Category Leader

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Position Title:

Category Leader, Professional Services Procurement 

 

Pay Rate:

$95,000 - $130,000

Multiple factors, including Individual experience, skills and abilities will determine where an employee is ultimately placed in the pay range.

 

Category/Shift:

Salaried Full-Time

 

Physical Location:

Memphis, Tennessee with workplace flexibility

 

The Job You Will Perform:

International Paper (“IP”) is seeking a strategic and results-oriented Category Leader to manage assigned Information Technology (IT) categories in support of the organization’s short and long-term objectives and initiatives. You will use your IT subject matter expertise to increase cost effectiveness, reduce risks, and improve service levels. Annual spend under management is approximately $50MM. This position may also manage categories aligned to other IP functional disciplines.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Sourcing & Category Leadership - Own and lead multiple IT categories. Develop and execute sourcing strategies that optimize cost, quality, and service levels.
• Supplier Management & Market Intelligence - Build strong supplier relationships and maintain deep knowledge of category intelligence, market dynamics, and emerging trends. Collaborate with internal stakeholders to manage supplier performance and identify risks and opportunities.
• Contract Negotiation - Lead and/or assist in both conventional and complex contract negotiations and establish contracts that deliver best-in-class value. Leverage your exceptional contract language development, negotiation skills, and contract management abilities. Work with Legal and other internal stakeholders to optimize critical terms and conditions while ensuring compliance with corporate policies.
• Cost Optimization & Value Creation - Drive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) improvements through supplier engagement, process enhancements, and strategic sourcing initiatives.

 

 

The Qualifications, Skills and Knowledge You Will Bring:

• Education - Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience in IT procurement
• IT Knowledge/Experience – A minimum 5 years of strategic sourcing and category management experience; specifically, within IT categories.
• Procurement & Commercial Expertise - Proven success in negotiating complex, high-value contracts and delivering measurable cost savings. Deep understanding of procurement processes, supplier management, and commercial practices.
• Strategic & Analytical Skills - Strong analytical capabilities to interpret market trends, build cost models, and forecast budget impacts. Able to translate data into actionable sourcing strategies.
• Risk Management & Business Continuity - Experience in identifying, assessing, and mitigating supplier financial and security risks to IP and its operational systems.
• Leadership & Collaboration - Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams through a disciplined strategic process to drive collaboration, influence change, and ensure successful results.
• Communication & Stakeholder Engagement - Exceptional communication and influential skills to achieve specific outcomes through the cultivation of strategic relationship and rapport-building talents.
• Project Management - Effectively manage multiple projects with competing priorities.
• Technical Proficiency - Proficient in Microsoft Office and digital procurement tools (e.g., e-sourcing platforms, contract lifecycle management, analytics dashboards).

Key Competencies:

• Manages Ambiguity
• Drives Results
• Resourcefulness
• Interpersonal Sav