IT Category Specialist

Cushman & Wakefield; United States; On-site; USD 64,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Cushman & Wakefield is seeking an IT Category Specialist to join the Procurement team supporting Technology & Data Solutions (TDS). You will work with Category Managers on IT sourcing, contract administration, supplier relationships, and spend analysis.

The role focuses on software, hardware, data services, and related IT supplier categories, with responsibilities spanning RFPs, negotiations, supplier onboarding, and governance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred; 2–4 years of procurement, sourcing, vendor management or equivalent experience.
• Working knowledge of IT procurement categories (software, hardware, cloud, services) and contracting concepts.
• Strong analytical, reporting, and presentation skills with proficiency in Excel, Smartsheet, and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Support IT category strategies for Procurement, including software, hardware, data services, and IT supplier categories.
• Assist Category Managers with sourcing events, supplier research, intake review, and contract-related activities.
• Coordinate supplier onboarding, governance, performance tracking, and issue escalation.
• Analyze spend, pricing, and proposals to identify savings and value opportunities; support RFPs and negotiations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to improve processes, tracking, and reporting.

Skills

Procurement

Sourcing

Vendor management

Stakeholder comms

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Smartsheet

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Job Title IT Category Specialist Job Description Summary This position is part of the C&W Procurement team supporting Technology & Data Solutions (TDS), working alongside Category Managers on IT sourcing and procurement activities spanning technology services, software, hardware, data, and related supplier relationships. The IT Category Specialist will assist with strategic sourcing, contract administration, supplier relationship management, spend analysis, negotiations, and procurement operations.

Job Description IT Category Support

Contribute to category strategies for TDS, including software, hardware, telecommunications, professional services, data, and related IT supplier categories. Assist Category Managers with sourcing events, supplier research, intake review, order form management, statement of work review, and invoice follow-up for IT procurement requests.

Supplier and Vendor Management

Help coordinate supplier selection, onboarding, administration, and relationship management for preferred IT suppliers and strategic technology partners. Track supplier performance, service levels, contract compliance, renewal timelines, and key metrics to help drive supplier governance and business adoption. Escalate supplier performance, quality, risk, or commercial issues to Category Managers and business stakeholders as appropriate.

Sourcing, Negotiation, and Cost Management

Analyze spend, pricing, usage, benchmarks, and supplier proposals to identify savings, cost avoidance, consolidation, and value improvement opportunities. Assist with RFPs, RFQs, renewals, and supplier negotiations for IT goods and services, including proposal evaluation, commercial analysis, and stakeholder recommendation materials.

Process Improvement and Reporting

Collaborate with Procurement leadership to improve intake processes, sourcing workflows, supplier governance tools, contract tracking, and reporting for IT procurement activity. Generate metrics, dashboards, and analysis to enable stakeholder visibility, compliance monitoring, supplier performance reviews, and category planning.

Contract Management

Prepare, review, and facilitate supplier contracts, statements of work, amendments, renewals, extensions, and terminations using approved templates, tools, and processes. Maintain accurate records in the contract repository and coordinate with Legal, Finance, IT, and business stakeholders to ensure compliance and timely execution.

Stakeholder Collaboration

Develop and maintain strong relationships with IT, business units, Category Managers, suppliers, and cross-functional partners to enable effective procurement execution and preferred supplier adoption. Conduct meetings with internal and external stakeholders in a professional manner using strong communication, sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy.

Perform other related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Information Technology, Finance, or a related field preferred; advanced degree or relevant procurement certification is a plus. 2-4 years of related procurement, sourcing, vendor management, IT category, or equivalent business experience. Working knowledge of IT procurement categories, including software/SaaS, hardware, cloud, telecom, data, professional services, and technology supplier commercial models. Familiarity with legal and commercial contracting concepts, including statements of work, renewals, amendments, service levels, licensing, confidentiality, data security, and supplier compliance requirements. Strong analytical, reporting, and presentation skills, including proficiency with Smartsheet, Excel, and PowerPoint; experience with procurement, supplier administration, and contract management systems preferred. Strong relationship management, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to collaborate across IT, Legal, Finance, business partners, and suppliers. Highly organized, detail-oriented, and self-motivated with the ability to prioritize multiple requests, manage competing deadlines, and work independently to resolve issues. Understanding of strategic sourcing processes, supplier relationship management, procurement policy compliance, and preferred supplier program adoption.

Benefits

Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements. The compensation that will be offered to the successful candidate will depend on factors such as whether the position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the geographic area in which the work will be performed, market pay rates in that area, and the candidate’s experience and qualifications. The company will not pay less than minimum wage for this role.

Compensation

The compensation for the position is: $ 63,750.00 - $75,000.00

Equal Opportunity Employer

Cushman & Wakefield is an Equal Opportunity employer to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position at Cushman & Wakefield, please call the ADA line at 1-888-365-5406 or email [e-mail]. Please refer to the job title and job location when you contact us.

INCO: “Cushman & Wakefield”

About Cushman & Wakefield Cushman & Wakefield Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global commercial real estate services firm for occupiers and investors with approximately 53,000 employees in over 350 offices and nearly 60 countries. In 2025, the firm reported revenue of $10.3 billion across its core service lines of services, Leasing, Capital markets, and Valuation and other. Built around the belief that Better never settles, the firm receives numerous industry and business accolades for its award-winning culture. For additional information, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com