Senior IT Category Manager

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina; Kansas; Hybrid; USD 89,000 - 143,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k match including an annual company

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Ability to work Hybrid Flex/Remote

Job summary

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is seeking a Senior IT Category Manager to lead sourcing and vendor governance across IT hardware, software, and services. You will develop category strategies, run sourcing events, and negotiate vendor contracts to reduce total cost of ownership while managing risk.

The role emphasizes collaboration with stakeholders and cross-functional teams to ensure vendor obligations align with business requirements and compliance standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or advanced degree (where required).
• 5+ years of experience in related field.
• In lieu of degree, 7+ years of experience in related field.

Responsibilities

• Establish sourcing strategies with stakeholders for IT hardware; involve software and services.
• Conduct sourcing events with project plan, category strategy, minimum requirements and evaluation criteria.
• Develop bid documents (RFP/RFI/RFQ) and manage status reports and metrics.
• Analyze market dynamics and share industry knowledge within product/service portfolio.
• Source products/services using tools/processes to drive business results.
• Evaluate analyses from total cost of ownership perspective and suggest optimizations.
• Participate in cross-functional vendor negotiations and risk mitigation.
• Review and lead supplier relationship management and performance in category.
• Foster positive vendor relationships and drive engagement.
• Coordinate and host vendor reviews and manage yearly vendor plans.
• Coordinate risk assessments and plan addressing significant risks.
• Escalation point for vendor contractual issues and resolutions.
• Manage contracts with Compliance, Legal, Audit and Risk teams.

Skills

Vendor management

Category management

Sourcing strategies

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or advanced degree

In lieu of degree, 7+ years of experience

Job description

Job Description

As the Senior IT Category Manager, you will lead sourcing and vendor governance activities for assigned IT categories, including hardware, software, and services. This role focuses on reducing total cost of ownership through effective sourcing strategies, tools, and processes while mitigating risk through strong vendor governance. You will partner with third-party vendors, business owners, and the Corporate Services Vendor Contracting team to prepare, analyze, and negotiate vendor contracts. You will also support business owners across functional areas in vendor selection and ensure vendor obligations are documented in alignment with business requirements.

What You'll Do

• Establish sourcing strategies for an assigned category(ies) in conjunction with internal stakeholders and their associated business strategy. This position will primarily focus on IT Hardware but will also be involved in sourcing Software and Services as appropriate.
• Conduct sourcing events, including development of project work plan, category profile, category strategy, minimum requirements and evaluation criteria, solicitation
• Develop and implement assorted bid documents and requests (i.e. RFP, RFI, RFQ); and manage status reporting and performance metrics of sourcing and category management activities.
• Understand, analyze and forecast complex market and industry dynamics and share subject matterexpertise and industry knowledge within the established portfolio of products and services.
• Partner with stakeholders to source products and services using proven tools, processes, and analytics to drive and achieve business results.
• Evaluate analyses of sourcing results from a total cost of ownership perspective and provide optimization recommendations
• Participate in cross-functional teams responsible for complex vendor negotiations, including those that require specialized subject matter expertise, nonstandard risk mitigation solutions, and coordination of multiple arrangements.
• Review and lead supplier relationship management and performance within an assigned category
• Proactively establish and foster successful, positive working relationships with vendor personnel. Drive vendor engagement through formal and informal transactions.
• Engage stakeholders to implement and execute vendor relationship management plan.
• Coordinate and host vendor business reviews
• Develop, track and manage yearly vendor plans for assigned vendors within the assigned category(ies) and ensure vendor compliance.
• Coordinate vendor risk assessments and develop plans to track and address significant risks.
• Serve as an escalation point for the business in resolving vendor contractual issues. issue resolution.
• Manage contracts and collaborate effectively with Corporate Compliance, Legal, Audit and Risk Management and other internal stakeholders for compliance activities to ensure regulatory conditions are met.
• Develop new procedures, training, initiatives, specifications and recommendations for process or policy changes and improvements, as appropriate.

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree or advanced degree (where required)
• 5+ years of experience in related field
• In lieu of degree, 7+ years of experience in related field

Bonus Points

• Experience sourcing and negotiating IT contracts including hardware, software, and services
• Experience with telecom and networking contracts
• Experience procuring hardware and software through Value Added Resellers
• Experience working in an IT department

What You'll Get

• The opportunity to work at the cutting edge of health care delivery with a team that's deeply invested in the community.
• Work-life balance, flexibility, and the autonomy to do great work.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage along with numerous health and wellness programs.
• Parental leave and support plus adoption and surrogacy assistance.
• Career development programs and tuition reimbursement for continued education.
• 401k match including an annual company contribution.
• Learn more

Where You'll Work

Our Hybrid Flex approach is built on presence with a purpose - giving you flexibility to work remotely with intentional in-person connection - that supports a workplace that's flexible, connected, and future focused.

In a Hybrid-Flex role, you'll work in the office at least two days a week for collaboration and connection. In a Remote Flex role, you'll work virtually, with a few in-office visits each year for meaningful moments that matter.

Whether your role is Hybrid Flex or Remote Flex depends on the nature of the work and distance from our Durham headquarters. We welcome candidates from outside the local area and in any states listed on this job posting. Onsite expectations will be discussed during the interview process.

Salary Range

At Blue Cross NC, we take great pride in a fair and equitable compensation package that reflects market-price and our starting salaries are typically planned near the middle of the range listed. Compensation decisions are driven by factors including experience and training, specialized skill sets, licensure and certifications and other business and organizational needs. Our base salary is part of a robust Total Rewards package that includes an Annual Incentive Bonus*, 401(k) with employer match, Paid Time Off (PTO), and competitive health benefits and wellness programs.

Based on annual corporate goal achievement and individual performance.

$89,174.00 - $142,679.00

Skills

Category Management, Category Sourcing, Process Improvements, Procurement, Sourcing Strategies, Sourcing Techniques, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier Relationship Management, Vendor Compliance, Vendor Management, Vendor Negotiations, Vendor Relationship Management, Vendor Risk Management