Category Management Specialist V (Sr. Category Manager)

Description: Job Summary:

This technical/functional leader is responsible for leading the development of category/spend strategies for all key categories by leveraging expert knowledge of the markets, suppliers and stakeholder needs; building and fostering long-term relationships with key internal clients and suppliers; owning end-to-end delivery of business needs for categories under management; identifying and understanding key initiatives of internal clients and short, medium, and long-term goals; ensuring alignment of initiatives and strategies with client expectations; driving the adoption of change practices with customers, suppliers and stakeholders to drive strategic programs; and interacting with senior leadership to review and drive decisions.
This position is also responsible for serving as an expert in the RFP process and/or supplier negotiations; leading the development and execution of RFPs to drive the strategic sourcing process; leveraging advanced analytics and insights to ensure data-driven decisions; analyzing category spend to understand price drivers and trends; applying cost and supply market analytics; and championing a digital mindset to adopt new technologies in the source to pay space.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Promotes learning in others by communicating information and providing advice to drive projects forward; builds relationships with cross-functional stakeholders. Listens, responds to, seeks, and addresses performance feedback; provides actionable feedback to others, including upward feedback to leadership and mentors junior team members. Practices self-leadership; creates and executes plans to capitalize on strengths and improve opportunity areas; influences team members within assigned team or unit. Adapts to competing demands and new responsibilities; adapts to and learns from change, challenges, and feedback. Models team collaboration within and across teams.


• Conducts or oversees business-specific projects by applying deep expertise in subject area; promotes adherence to all procedures and policies. Partners internally and externally to make effective business decisions; determines and carries out processes and methodologies; solves complex problems; escalates high-priority issues or risks, as appropriate; monitors progress and results. Develops work plans to meet business priorities and deadlines; coordinates and delegates resources to accomplish organizational goals. Recognizes and capitalizes on improvement opportunities; evaluates recommendations made; influences the completion of project tasks by others.


• Leads the development of category/spend strategies for all key categories by leveraging expert knowledge of the markets, suppliers and stakeholder needs; driving clear, informed decisions based upon a multi-year strategy; owning end-to-end delivery of business needs for categories under management; keeping current on external and internal influences that may impact the larger organization (e.g., Healthcare Reform, macroeconomic issues, etc.); and interacting with senior leadership to review and drive decisions.


• Builds and fosters long-term relationships with key internal clients and suppliers by building strong, collaborative relationships with internal clients across the business to gain buy-in and deliver value; identifying and understanding key initiatives of internal clients and short, medium, and long-term goals; partnering with suppliers to identify and pursue opportunities to drive improved quality and delivery performance; assuring alignment of initiatives and strategies with client expectations to drive value, innovation, service/supply resiliency, quality of care and governance; and partnering with key cross-functional stakeholders (e.g., Portfolio Leads, Sourcing, Procurement Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, etc.) to advance Category Management capabilities.


• Serves as an expert in the RFP process and/or supplier negotiations and facilitates contracting to deliver strategic value by leveraging advanced negotiation strategies, tactics, and processes in line with situational demands; leading contract negotiations in partnership with Legal; and leading the development and execution of RFPs to drive the strategic sourcing process.


• Leverages advanced analytics and insights to ensure data-driven decisions by analyzing category spend to understand price drivers and trends; applying cost and supply market analytics to create category strategies; and championing a digital mindset to adopt new technologies in the source to pay space.


• Drives the adoption of change practices with customers, suppliers and stakeholders throughout the implementation and/or modification of new or existing strategic programs (e.g., Source to Pay transformation, Category Management training programs, etc.).


• Drives efforts to support KPs Sustainability and Environmental goals and serves as an advocate to further advance results in Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP).

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum two (2) years experience in a leadership role with or without direct reports.


• Bachelors degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Management Science, Business, Finance, Accounting, Contract Administration, Procurement or a directly related field and minimum six (6) years experience in category management, strategic sourcing, or a directly related field. Additional equivalent work experience in a directly related field may be substituted for the degree requirement. Advanced degrees may be substituted for the work experience requirements.

Additional Requirements:

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Management Science, Business, Finance, Accounting, Contract Administration, Procurement or a directly related field.
• Doctorate degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Management Science, Business, Finance, Accounting, Contract Administration, Procurement or a directly related field.

Primary Location: California,Pleasanton,Pleasanton Tech Cntr Building D
Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40
Shift: Day
Workdays: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
Working Hours Start: 08:00 AM
Working Hours End: 05:00 PM
Job Schedule: Full-time
Job Type: Standard
Worker Location: Remote
Employee Status: Regular
Employee Group/Union Affiliation: NUE-PO-01|NUE|Non Union Employee
Job Level: Individual Contributor
Specialty: Category Management
Department: Po/Ho Corp - Indirect Category Mgmt - 0308
Pay Range: $171000 - $221210 / year The ranges posted above reflect the location in the job posting. The salary range may vary if you reside in a different location or state than the location posted.
Travel: No
Remote: Work location is the remote workplace (from home) within KP authorized states. Worker location must align with Kaiser Permanente's Authorized States policy. At Kaiser Permanente, equity, inclusion and diversity are inextricably linked to our mission, and we aim to make it a part of everything we do. We know that having a diverse and inclusive workforce makes Kaiser Permanente a better place to receive health care, a more supportive partner in our communities we serve, and a more fulfilling place to work. Working at Kaiser Permanente means that you agree to and abide by our commitment to equity and our expectation that we all work together to create an inclusive work environment focused on a sense of belonging and wellbeing.

Kaiser Permanente is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, parental status, ancestry, disability, gender identity, veteran status, genetic information, other distinguishing characteristics of diversity and inclusion, or any other protected status. Submit Interest

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