Principal Category Management

Sabre; Southlake (TX); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Bonuses

Flexible work options

Healthcare coverage

Generous PTO

Retirement planning

Job summary

Sabre is seeking a Principal Category Manager to lead end-to-end procurement of third-party services with a strong emphasis on Professional Services and Labor. You will own supplier selection, complex redlines, contract lifecycle planning, and risk coordination across global units.

You will partner with Legal, Risk, Security, and executives to drive strategies, enable workflow standardization, and leverage SAP and Coupa to remove friction in procurement processes.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5–7 years in strategic sourcing or procurement with category expertise in Professional Services.
• Experience designing and executing RFx processes, and leading complex negotiations.
• Hands-on with ERP, Contract Management, and Purchasing systems such as SAP or Coupa.
• Ability to align Legal, Risk, Security, and executive stakeholders while balancing deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end procurement lifecycle for third-party services, focusing on Professional Services and Labor.
• Direct spend analyses and market intelligence to capture cost-savings and efficiencies.
• Coordinate and drive Risk Assessment with Legal, Risk, Compliance, and Security partners.
• Advise business stakeholders on category trends, sourcing pathways, and risk mitigation.
• Partner with Procurement leadership to standardize workflows using SAP and Coupa.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Procurement

Spend analysis

Contract negotiations

RFx processes

Excel financial modeling

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or related discipline

Tools

SAP

Coupa

Job description

We are seeking a Principal Category Manager to join our global Procurement team, where innovation knows no borders. This team ensures our enterprise operates with efficiency, high quality, and optimal commercial performance across all third-party supplier partnerships. It connects business strategy with market intelligence and rigorous spend analysis to mitigate risk, optimize supplier value, and drive sustainable growth. With an inclusive culture and flexible work environment, we work together with boldness, curiosity and commitment so we can all win together.

As a Principal Category Manager, you will serve as a strategic architect and trusted advisor providing end-to-end category ownership across third-party service suppliers, with a strong focus on Professional Services and Labor. You will oversee supplier selection, complex commercial redlines, contract lifecycle planning, and risk assessment coordination across global business units. You will possess broad decision-making autonomy at the project level to execute strategic sourcing opportunities, optimize workflows, and build cross-functional alignment across Legal, Contracts, Risk, Security, and executive stakeholders.

What you'll do

• Lead the end-to-end procurement lifecycle for third-party services, directing intake, pipeline management, commercial negotiations, pricing structures, and redlining to secure execution.
• Direct deep spend analyses, market intelligence, and contract portfolio reviews across the Professional Services and Labor categories to capture tangible cost-savings and business efficiencies.
• Coordinate and lead comprehensive Risk Assessment processes across Legal, Risk, Compliance, and Security partners to resolve potential execution barriers and eliminate enterprise risk prior to contract execution.
• Act as an expert advisory sounding board for business stakeholders, guiding cross-functional teams on category trends, sourcing pathways, and practical risk mitigation strategies.
• Partner with Procurement leadership and internal stakeholders to drive enterprise-wide workflow standardization, leveraging automation and procurement systems like SAP and Coupa to eliminate operational friction.
  
  

What You'll Bring Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5–7 years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or supply chain management with demonstrated category expertise in Professional Services.
• Direct capability in designing and executing complex RFx processes, commercial negotiations, custom Excel financial models, and commercial redlines.
• Hands-on experience with ERP, Contract Management, and Purchasing systems (such as SAP or Coupa).
• Proven success managing cross-functional alignment across Legal, Risk, Security, and executive business partners while balancing competing deadlines and priorities.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in the Labor category.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or a related discipline.
  
  

Benefits that support you

Benefits

We know support looks different for everyone. That is why Sabre offers benefits beyond medical and financial coverage, with programs designed to support your well-being, growth and life outside work:

• Competitive pay and performance-based bonuses
• Flexible work options
• Comprehensive healthcare coverage
• Generous PTO and holidays
• Strong retirement planning support
• Family-friendly benefits
• Professional development opportunities