Senior Category Manager in San Francisco, California

Category Leader

Salary is $135K to $165K plus 10% Bonus incentive. Paid pension, 401K match and full medical benefits.

This position will require 3 days onsite East Bay office. Candidates must be US Permanent Resident or U.S. Citizen. NOT LOOKING FOR SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGERS.

The Category Leader position develops and manages one or more sourcing spend categories and is responsible for effective contract management of all Tier 1 contracts associated with the categories. Position develops strategic category plans to optimize cost savings, service excellence, diversity spend and total cost of ownership for the categories. Influence LOBs, including senior leadership, to achieve understanding, acceptance, and commitment of sourcing strategies.

This position works with the Line of Business to develop, source, and negotiate major contracts. He or she plays a key role in the Supplier Relationship Management and Scorecard process. Successful candidates will be required to sign non-disclosure agreement and complete compliance and ethics.

You will lead strategic category planning, supplier negotiations, and contract management to drive value, resilience, and sustainability across the supply chain. Partnering with and influencing key internal stakeholders and leveraging market intelligence, you will develop and execute category strategies that align with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.

• Develops and implements category plans and sourcing strategies for medium complexity categories that optimize cost, mitigate risk, and ensure supply continuity.
• Leads competitive bidding processes including RFPs, RFIs, and negotiations to secure best-value agreements.
• Negotiates, drafts, and manages contracts to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, corporate policies, and industry standards.
• Develops and sustains mutually beneficial strategic relationships with category suppliers, conducting regular performance reviews, fostering collaboration on innovation and continuous improvement, and ensuring alignment with the company's safety, reliability, and sustainability goals.
• Partners with and influences cross-functional stakeholders and teams in developing sourcing and negotiation strategies for medium complexity spend categories.
• Maintains awareness of industry and market trends, supplier landscapes, and regulatory changes to drive informed decision-making and strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Conducts and documents market research and supplier risk analysis to verify the financial health of existing and potential suppliers.

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management or job-related discipline or equivalent experience
• 7+ years of work experience in strategic sourcing
• Experience sourcing in IT, Professional Services, Construction Materials or Related Services Indirect Services
• Proven ability to lead high-value negotiations, develop complex contract structures, and drive favorable outcomes
• Strong analytical skills with experience leveraging spend analytics, cost modeling, and digital procurement tools to optimize category strategies
• Competency in building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives
• Expertise in developing strategic supplier partnerships, managing performance scorecards, and fostering supplier-driven innovation
• Strong ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders, including executives, operations leaders, and legal teams, to align procurement strategies with business priorities
• Competency in building and leading strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals
• Competency in applying project management theories, concepts, methods, best practices, and techniques as needed to perform at the job level
• Knowledge of database and information systems - e.g., ARIBA, SAP