Category Manager

Endeavor Health; Arlington Heights (IL); Hybrid; USD 88,000 - 137,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition reimbursement

Free parking

Wellness program savings

Health savings account options

Retirement options with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Community involvement opportunities

Job summary

Endeavor Health in Illinois seeks an experienced Category Manager to optimize supply chain, drive cost savings, and negotiate favorable terms. You will oversee major contracts, develop sourcing strategies, and collaborate with clinical and administrative teams to support patient care.

You will manage a large contract portfolio, lead RFP/RFQ processes, and coordinate with IT, Legal, Risk, and Quality to ensure compliance and performance against financial goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred in Business, Supply Chain, or healthcare.
• 5+ years in healthcare supply chain with clinical settings.
• Experience with healthcare contract management and Value Analysis processes.
• Exceptional negotiation skills with data-backed techniques.
• Strong presentation and communication abilities.
• Advanced analytical and cost-benefit analysis capability.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving across projects.
• Project management experience from start to finish.
• Contract review and redlining with attention to legal risk.
• Proficient in MS Office; able to learn new tools quickly.

Responsibilities

• Portfolio management of 500+ contracts, $100M-$250M spend, with forecasting insights.
• Lead end-to-end contract lifecycle including RFP/RFQ and redlining.
• Build and manage vendor relationships to ensure price, quality, service.
• Develop sourcing strategies leveraging data and industry trends.
• Negotiate local and GPO contracts aligning with patient care priorities.
• Lead Value Analysis meetings with stakeholders to drive savings.
• Track savings and ensure high compliance with initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with IT, Legal, Risk, and Quality.

Skills

Negotiation

Presentation skills

Communication

Analytical thinking

Cost analysis

Project management

Contract review

Problem solving

Independent work

Customer service

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree in Business/Supply Chain/Healthcare

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Hourly Pay Range $42.54 - $65.94 - The hourly pay rate offered is determined by a candidate's expertise and years of experience, among other factors.

Hourly Pay Range $42.54 - $65.94 - The hourly pay rate offered is determined by a candidate's expertise and years of experience, among other factors.

Position Highlights

• Position: Category Manager
• Location: Warrenville, IL/Arlington Heights, IL
• Full Time
• Hybrid- 2 days in office
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am – 4:30pm
• Required Travel: May be required as needed

Job Summary

Are you ready to make an impact in the healthcare industry by optimizing cost-efficiency and improving patient care? As a Category Manager, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our healthcare supply chain strategy to support Endeavor's mission of helping everyone in our communities be their best. You will develop sourcing strategies for key spend categories, driving cost savings, process improvements, and supply chain innovation, while fostering collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders. If you are a strategic thinker with exceptional negotiation and analytical skills, this is the opportunity to influence change and make a difference in healthcare across the Chicagoland area

What You Will Do

• Portfolio Management: Oversee and manage a subset of 500+ contracts, representing $100M-$250M in supply, service, drug, and capital expenditures. Provide strategic spend forecasting and insights to service line leaders, driving informed decision-making and influencing upcoming budget planning to align with organizational financial goals.
• Project Management: Lead the end-to-end contract lifecycle, from initial stages through the RFP/RFQ process. Manage the redlining and contract language review, ensuring that all agreements meet service line financial and quality requirements. Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including IT, Legal, Risk, and Quality, to ensure thorough due diligence. Successfully execute agreements and ensure all finalized contracts are stored in Endeavor’s CLM tool for efficient management and compliance.
• Lead Vendor Relationships: Manage and strengthen partnerships with primary vendors in your designated categories, ensuring optimal pricing, quality, and service delivery.
• Sourcing Strategy Development: Formulate comprehensive sourcing strategies, leveraging data, industry trends, and stakeholder input to drive cost savings, process improvements, and product standardization.
• Contract Negotiation: Lead negotiations for both local and GPO contracts within Supplies, Services, Drug, and Capital ensuring terms benefit the hospital’s bottom line and align with patient care priorities.
• Value Analysis & Process Improvement: Co‑lead Value Analysis Committee meetings along with Value Analysis Coordinators, working with service line leaders, physicians, and clinical staff to assess product/service performance, cost-effectiveness, and potential for savings. Drive change through data-driven decision‑making and collaborative initiatives.
• Continuous Improvement & Compliance: Track, analyze, and report on savings and cost avoidance opportunities, and ensuring high compliance with sourcing initiatives.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Partner with hospital administration & executives, clinical teams, and supply chain operations to optimize product utilization, service delivery, and resource allocation while maintaining or improving patient care quality.

What You Will Need

• Education: Bachelor’s degree. Preferred: Master’s Degree in Business, Supply Chain, or Healthcare-related discipline.
• Certification: n/a
• Experience: 5+ years in healthcare, preferably Supply Chain with a mixture of clinical settings. Clinical Experience: Understanding of medical‑surgical supplies, diagnostic testing, and clinical workflows. Experience with healthcare contract management and Value Analysis processes.
• Unique or Preferred Skills:
• Exceptional Negotiation Skills: Proven ability to drive cost savings and influence stakeholders through persuasive, data‑backed negotiation techniques.
• Stellar Presentation & Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage and align with front‑line staff, service line leaders, physicians, and executives.
• Analytical Expertise: Strong ability to perform cost‑benefit analysis, scenario‑based savings options, and incorporate benchmarking to drive decision‑making.
• Critical Thinking & Problem‑Solving: Ability to assess both qualitative and quantitative impacts of purchasing decisions and deliver optimal solutions.
• Project Management: Demonstrated experience managing projects from start to finish, ensuring timely and successful execution.
• Contract Review & Redlining: Demonstrate a strong understanding of contractual language, identifying key risks and opportunities to protect the hospital’s interests while ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Advanced MS Office Skills: Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and Word with the ability to learn new software and tools.
• Self‑Motivated & Independent: Ability to work independently with a proactive approach to meeting goals, achieving stakeholders’ expectations, and solving problems.
• Customer Service Mindset: Always putting the hospital system and patient care first, while striving to improve resource efficiency and service delivery.

Benefits (For Full Time Or Part Time Positions)

• Career Pathways to Promote Professional Growth and Development
• Various Medical, Dental, Pet and Vision options
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Free Parking
• Wellness Program Savings Plan
• Health Savings Account Options
• Retirement Options with Company Match
• Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay
• Community Involvement Opportunities

Endeavor Health is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system committed to providing access to quality, vibrant, community‑connected care, serving an area of more than 4.2 million residents across six northeast Illinois counties. Our more than 25,000 team members and more than 6,000 physicians aim to deliver transformative patient experiences and expert care close to home across more than 300 ambulatory locations and eight acute care hospitals – Edward (Naperville), Elmhurst, Evanston, Glenbrook (Glenview), Highland Park, Northwest Community (Arlington Heights) Skokie and Swedish (Chicago) – all recognized as Magnet hospitals for nursing excellence.

For more information, visit www.endeavorhealth.org.

When you work for Endeavor Health, you will be part of an organization that encourages its employees to achieve career goals and maximize their professional potential.

Please explore our website (www.endeavorhealth.org) to better understand how Endeavor Health delivers on its mission to “help everyone in our communities be their best”.

Endeavor Health is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. Please refer to the main career page for more information.

At Endeavor Health, we are united by a shared commitment to working together to create a culture of connection and belonging—each of us bringing different skills and experiences as we deliver safe, seamless, and personal care. Every person, every time. We are committed to fostering an environment where all team members can be their best, learn, and pursue excellence together.

EOE: Race/Color/Sex/Sexual Orientation/ Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Vets, VEVRRA Federal Contractor.