Category Manager, IT Software and Services

McKesson; The Woodlands (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

McKesson is seeking a Category Manager, IT Software and Services to develop and execute strategic sourcing and category management strategies across enterprise technology spend, including software, SaaS, cloud, and IT services. The role leads demand planning, market analysis, supplier evaluation, contract negotiations, and ongoing cost optimization.

As a strategic procurement professional, you will partner with IT, Legal, Finance, and business stakeholders to ensure sourcing aligns with

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic sourcing and category management for IT software/services.
• Ability to analyze spend, market conditions, and supplier landscape.
• Strong collaboration with IT, Legal, Privacy, Finance and business stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies for IT software and technology services.
• Lead end-to-end sourcing initiatives including requirements gathering, RFI/RFP, supplier evaluation, negotiations and contracting.
• Negotiate MSAs, SOWs, software/SaaS agreements, and related terms with vendors.
• Manage renewals to optimize total cost of ownership and mitigate risk.
• Partner with IT and business stakeholders to align sourcing strategies with technology roadmaps and budgets.

Job description

McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare. We are known for delivering insights, products, and services that make quality care more accessible and affordable. Here, we focus on the health, happiness, and well-being of you and those we serve - we care.

What you do at McKesson matters. We foster a culture where you can grow, make an impact, and are empowered to bring new ideas. Together, we thrive as we shape the future of health for patients, our communities, and our people. If you want to be part of tomorrow’s health today, we want to hear from you.

Role Overview

The Category Manager, IT Software and Services is responsible for developing and executing strategic sourcing and category management strategies across enterprise technology spend, including software, SaaS, cloud solutions, IT professional services, technology consulting, implementation services, managed services, and other technology-related services.

This role leads the end-to-end sourcing lifecycle, including demand planning, market analysis, competitive sourcing, supplier evaluation, contract negotiation, supplier relationship management, and ongoing cost and performance optimization. The Category Manager will partner closely with IT, Information Security, Privacy, Legal, Finance, and business stakeholders to ensure sourcing strategies support technology roadmaps, business objectives, risk requirements, and financial goals.

The position requires a strategic and commercially focused procurement professional who can manage complex technology agreements, optimize total cost of ownership, mitigate third‑party risk, and develop strong relationships with technology leaders and suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Planning

• Develop and execute comprehensive category strategies for IT software and technology services.
• Establish multi-year sourcing plans and category roadmaps aligned with IT strategies, budgets, projects, and anticipated renewals.
• Analyze spend, supplier landscape, market conditions, emerging technologies, and industry trends to identify sourcing, consolidation, and cost optimization opportunities.
• Develop strategies to reduce supplier fragmentation and leverage enterprise purchasing power.
• Maintain visibility into demand and upcoming technology initiatives to enable proactive sourcing rather than reactive purchasing.

This strategic orientation is consistent with your existing Category Manager role, which emphasizes category strategy, market analysis, long-term sourcing plans, measurable value, and alignment with organizational objectives.

Strategic Sourcing & Negotiations

• Lead end-to-end sourcing initiatives, including requirements gathering, RFI/RFP development, supplier identification, competitive bidding, evaluation, negotiations, award recommendations, and contracting.
• Lead complex commercial negotiations for software and IT services agreements.
• Negotiate favorable pricing, licensing structures, service levels, renewal terms, termination rights, payment terms, and other key commercial provisions.
• Apply total cost of ownership principles when comparing supplier proposals and commercial models.
• Develop negotiation strategies using market intelligence, competitive benchmarks, supplier leverage, and business requirements.

Your current enterprise software description specifically calls for negotiation of licensing models, pricing structures, renewal terms, usage/access rights, data ownership, audit rights, and termination provisions.

Software & Technology Procurement

• Manage procurement activities across technology categories such as:
• SaaS and cloud-based applications
• Enterprise software and licensed applications
• Cloud platforms and infrastructure solutions
• Data and analytics solutions
• Cybersecurity technology
• IT professional services
• Technology consulting
• Software implementation and integration services
• Managed IT services
• Application development and support
• Technical staffing and project-based resources
• Other technology-related services

Contracting & Commercial Management

• Lead commercial development and negotiation of Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), Software/SaaS Agreements, Order Forms, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and related technology agreements.
• Partner with Legal and business stakeholders to establish commercially appropriate contractual terms.
• Evaluate supplier pricing models, license metrics, resource models, rate cards, deliverables, milestones, service levels, and acceptance criteria.
• Establish commercial protections supporting performance accountability and flexibility as business requirements change.
• Proactively manage renewals to reduce unnecessary spend and avoid unfavorable automatic renewal conditions.

Stakeholder Partnership

Serve as the strategic sourcing partner to IT and technology leadership.

Partner with stakeholders to understand technology roadmaps, budgets, project pipelines, business requirements,