Director Category Management- Software

Lumen Director Category Management- Software Jackson , Mississippi 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.
Lumen's commitment to workplace inclusion and employee support shines bright.
We've made the Newsweek 2024 Greatest Workplaces for Diversity list and achieved a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index (CEI) for the fifth consecutive year.
Plus, we're the top employer in the communications and telecom industry, ranking 12th overall across all industries in The American Opportunity Index.
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 Role
Manages and leads an organization of 5 or more category management professionals that are responsible for developing comprehensive sourcing strategies aligned with company goals and managing over $750M in software spend.
Partners with internal stakeholder leadership to understand business strategies, conveys the sourcing process and ensures Strategic Sourcing is involved in initiatives up front.
Location
This is a remote position open to candidates based anywhere in the U.S.
The Main Responsibilities
Manages and leads a team of category management professionals focused on project pipeline development, RFx strategy, commercial negotiations, and strategic supplier relationships.
Builds a high-performance team; hires and retains the right talent in the right roles; sets goals, delegates work, holds team accountable; develops and empowers team to make decisions and act.
Demonstrates Lumen's values, maintains a positive open demeanor, encourages different points of view, moves team forward through change; provides timely information; communicates context for business decisions; recognizes accomplishments; fosters teamwork and collaboration.
Responsible for category strategies aimed at reducing the total cost of ownership while mitigating risk.
Identifies cross functional savings opportunities and develops the team to execute against those plans.
Leads teams in the preparation of scope documents, communication plans and contract awards.
Builds strong relationships with internal stakeholders and Finance to understand strategies / roadmaps and the corresponding budgets.
Partners with key suppliers to understand capabilities, market trends, and identify new approaches that have not been identified by internal stakeholders.
Develops and delivers against targets related to cost reduction / avoidance, supplier rationalization and internal customer satisfaction.
Fosters an environment of continuous improvement and partners with Center of Excellence and Systems teams to drive process and systems improvements.
Collaborate with senior level internal stakeholders, including finance and legal, to ensure sourcing strategies align with business needs.
Partners with senior business partners to negotiate high-value contracts.
Defines and tracks key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of sourcing strategies and supplier performance.
Defines policies and procedures for strategic sourcing team.
What We Look For in a Candidate
Bachelor's degree or equivalent education or relevant experience.
10 plus years of related experience.
5 plus years of managing and leading teams.
Experience developing and implementing comprehensive strategic sourcing strategies.
Demonstrated communication and project management skills working with cross-functional teams.
Extensive experience in procuring software products and services, including negotiating contracts and managing vendor relationships.
Familiarity with various software categories, licensing models, and emerging technologies to make informed sourcing decisions.
Experience in identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with software procurement and vendor performance.
Experience managing supplier relationships for an assigned set of products and/or services including regular supplier performance reviews and discussions.
Ability to work independently and in a team environment; self-motivated; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to process large amounts of often complex data; detail oriented.
Advanced professional experience in strategic sourcing and contracting (negotiations, drafting and administration).
An analytical mindset, able to make sound business decisions and have a strong aptitude to provide data driven insights.
A positive 'can-do,' service attitude, proactive, able to move fast and make well thought out decisions.
An exceptional communicator (written and verbal).
Team player with a history of creating strong relationships with customers and business partners.
Strong to expert knowledge of procurement systems such as SAP and Ariba.
Compensation
This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data.
Minimums and maximums may vary based on location.
Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors.
Location Based Pay Ranges:

$149,084 - $198,779 in these states:
AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MO MS MT ND NE NM OH OK PA SC SD TN UT VT WI WV WY
$156,539 - $208,718 in these states:
CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI
$163,993 - $218,657 in these states:
AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA
Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing.
Learn more about Lumen's:

Bonus Structure
Requisition #:
336357
If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, 'protected statuses').
Disclaimer
The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.
It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job.
Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.
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