Service Line Director- Surgical

Vizient, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 102,000 - 179,000; Full time

Job summary

Vizient, Inc. in Chicago seeks a strategic category leader to act as a trusted advisor for complex portfolios, delivering measurable value through category strategies, sourcing, and value analysis.

You will lead cross-functional teams and align stakeholders across clinical, operational, and supplier groups to drive cost optimization and standardization. You will apply market intelligence, analytics, and advanced AI fluency to inform decisions, negotiate complex terms, and guide clients toward

Qualifications

• 7+ years of relevant experience
• Healthcare/Hospital/GPO negotiation experience
• Ability to influence executive and stakeholder groups
• Clinical environment experience highly preferred
• Demonstrated experience leading complex category management and strategic sourcing

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead comprehensive category strategies for complex portfolios.
• Serve as the category subject matter expert across sourcing, contracting, and value analysis initiatives.
• Lead end-to-end sourcing initiatives including RFI/RFP and negotiations.
• Develop and negotiate complex business, financial, and contractual terms.
• Lead stakeholder committees and align clinical, executive, operational, and supplier stakeholders.
• Present category strategies and outcomes to executive audiences.
• Manage complex category portfolios across multiple teams to hit goals.
• Anticipate market, regulatory, and supplier developments to mitigate risk and identify savings opportunities.
• Mentor and guide team members and represent Vizient in client engagements.
• Apply AI fluency to enhance strategy, market intelligence, and decision-making.

Skills

Executive influence

Stakeholder management

Analytics

Negotiation

Contracting expertise

AI fluency

Executive communication

Travel willingness

Healthcare negotiation

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Relevant degree preferred

Tools

AI tools

Job description

When you're the best, we're the best. We instill an environment where employees feel engaged, satisfied and able to contribute their unique skills and talents while living and working as their authentic selves. We provide extensive opportunities for personal and professional development, building both employee competence and organizational capability to fuel exceptional performance through an inclusive environment both now and in the future.

Summary:

In this role, you will serve as a strategic category leader, subject matter expert, and trusted business advisor for assigned category portfolios. You will develop and execute category strategies that deliver measurable financial, operational, clinical, and organizational value for clients while advancing strategic objectives. You will lead complex sourcing and contracting initiatives, facilitate stakeholder alignment and value analysis discussions, and apply deep category expertise, market intelligence, analytics, and consultative leadership to influence strategic decisions.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead comprehensive category strategies for complex portfolios that align with client priorities and organizational objectives while advancing value realization, standardization, innovation, risk mitigation, and cost optimization.
• Serve as the category subject matter expert and strategic advisor across sourcing, contracting, and value analysis initiatives, using spend, utilization, supplier performance, market intelligence, and client priorities to identify opportunities.
• Lead end-to-end sourcing initiatives, including opportunity assessment, requirements development, RFI and RFP execution, supplier evaluation, negotiations, contract development, implementation, and performance monitoring.
• Develop and negotiate complex business, financial, operational, and contractual terms with suppliers and provide strategic guidance on complex contracting approaches and negotiations.
• Lead multidisciplinary stakeholder committees and facilitate alignment among clinical, executive, operational, supply chain, value analysis, supplier, and other client stakeholders to support informed decisions and achieve strategic objectives.
• Present category strategies, sourcing recommendations, business cases, and initiative outcomes to executive audiences while building trusted relationships that support long-term value delivery.
• Manage complex category portfolios and collaborate across sourcing, contracting, analytics, implementation, and value analysis teams to achieve annual operational, financial, and strategic goals.
• Anticipate and evaluate market, regulatory, supply chain, legal, competitive, and supplier developments to mitigate risk and identify opportunities for savings, quality improvement, technology adoption, standardization, and operational efficiency.
• Provide mentoring, strategic guidance, and category expertise to team members and represent Vizient in client, supplier, and industry engagements related to assigned categories.
• Apply advanced AI fluency to enhance category strategy, market intelligence, analysis, stakeholder communications, and business decision‑making while critically evaluating outputs and promoting effective and responsible use of approved AI tools.

Qualifications:

• Relevant degree preferred.
• 7 or more years of relevant experience required.
• Healthcare/Hospital/GPO negotiation experience required.
• Proven ability to serve as a trusted advisor and influence executive, clinical, operational, client, and supplier stakeholders required.
• Clinical experience and background working in Clinical environment highly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex category management, strategic sourcing, contracting, supply chain, consulting for Surgical equipment.
• Experience leading stakeholder committees, value analysis initiatives, or complex cross‑functional decision‑making groups.
• Strong negotiation and contracting skills with experience developing and negotiating complex supplier agreements.
• Advanced analytical skills with the ability to translate complex data, market intelligence, and business considerations into strategic recommendations.
• Excellent executive communication, presentation, facilitation, and relationship management skills.
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge of AI tools, capabilities, outputs, and limitations with the ability to apply AI effectively to complex business situations and guide others in its effective and responsible use.
• Willingness to travel about 25%.

Estimated Hiring Range:

At Vizient, we consider skills, experience, and organizational needs in our compensation approach. Geographic factors may adjust the range estimate and hires typically fall below the top range. Compensation decisions are tailored to individual circumstances. The current salary range for this role is $102,400.00 to $179,000.00.

This position is also incentive eligible.

Vizient has a comprehensive benefits plan! Please view our benefits here:

http://www.vizientinc.com/about-us/careers

Equal Opportunity Employer: Females/Minorities/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The Company is committed to equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, color, gender identity, ethnicity, age, national origin, sexual orientation, disability status, veteran status or any other category protected by applicable law.