About The Team
The Category Manager – Vendor Management & Procurement is a strategic role within the Partnerships Team, responsible for leading end-to-end category management across key operational spend areas, including asset management, liquidations, and facility/site services.
This role ensures cost efficiency, vendor performance, and service continuity, while developing robust procurement strategies that enable scalable and uninterrupted warehouse operations. The role serves as a key bridge between operations, procurement, and external partners.
Job Description
- Category Strategy & Governance
- Own and lead category strategies across asset management, liquidations, and faciity/site services
- Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and risks, and develop initiatives to streamline processes and improve service delivery
- Drive cost optimization, standardization, and long-term vendor partnerships
- Vendor Management & Performance
- Oversee vendor lifecycle from sourcing to performance management across all categories
- Conduct regular business reviews, leveraging data and KPIs to evaluate vendor performance and enforce accountability
- Ensure service continuity by proactively managing risks, escalations, and vendor capacity constraints
- Source and onboard new suppliers to ensure competitiveness
- Procurement Operations & SLA Management
- Oversee purchasing activities and ensure adherence to procurement SLAs
- Ensure timely purchase order creation, delivery, and fulfillment, while managing stakeholder expectations on timelines
- Act as escalation point for procurement-related issues impacting operations
- Contract Lifecycle Management
- Lead contract drafting, review, negotiation, and renewals in coordination with Legal and stakeholders
- Ensure timely contract availability to avoid operational disruptions
- Continuously improve contract structures to strengthen commercial and operational safeguards
- Financial Planning & Spend Management
- Perform quarterly budgeting and forecasting for assigned categories
- Conduct spend analysis, market benchmarking, and cost comparisons to drive data-backed decisions
- Partner with Finance, Treasury, and FP&A to ensure alignment on budgets, cash flow, and payment timelines
- Asset & Inventory Governance
- Oversee governance of asset management systems, ensuring accurate tracking, utilization, and lifecycle management
- Ensure proper planning for maintenance, transfers, and liquidation activities across warehouse sites
- Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Work alongside Partnerships, Warehouse Operations, Expansions, Legal, Finance, Treasury, FP&A, and Local Procurement
- Manage senior stakeholder expectations, providing clear and realistic timelines for procurement activities
- Team Leadership
- Directly manage and develop 1 Vendor Management & Procurement Specialist
- Provide coaching, structure, and prioritization to ensure high performance and ownership
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or related field
- 5-10 years of experience in procurement, category management, or vendor management
- Strong experience in contract management, supplier negotiations, and service governance
- Exposure to asset management systems and operational procurement environments is highly preferred
- Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders and balance strategic and operational priorities
- Strategic thinker who can translate operational needs into procurement strategies
- Strong communicator capable of influencing senior stakeholders
- Data-driven and detail-oriented, with the ability to drive decisions through insights
- Highly accountable, ensuring no disruption to operations due to procurement gaps
- Advanced proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets (data analysis, modeling, reporting)
- Strong ownership mindset, with a proactive and solutions-driven approach
