Category Manager III - Hardware & Telcom

Owens & Minor; Virginia Beach (VA); On-site; USD 87,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare plan

Educational assistance

Employer-paid life insurance

Disability coverage

Fertility & adoption benefits

401(k) & HSA

Job summary

Owens & Minor is seeking a Category Manager III to lead strategic sourcing across indirect categories, with emphasis on hardware and telecom services. You will shape category strategy, negotiate contracts, manage key suppliers, and mentor junior staff.

The role requires a bachelor’s degree and 5–7 years in procurement or related fields, with strong analytics and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Experience managing complex indirect spend categories and supporting strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Strong negotiation, sourcing events, supplier evaluations, and contract support abilities.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Category Strategy: Develop actionable strategic sourcing plans, initiative pipelines, and category roadmaps for assigned Indirect categories.
• Strategic Sourcing & Negotiations: Lead end-to-end sourcing events including RFP/RFQ, analysis, negotiations, and award recommendations.
• Supplier & Financial Management: Manage key supplier relationships and support supplier performance reviews and cost savings initiatives.
• Stakeholder Management: Build strong relationships with business stakeholders and lead cross-functional initiatives.
• Advisory & Mentoring: Share procurement knowledge and best practices with peers and junior team members.
• Digital Procurement & Analytics: Leverage procurement tech and analytics to drive value and decision-making.

Skills

Complex indirect spend

Negotiations & RFPs

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Procurement analytics tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Procurement systems

Spend analytics tools

Supplier management platforms

Job description

Owens & Minor is a global healthcare solutions company providing essential products, services and technology solutions that support care delivery in leading hospitals, health systems and research centers around the world. For over 140 years, Owens & Minor has delivered comfort and confidence behind the scenes, so healthcare stays at the forefront, helping to make each day better for the hospitals, healthcare partners, and communities we serve. Powered by more than 14,000 teammates worldwide, Owens & Minor exists because every day, everywhere, Life Takes Care™.

Global Reach with a Local Touch

140+ years serving healthcare

• Over 14,000 teammates worldwide
• Serving healthcare partners in 80 countries
• Manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Honduras, Mexico, Thailand and Ireland
• 40+ distribution centers
• Portfolio of 300 propriety and branded product offerings
• 1,000 branded medical product suppliers
• 4,000 healthcare partners served

Benefits

• Comprehensive Healthcare Plan
• Medical, dental, and vision plans start on day one of employment for full-time teammates.
• Educational Assistance: We offer educational assistance to all eligible teammates enrolled in an approved, accredited collegiate program.
• Employer-Paid Life Insurance and Disability: We offer employer-paid life insurance and disability coverage.
• Voluntary Supplemental Programs: We offer additional options to secure your financial future including supplemental life, hospitalization, critical illness, and other insurance programs.
• Support for your Growing Family: Adoption assistance, fertility benefits (in medical plan) and parental leave are available for teammates planning for a family.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and 401(k): We offer these voluntary financial programs to help teammates prepare for their future, as well as other voluntary benefits.
• Paid Leave: In addition to sick days and short-term leave, we offer holidays, vacation days, personal days, and additional types of leave – including parental leave.
• Well-Being: Also included in our offering is a Teammate Assistance Program (TAP), Calm Health, Cancer Resources Services, and discount programs – all at no cost to you.

The compensation for this position will be $87,000 - $107,000 annually. The exact compensation will vary by experience, education and location.

SUMMARY

The Category Manager III is an experienced procurement professional responsible for managing strategic sourcing, supplier management, and category planning activities across assigned Indirect Procurement categories. This partners with business stakeholders, develops sourcing strategies, leads negotiations, and provides procurement guidance on market conditions, supplier capabilities, cost drivers, and risk considerations. The Category Manager III supports best practice development supports procurement best practices and may provide guidance to less experienced team members. The ideal candidate has experience managing Hardware and Telecommunications categories, including telecom services, network connectivity, infrastructure, hardware, mobile services, end-user devices, and related technology services. The individual demonstrates success delivering sourcing value, supplier performance improvements, risk mitigation, and cost savings while maintaining strong cross-functional relationships.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Category Strategy: Support and execute category strategies aligned with procurement and business objectives. Identify sourcing opportunities and maintain initiative pipelines within assigned categories. Develop actionable strategic sourcing plans, initiative pipelines, and category roadmaps for assigned Indirect categories. Monitor market intelligence, supplier segmentation, and business demand patterns, and risk mitigation plans to inform sourcing strategy. Execute category strategies effectively to show strategic sourcing ownership of spend in consulting, legal, audit, tax, engineering and financial advisory services categories.
• Strategic Sourcing & Negotiations: Lead end-to-end sourcing events, including stakeholder alignment, supplier selection, RFP/RFQ execution, analysis, negotiations, and award recommendations. Execute negotiation strategies focused on cost, service quality, risk management, and supplier performance. Partner with Legal, Finance, Compliance, and business stakeholders to support contract review and business decision-making.
• Supplier & Financial Management: Manage key supplier relationships and support supplier performance reviews, issue resolution, and continuous improvement efforts. Contribute to annual savings, value creation, and cost avoidance objectives through sourcing and supplier management initiatives. Track sourcing results, validate benefits with Finance as appropriate, and support leadership reporting. Establish preferred supplier programs to aggregate spending with suppliers and professional services governance across functional domains.
• Stakeholder Management: Develop strong working relationships with business stakeholders and functional leaders. Partner with Finance, Legal, IT, and business stakeholders to support procurement objectives. Implement a well-coordinated, finance supported spend control tower to provide transparency and impact on functional budgets to the best possible level of granularity. Lead complex cross-functional initiatives, influencing senior leaders to achieve enterprise objectives and maximize value. Champion change management efforts to ensure adoption of procurement strategies, processes, and technologies. Balance stakeholder priorities with governance, risk management, and business requirements to support informed decision-making. Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement across Procurement and business functions.
• Advisory & Mentoring: Serve as a procurement subject matter expert for assigned Indirect categories. Advise stakeholders on procurement processes, market dynamics, supplier options, and commercial strategy. Share procurement knowledge and best practices with peers, analysts, and junior team members as appropriate.
• Digital Procurement & Analytics Capability: Demonstrates a strong ability to leverage digital procurement technologies, data analytics, and process automation to drive business value to improve decision-making and enhance stakeholder outcomes. Possess hands-on experience utilizing procurement platforms and analytical tools to support category strategy, sourcing execution, supplier management, and performance reporting.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 5-7 years of procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain, category management, finance, or related business experience

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• Experience managing complex indirect spend categories and supporting strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Strong experience leading negotiations, sourcing events, supplier evaluations, and contract support activities.
• Strong analytical, communication, stakeholder management, and project management skills.
• Experience utilizing procurement systems, spend analytics tools, and supplier management platforms.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Inside working conditions.
• No environmental hazards are indicated for this classification.

Owens & Minor is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, religion, disability, age, status as a veteran, or any other status prohibited by applicable national, federal, state or local law.