Lead Category Manager – Software

Kelly; Valley City (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Kelly is seeking a Lead Category Manager – Software to join a global Fortune 500 manufacturing organization on a direct-hire basis. This high-impact role leads strategic sourcing, contract negotiations, supplier management, and procurement operations within a complex IT environment.

The ideal candidate has 9+ years of software procurement experience, strong vendor management, and the ability to partner with IT, Finance, Legal, and Cybersecurity to drive multi-year savings.

Qualifications

• 9+ years of procurement experience in a global corporate environment.
• 5+ years in IT technology category with strong SOFTWARE PROCUREMENT focus.
• Proven software agreement negotiations including licensing, renewals, pricing, and multi-year terms.
• Lifecycle expertise from demand/usage forecasting to negotiation, contracting and supplier management.
• Experience managing software publishers, vendors, and VARs/resellers.
• Demonstrated ability to lead negotiations, deliver measurable savings and improvements.
• Stakeholder management across IT, Finance, Legal, Cybersecurity, and business teams.
• Strong leadership and transformation experience with independent, high-impact execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex software contract renewals and negotiations across usage, pricing, and terms.
• Develop and execute strategic sourcing across the software category including supplier evaluation and competitive bidding.
• Manage relationships with publishers, vendors, and VARs to drive value and contract compliance.
• Serve as escalation point for IT Software Procurement and executive stakeholders.
• Guide the IT Software Procurement team through contract review, approvals, and governance.
• Partner with IT, Finance, Legal, Cybersecurity, and business units to align strategies.
• Develop financial, usage, savings, and supplier analytics to support decisions.

Skills

Procurement strategy

Contract negotiation

Stakeholder management

Software procurement

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA (preferred)

Job description

Kelly is seeking a Lead Category Manager – Software to join a global Fortune 500 manufacturing organization on a direct-hire basis. This is a high-impact opportunity for an experienced software procurement/category management professional to lead strategic sourcing, contract negotiations, supplier management, and procurement operations within a complex global IT environment.

Strong software procurement/category management experience is required. Candidates whose background is primarily in general IT procurement, hardware, infrastructure, or IT services without significant software experience will not be considered.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Software Contract Renewals: Lead complex software contract renewals and negotiations from usage and demand forecasting through contract execution. Partner with senior IT stakeholders and advisory partners to optimize licensing, pricing, commercial terms, and multi-year savings.
• Software Strategic Sourcing: Develop and execute strategic sourcing initiatives across the software category, including supplier evaluation, competitive bidding, negotiations, contract awards, implementation, governance, compliance, and supplier relationship management (SRM).
• Software Vendor & VAR Management: Manage software publishers, vendors, and VAR/reseller relationships while driving commercial value, supplier performance, and contract compliance.
• IT Escalation Leadership: Serve as a central point of contact for escalations involving the Managed Services Provider and internal IT Software Procurement team. Provide high-touch support for C-suite and other VIP stakeholders when required.
• Contract Management & Procurement Operations: Lead and support the IT Software Procurement team through contract review, approvals, tracking, administration, and execution. Identify opportunities to improve processes, controls, SOPs, and overall procurement effectiveness.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner closely with IT, Finance, Legal, Cybersecurity, and business stakeholders to align software procurement strategies with business and technology requirements.
• Analytics & Reporting: Develop and maintain detailed financial, pricing, usage, savings, and supplier analytics to support decision-making and demonstrate measurable procurement results.

Required Qualifications

• 9+ years of procurement experience, including strategic sourcing and contract management within a complex, global, corporate environment.
• 5+ years of hands-on IT technology category experience, with a strong focus on SOFTWARE PROCUREMENT required.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating software agreements, including software licensing, renewals, commercial terms, pricing, usage, and multi-year contracts.
• Strong understanding of the software procurement lifecycle, from demand/usage forecasting and sourcing through negotiation, contracting, implementation, and ongoing supplier management.
• Experience managing software publishers, vendors, and VARs/resellers.
• Proven ability to manage complex negotiations and deliver measurable savings and commercial improvements.
• Demonstrated stakeholder management experience across IT, Finance, Legal, Cybersecurity, and business teams.
• Proven leadership and transformation experience, with the ability to operate independently and make an immediate impact with minimal ramp-up.
• Strong contract negotiation and contract interpretation skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Strategy, Finance, IT, Computer Science, Engineering, Legal, or another quantitative discipline required; MBA preferred.

Why Join?

This is an opportunity to take a high-visibility leadership role in software procurement within a globally recognized Fortune 500 organization. You’ll work across IT, Finance, Legal, Cybersecurity, and business functions while directly influencing software spend, supplier strategy, contract outcomes, and procurement transformation.

Benefits include:

Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plan, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and additional programs supporting employee well-being.