Category Manager Professional Services

Category Manager Professional Services
Category Manager will drive end-to-end sourcing execution and category management for Professional Services spend, including consulting, advisory, IT services, legal, staffing, and BPO. The role combines hands-on sourcing delivery with category strategy & execution, commercial structuring, and stakeholder engagement to deliver cost, quality, and business outcomes.
Responsibilities:

• Support development and execution of category strategies for professional services spend
• Identify opportunities for rate optimization, vendor consolidation, and scope rationalization
• Manage demand pipelines and align sourcing with organizational priorities
• Execute sourcing engagements across consulting firms, system integrators, staffing vendors, legal firms, and BPO providers
• Develop and manage rate cards, benchmarking, and pricing frameworks across service providers
• Negotiate resource mix, utilization assumptions, and delivery models (onshore/offshore)
• Managed end-to-end sourcing cycle, understand business needs, perform vendor research to identify potential participants to getting the contract signed
• Develop and published RFP in Ariba
• Conduct market research and analysis to identify potential suppliers, evaluate their capabilities, and gather market intelligence to support decision-making
• Lead supplier selection and qualification processes, including issuing RFIs, RFPs, and conducting supplier evaluations and negotiations
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand their requirements and ensure the sourcing strategy meets their needs
• Negotiate contracts, terms, and pricing with suppliers to secure favorable agreements that optimize value while mitigating risks
• Manage project plan for all assigned sourcing requests from requirement gathering to contracting
• Negotiate contracts, terms, and pricing with suppliers to secure favorable agreements (MSA/SOW) that optimize value while mitigating risks
• Liaise with legal, business and supplier to finalize contracts
• Document and analyze supplier responses to ensure it contains valid and detailed information
• Co-ordination with various stakeholders (business, procurement, suppliers) for setting up meetings, presentations and other sessions
• Liaising with business stakeholders, procurement team and suppliers to ensure timely and successful completions of tasks and activities (related to RFx events, NDA management and contracting)
• Partner with business stakeholders, Finance, Legal, and delivery teams to understand requirements and drive sourcing outcomes
• Maintaining project plans/ tracker for all requests and sourcing events, including timely reporting to all stakeholders
• Track and report savings, cost avoidance, and spend visibility across professional services categories

Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree
• 5+ years of sourcing/procurement experience with a focus on professional services, consulting, advisory, BPO etc
• Proven experience as a Sourcing Specialist, Procurement Specialist, or similar role
• Strong knowledge of strategic sourcing methodologies, procurement best practices, and supplier management
• Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Good project management/ business analysis/ process analysis skills
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities
• Professional certifications such as Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) or Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification will be a plus