Category Manager, Goods & Services

DC Water; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

DC Water is seeking a Category Manager, Goods & Services, to lead complex sourcing across multiple categories, including IT, professional services, and construction. The role requires strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, and cross-functional leadership to deliver value and cost savings while ensuring contract compliance and risk management.

You will mentor junior staff, drive RFx development, manage stakeholder relationships, and present sourcing decisions to senior leadership in a

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 to 7 years of progressive experience in sourcing and contracting.
• Experience developing and implementing category and sourcing strategies.
• Strong expertise in RFx process, proposal evaluation, deal negotiation, and contract negotiation.
• Bachelor's degree in business, technical, program management, vendor management, or contract management from an accredited college or university.

Responsibilities

• Develops, implements, and manages category and sourcing strategies to add value to DC Water, achieve department and business goals, and generate cost savings.
• Independently manages and leads cross-functional teams through the entire sourcing and contracting process, including developing business and technical requirements, understanding the total cost of ownership, the supply base, market drivers, developing customized solicitations, analyzing proposals, conducting supplier viability assessments, supplier selection, and contract negotiations and execution.
• Handles contract, internal and/or supplier issues and escalations.
• Optimizes internal processes, workflows, and interfaces to enhance category-specific productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness.
• Attends Outreach events to cultivate relationships with suppliers and leads efforts to optimize the sourcing process.
• Manages supplier business relationships, including contract and Service Level Agreement negotiations, establishing metrics, ensuring supplier performance, and leading business meetings.
• Manages business relationships with internal customers, including maintaining stakeholder engagement to ensure strategies are aligned with current and future requirements.
• Monitors key performance metrics for sourcing categories, including cost savings, supplier performance, and contract compliance.
• Supports creation, modifying and management of risk management objectives, statements of work, NDAs, RFP/RFI/RFQ requests, and manages dispute resolution for commercial needs.
• Advises on category and sourcing and procurement procedures, policies, business practices and contract interpretation. Enforces compliance with procurement-related program policies and procedures.
• Conducts detailed category segmentation to uncover growth opportunities, drives actionable insights, and serves as a subject matter advisor for assigned categories.
• Promotes and supports DCW initiatives related to supplier diversity, fostering a diverse and inclusive supplier base.
• Provides recommendations to eliminate barriers to strategic and operational success in sourcing and procurement for the assigned categories.
• Presents and explains sourcing decisions and pricing to internal customers, the Director and Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, and other senior management concerning contract pricing and other contractual matters. Works with General Counsel on specific contract language as required.
• Demonstrates ability to manage multiple simultaneous complex sourcing projects.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned at the discretion of the immediate supervisor, the Director, and Vice President.

Skills

Category Management

Strategic Sourcing

RFP/RFI/RFQ Development

Contract Negotiation

Program Management

Communication Skills

Stakeholder Management

Analytical Thinking

Problem Solving

MS Word

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

The Category Manager, Goods & Services, is responsible for managing large and complex sourcing projects in assigned categories. This role uses strategic sourcing and category management methodologies to bring best value to DC Water by conducting market research, developing category and sourcing strategy, creating customized RFx documents, executing on the strategies, negotiating business deals and contracts, and managing business relationships with key suppliers and end-user departments. The role also provides guidance and direction to less-experienced Category Managers and Sourcing Specialists. The Category Manager, Goods & Services will gain and provide expertise in one or more categories such as, capital equipment, instrumentation, and maintenance, IT (hardware, software, and services), professional services, direct raw materials (including chemicals), small construction, maintenance and repair services, lab supplies, employee benefits (inclusive of insurance), fleet, temporary staffing, specialized services (i.e. risk management, financial services) and more.

