Indirect Category Manager (Hybrid - Santa Clara, CA)

Our Customer is an American multinational cybersecurity company with headquarters in Santa Clara, California. Their core products include advanced firewalls and cloud-based offerings that extend those firewalls to cover other aspects of security. They are the global cybersecurity leader who continually delivers innovation to enable secure digital transformation—even as the pace of change is accelerating,

We are seeking a Indirect Category Manager on a contract basis to support our customer’s business needs. This role is hybrid in Santa Clara, CA.

This role will work cross-functionally and assist in managing the relationships of multiple supply sources, including contracting, delivery, quality, cost performance, and the overall relationship between the company and the supply sources. Objectives include development of solutions to optimize demand, costs & the supply chain and to drive performance based on KPIs and SLAs.


Responsibilities:

• Partner with internal stakeholders and suppliers to establish advantageous purchasing, commercial terms, and payment requirements.
• Effectively communicate Sourcing values and responsibilities, consistently interpreting the difference between what stakeholders ask for, what they need, what contracts/buying arrangement may already exist to serve those needs and/or provide direction as to how best competitively source what is needed.
• Propose and drive opportunities for optimal cost savings through analysis of current spend and external category analysis and benchmarking.
• Evaluate supplier risk; manage supplier onboarding and ongoing data management.
• Consistently draw from past experiences and ongoing benchmarking to optimize processes.
• Cultivate relationships with the client team and key stakeholders by listening, partnering, and educating teams on Sourcing strategies to optimize the bottom line.
• Developing sourcing strategies, lead contract negotiations, write scopes of work, review and process contract redlines, supplier onboarding review and advise.
• Help develop and execute the Strategic Sourcing function by leading or facilitating supplier selection, Request for Proposals (RFP)s and negotiation processes to deliver agreements that include excellent long-term pricing models, measurable service level/performance criteria, effective remedies for non-performance, etc.
• This is a key business partner role to help drive the business forward and increase the managed spend within the assigned categories.
• Continually identify and implement new opportunities for cost savings and avoidance, and proactively track the progress.
• Overall Supplier relationship management in partnership with internal business clients
• Advisor to developing the Sourcing function by taking on some projects for the team as a whole.
• Propose and drive opportunities for optimal cost savings through analysis of current spend vs. external category/commodity analysis and benchmarking.
• Mentor team members. Ensure they are set up for success and can achieve and/or exceed required expectations and drive career development plans.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 years within Sourcing and Procurement related activities. Including remote support for various global locations.
• Experience supporting engineering and/or research and development organizations a strong plus
• General experience procuring a diverse set of indirect goods and services to support Engineering, Research and Development, IT, Marketing, Sales, and other functions.
• Bachelor's degree is required; Finance, Supply Chain Management, or business related field.
• Advanced skills in quantitative applications such as Business Intelligence, Data Warehouse solutions, Microsoft Excel, etc.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret information from various sources
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced, hyper-growth environment
• Experience with Ariba Sourcing
• Experience negotiating pricing, contracts and commercial terms.
• MS Office, Google Suite, Visio and presentation skills
• Engaging, team-player with a can-do attitude.

We offer a competitive salary range for this position. Most candidates who join our team are hired at the median of this range, ensuring fair and equitable compensation based on experience and qualifications.

Perks are available through our 3rd Party Employer of Record (Available upon completion of waiting period for eligible engagements)
Health Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life (including spouse & child), 401k, STD/LTD, AD&D, and Commuter Benefits program.

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.