Category Manager

EXL; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

EXL in the United States is seeking a Category Manager for Professional Services to drive end-to-end sourcing and category management across consulting, advisory, IT services, legal, staffing, and BPO. You will develop rate structures, lead RFIs/RFPs, negotiate terms, and align stakeholder needs to maximize value and minimize risk in a dynamic, matrixed environment.

The role requires strong communication, analytical skills, and the ability to manage multiple programs simultaneously while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; 5+ years in sourcing/procurement focused on professional services.
• Experience in managing category strategies, supplier negotiations, and governance.
• Proven ability to lead RFIs/RFPs, rate card development, and vendor consolidation.

Responsibilities

• Support development and execution of category strategies for professional services spend.
• Identify opportunities for rate optimization, vendor consolidation, and scope rationalization.
• Manage demand pipelines and align sourcing with organizational priorities.
• Execute sourcing engagements across consulting firms, SI, staffing, legal, and BPO providers.
• Develop and manage rate cards, benchmarking, and pricing frameworks.
• Negotiate resource mix, delivery models, and contracts (MSA/SOW).
• Lead supplier evaluations, RFIs, RFPs, and negotiations with stakeholders.
• Collaborate with business to ensure sourcing strategy meets needs.
• Track savings, cost avoidance, and spend visibility across professional services.

Skills

Sourcing strategy

Stakeholder management

RFP/RFI process

Contract negotiation

Project management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Ariba

MS Excel

Job description

Category Manager – Professional Services

Category Manager will drive end-to-end sourcing execution and category management for Professional Services spend, including consulting, advisory, IT services, legal, staffing, and BPO. The role combines hands-on sourcing delivery with category strategy & execution, commercial structuring, and stakeholder engagement to deliver cost, quality, and business outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Support development and execution of category strategies for professional services spendIdentify opportunities for rate optimization, vendor consolidation, and scope rationalization
• Manage demand pipelines and align sourcing with organizational priorities
• Execute sourcing engagements across consulting firms, system integrators, staffing vendors, legal firms, and BPO providers
• Develop and manage rate cards, benchmarking, and pricing frameworks across service providers
• Negotiate resource mix, utilization assumptions, and delivery models (onshore/offshore)
• Managed end-to-end sourcing cycle, understand business needs, perform vendor research to identify potential participants to getting the contract signed
• Develop and published RFP in Ariba
• Conduct market research and analysis to identify potential suppliers, evaluate their capabilities, and gather market intelligence to support decision-making
• Lead supplier selection and qualification processes, including issuing RFIs, RFPs, and conducting supplier evaluations and negotiations
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand their requirements and ensure the sourcing strategy meets their needs
• Negotiate contracts, terms, and pricing with suppliers to secure favorable agreements that optimize value while mitigating risks
• Manage project plan for all assigned sourcing requests from requirement gathering to contracting
• Negotiate contracts, terms, and pricing with suppliers to secure favorable agreements (MSA/SOW) that optimize value while mitigating risks
• Liaise with legal, business and supplier to finalize contracts
• Document and analyze supplier responses to ensure it contains valid and detailed information
• Co-ordination with various stakeholders (business, procurement, suppliers) for setting up meetings, presentations and other sessions
• Liaising with business stakeholders, procurement team and suppliers to ensure timely and successful completions of tasks and activities (related to RFx events, NDA management and contracting)
• Partner with business stakeholders, Finance, Legal, and delivery teams to understand requirements and drive sourcing outcomes
• Maintaining project plans/ tracker for all requests and sourcing events, including timely reporting to all stakeholders
• Track and report savings, cost avoidance, and spend visibility across professional services categories

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 5+ years of sourcing/procurement experience with a focus on professional services, consulting, advisory, BPO etc
• Proven experience as a Sourcing Specialist, Procurement Specialist, or similar role
• Strong knowledge of strategic sourcing methodologies, procurement best practices, and supplier management
• Must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Good project management/ business analysis/ process analysis skills
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities
• Professional certifications such as Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) or Project Management Professional (PMP)® Certification will be a plus

Business hours: US 9-5 EST

The posted range is the hiring range for this role — a subset of the broader range available to employees over time — and reflects base salary across our national hiring scale. Final offers are based on several factors, including the candidate's skills and experience, internal pay equity, work location, market conditions for the role, and the specific scope and responsibilities of the position. The top of the range is reserved for candidates who notably exceed the requirements; the lower end applies to those with less experience or fewer preferred qualifications. For positions based in higher-cost zones (e.g., California, New York, New Jersey), actual compensation may exceed the posted range; your recruiter will share specifics during the process.