Sourcing and Category Manager

Microsoft; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 96,500 - 188,400; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology corporation in Redmond is seeking a Sourcing and Category Manager to lead sourcing strategies and negotiate contracts for indirect services. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in Data Science, Supply Chain, and stakeholder engagement, contributing to cost savings and business value creation. This role provides a competitive salary package and opportunities for growth in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 4+ years experience in Data Science/Analytics, Finance, Project Management, Supply Chain, and/or Operations.
• Proven cross-functional team facilitation experience.
• Experience with international businesses and understanding cultural nuances.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute sourcing strategies for complex purchasing categories.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to manage supplier performance reviews.
• Negotiate contracts and ensure compliance with policies.

Skills

Data Science/Analytics

Project Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Strategic Problem-Solving

Proficient Communication

Education

Master's Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field

Bachelor's Degree in relevant field

Job description

Overview

Microsoft Procurement group is part of Finance Operations (FinOps) organization and has a mission to deliver business value through proactive global supplier solutions that are innovative, compliant, and cost effective. Our group is a global team of 215+ employees across 30 countries supporting 100+ geographies and facilitating billions of US dollars in annual purchases worldwide. We deliver impact by leveraging corporate supplier strategies with a business aligned compliant supplier ecosystem. We are looking for future business leaders to join our Procurement Solutions group as a sourcing and category manager to support purchasing indirect services and primarily supporting the finance organization. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about one of Microsoft’s businesses in a dynamic environment.

The successful candidate will lead sourcing strategies and contract negotiations for complex purchasing categories, integrating business requirements into RFI/RFP processes and ensuring alignment with pricing, capacity, and policy compliance. They will collaborate cross-functionally within Microsoft and with suppliers to drive early engagement, define supply solutions, and execute contracts that meet business needs. Success in this role requires relationship management and cross-group collaboration to influence business decisions, driving innovation and achieving cost savings.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Sourcing — Defines, maintains, and executes sourcing strategies for one or more complex projects and/or purchasing opportunities to ensure optimal cost and sufficient continuity of supply and/or service; collects internal and industry data to understand business requirements, benchmarks data against relevant markets, and shares industry and category expertise to develop and execute sourcing strategies.
• Integrates business specifications for complex purchasing areas into RFI/RFP processes. Collaborates cross-functionally to define and manage supplier scorecard criteria (KPIs, SLAs), coordinates supplier performance reviews, and drives corrective actions.
• Manages contract and price negotiation activities for a single purchasing category cross-functionally and ensures that price and capacity needs are met while reflecting Microsoft’s cross-functional engagements with suppliers. Identifies cost reduction opportunities and drives cost competitiveness.

• Compliance — Applies an end-to-end understanding of the tradeoffs between Microsoft and key suppliers to drive business impact by influencing senior managers cross-functionally or cross-regionally to apply market intelligence and adopt practices that enable execution with consistency, accuracy, quality, and timeliness of delivery.
• Ensures adherence to policy, educates stakeholders and suppliers on policy compliance, and manages remediation and resolution of sourcing issues. Identifies opportunities to adapt policy as needed to mitigate risk and better enable suppliers to meet business requirements.
• Ensures consistency, timeliness, quality, and accuracy of deliverables, and ensures Procurement stakeholders are aware of SLA and/or defined milestones and deliverables terms. Communicates delays to Procurement stakeholders and independently proposes and executes contingency measures.

• Procurement and Contracts — Processes or supports stakeholder procurement requests for complex purchasing categories via engagement and/or leveraging workflow processes or technology, where applicable in support of product and service requirements.
• Executes contracts and complies with established control processes to ensure delivery and execution on contracts in alignment with business requirements. Identifies risks and roadblocks to contract execution and drives action internally and/or externally to resolve and/or escalate as appropriate.

• Stakeholder Collaboration — Drives early business engagements for complex business areas or purchasing categories with cross-functional leadership to define and drive action on supply solutions, business requirements, optimal sourcing spend, and priorities. Shares expertise to advise cross-functional teams on sourcing decisions.
• Develops pricing and negotiation strategies for one or more complex purchasing categories, ensuring strategies clearly articulate the tradeoffs and gains senior executive support for strategies internally and externally. Identifies negotiation setbacks and mitigates contract disagreements.
• Collaborates with suppliers and leads onboarding processes; serves as contact point between suppliers and multiple Microsoft accounts across one or more complex purchasing categories, developing and executing supplier account plans detailing priorities for the upcoming period.

• Other — Embodies our culture and values.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND 4+ years experience in Data Science/Analytics, Finance, Project Management, Supply Chain, and/or Operations
• OR Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND 5+ years experience in Data Science/Analytics, Finance, Project Management, Supply Chain, and/or Operations
• OR equivalent experience.
• 4+ years of experience in stakeholder engagement and running sourcing projects.

• Additional or Preferred Qualifications: proven cross-functional team facilitation experience; experience with international businesses and understanding cultural nuances; analytical and strategic problem-solving capabilities in finance and business subjects; proficient communication and presentation skills.

Sourcing and Category Management IC4 – The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $96,500 - $188,400 per year. There is a different range for specific locations (San Francisco Bay Area and New York City metro) with base pay USD $123,500 - $206,400 per year in those locations.

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until October 31, 2025.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.