• Develops, implements, and manages category and sourcing strategies to add value to DC Water, achieve department and business goals, and generate cost savings.
• Independently manages and leads cross-functional teams through the entire sourcing and contracting process, including developing business and technical requirements, understanding the total cost of ownership, the supply base, market drivers, developing customized solicitations, analyzing proposals, conducting supplier viability assessments, supplier selection, and contract negotiations and execution.
• Handles contract, internal and/or supplier issues and escalations.
• Optimizes internal processes, workflows, and interfaces to enhance category-specific productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness.
• Attends Outreach events to cultivate relationships with suppliers and leads efforts to optimize the sourcing process.
• Manages supplier business relationships, including contract and Service Level Agreement negotiations, establishing metrics, ensuring supplier performance, and leading business meetings.
• Manages business relationships with internal customers, including maintaining stakeholder engagement to ensure strategies are aligned with current and future requirements.
• Monitors key performance metrics for sourcing categories, including cost savings, supplier performance, and contract compliance.
• Supports creation, modifying and management of risk management objectives, statements of work, NDAs, RFP/RFI/RFQ requests, and manages dispute resolution for commercial needs.
• Advices on category and sourcing and procurement procedures, policies, business practices and contract interpretation. Enforces compliance with procurement-related program policies and procedures.
• Conducts detailed category segmentation to uncover growth opportunities, drives actionable insights, and serves as a subject matter advisor for assigned categories.
• Promotes and supports DCW initiatives related to supplier diversity, fostering a diverse and inclusive supplier base.
• Provides recommendations to eliminate barriers to strategic and operational success in sourcing and procurement for the assigned categories.
• Presents and explains sourcing decisions and pricing to internal customers, the Director and Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, and other senior management concerning contract pricing and other contractual matters. Works with General Counsel on specific contract language as required.
• Demonstrates ability to manage multiple simultaneous complex sourcing projects.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned at the discretion of the immediate supervisor, the Director, and Vice President.

Supervisory Responsibilities

N/A

Key Working Relationships:

Interacts daily with suppliers, DCW department heads and other DC Water personnel.

Skills & Qualifications:

The qualifications listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and ability necessary for an individual to perform each essential responsibility satisfactorily. Reasonable amounts of training are provided.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Required Experience:

Minimum of 5 to 7 years of progressive experience in sourcing and contracting, or combination of education and experience.

Experience developing and implementing category and sourcing strategies.

Strong expertise in RFx process, proposal evaluation, deal negotiation, and contract negotiation.

Bachelor's degree in business, technical, program management, vendor management, or contract management from an accredited college or university.

Required Skills:

Category Management

Strategic Sourcing

RFP/RFI/RFQ Development and Management

Contract Negotiation and Management

Program and Project Management

Communication Skills – interpersonal, verbal and written

Stakeholder Management

Analytical, planning, problem solving, cost/spend analysis

Strong knowledge in computer applications (i.e., MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Required Licenses & Certifications:

None

Required Languages:

Physical Requirements:

General office conditions.

The person in this position must be able to travel up to 10%, as required.

Preferred Skills & Qualifications

Preferred Experience:

Private sector and consulting experience.

Prior experience in managing and executing sourcing strategies for targeted categories that align with the company’s and the internal stakeholders' goals and objectives for supply chain continuity and budget requirements.

Preferred Education Requirements:

Master’s in Business Administration, Program Management, Vendor Management, or Contract Management from an accredited college or university.

Preferred Licenses & Certifications:

Professional certification from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), APICS, the National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP), or National Contracts Management Association (NCMA), or the ability to obtain certification from any of these organizations within one year of employment. PMP certification from PMI or a comparable organization.

Preferred Skills:

Minimum 10 years experience in category management, vendor management or contract management

Risk Management (related to supply chain)

Problem Solving

Change leader; Cultural Adaptability

Industry research, supplier identification and analysis.

* The work environment characteristics described in the physical requirements section of the required skills & qualifications table are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities.

Your Experience at DC Water:

At DC Water, our people make us an industry leader. Join a group of thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers focused on protecting life’s most precious resource in the nation’s capital.

• Take pride in your work. We provide an essential service and do work that matters. A career at DC Water is an exciting opportunity to help improve the environment and make a lasting difference for the community.
• Connect to a strong culture. Everything we do is grounded in our shared values—accountability, trust, teamwork, customer focus, safety, and wellbeing.
• Be your true self. We are an inclusive organization that embraces diversity, and we recognize and celebrate employees’ individuality and unique contributions.
• Build your skills and career path. We are committed to developing a future-ready workforce by helping our employees develop skills for the jobs of tomorrow.