contracts, including understanding and applying subcontracting policies/procedures and required clause flow-downs.

• Cost reimbursable services subcontracting experience: draft/negotiate SOW/LoE, define PoP, manage ceiling/funding, enforce allowable/allocable costs.

• Complex contract-type fluency: execute services work under cost-reimbursement, T&M, and IDIQ/task-order structures while controlling scope, PoP, and risk.

• Demonstrated exceptional interpersonal and communications skills with senior internal…