Senior Manager Category Management

About Lumen

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.

 

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 5-10 Procurement professionals that are responsible for developing and executing strategies for various Procurement categories. Partners with internal stakeholders to understand business strategies, conveys the Procurement process and ensures Procurement is involved in initiatives up front.

Work Location

This position has been designated as fully remote 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 direct reports to make decisions and take action.  Demonstrates Lumen 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.
• Manages high visibility / strategic negotiations to achieve cost savings goals and objectives.
• Develops framework for category playbooks that will be defined for all categories.
• Delivers against targets related to cost reduction / avoidance, supplier rationalization and internal customer satisfaction.
• Fosters an environment of continuous improvement and Partners with Procurement Center of Excellence and Systems teams to drive process and systems improvements.
• Excellent abilities in negotiation and contract management.

What We Look For in a Candidate

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent education or relevant experience.
• 8 plus years of related experience.
• 5 plus years of managing and leading teams.
• Demonstrated communication and project management skills working with cross-functional teams.
• 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.
• Intermediate to advanced professional experience in the sourcing and/or contracting (negotiations, drafting and administration).
• Strong to expert  knowledge of procurement systems such as SAP, Ariba and Oracle.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high visibility environment with frequently shifting priorities.
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills, intermediate to advanced Excel.

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:

 

$129,639 - $172,852 in the