Sr. Procurement and Category Manager - Total Rewards and Benefits

American Red Cross; Columbus (OH); Remote; USD 135,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & Dental

Vision

HSA/FSA

PTO 19 days

Holidays 11 days

401K match

Paid Family Leave

Employee Assistance

Disability Insurance

Service Awards

LI-EH1

Job summary

American Red Cross is seeking a Senior Category Manager to own end-to-end strategy for HR Total Rewards and Payroll spend. You will partner with HR, Finance, and Legal to optimize supplier performance, procurement processes, and risk management.

The role is remote across the United States, requiring collaboration with East Coast schedules and regular virtual meetings to align with business objectives and compliance standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Management, HR, or related field.
• 10 years of progressive procurement/category management experience with HR/HCM, benefits, payroll, or related services.
• Proven negotiation of large, complex service contracts.
• Strong understanding of HR Total Rewards and Payroll vendor landscape (Workday, Alight, benefits carriers).
• Familiarity with data privacy and compliance considerations for HR/payroll data.
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
• Strong analytical skills, spend analysis, and business case development.
• Video presence required daily for meetings; professional home workspace.

Responsibilities

• Develop multi-year category strategies for HR Total Rewards and Payroll spend.
• Lead complex sourcing events (RFI/RFP/RFQ) for benefits carriers and HRIS platforms.
• Negotiate contracts, pricing, and SLAs with major providers.
• Manage supplier relationships and performance with QBRs and scorecards.
• Identify cost savings and track against targets.
• Partner with HR/Total Rewards and Payroll leadership as procurement partner.
• Assess and mitigate supplier risk (data security/privacy, ERISA, ACA).
• Manage contract lifecycle including renewals and terminations.
• Mentor or guide junior category managers/analysts.

Skills

Procurement strategy

Category management

Sourcing events

Contract negotiation

Vendor management

Stakeholder management

HR Total Rewards

Payroll/vendor landscape

Data privacy compliance

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/HR

Tools

Workday

Alight

HRIS

Job description

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By joining the American Red Cross you will touch millions of lives every year and experience the greatness of the human spirit at its best. Are you ready to be part of the world's largest humanitarian network?

Join us-Where your Career is a Force for Good!

Job Description:

WHY CHOOSE US?

Joining The American Red Cross is like nothing else - it's as much something you feel as something you do. You become a vital part of the world's largest humanitarian network. Joining a team of welcoming individuals who are exceptional, yet unassuming. Diverse, yet uncompromising in unity. You grow your career within a movement that matters, where success is measured in people helped, communities made whole, and individuals equipped to never stop changing lives and situations for the better.

When you choose to be a force for good, you'll have mentors who empower your growth along a purposeful career path. You align your life's work with an ongoing mission that's bigger than all of us. As you care for others, you're cared for with competitive compensation and benefits. You join a community that respects who you are away from work as much as what you do while at work.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE JOB:

The Senior Category Manager will own end-to-end category strategy, sourcing, and supplier management for HR Total Rewards and Payroll spend - including benefits administration, retirement/401(k) recordkeeping, payroll processing platforms, compensation survey/benchmarking services, leave management, wellness programs, and related HR technology and consulting services. This role partners closely with HR, Total Rewards, Payroll Operations, Finance, and Office of the General Counsel to align category strategy with business objectives, manage supplier risk, and deliver measurable value.

The work location for this exciting opportunity is virtual. The selected candidate will work 100% remotely from home and can be located anywhere in the United States but must work an east coast schedule.

Active participation in virtual meetings, including regular camera use, is expected to support effective teamwork and stakeholder engagement.

WHERE YOUR CAREER IS A FORCE FOR GOOD (Key Responsibilities):

• Develop and execute multi-year category strategies for HR Total Rewards and Payroll spend, informed by market intelligence, spend analysis, and stakeholder priorities
• Lead complex sourcing events (RFI/RFP/RFQ) for benefits carriers, payroll processing/HRIS platforms, and related services
• Negotiate contracts, pricing, and SLAs with major providers (e.g., benefits administration platforms, payroll processors, compensation survey vendors)
• Manage supplier relationships and performance through structured QBRs, scorecards, and SLA governance
• Identify and deliver cost savings, cost avoidance, and process efficiencies; track and report against savings targets
• Partner with HR/Total Rewards and Payroll leadership as primary procurement business partner - embed early in planning cycles and technology roadmaps
• Assess and mitigate supplier risk (financial, operational, data security/privacy given sensitivity of payroll/benefits data, compliance with ERISA, ACA, state payroll regulations, etc.)
• Manage contract lifecycle including renewals, amendments, and terminations
• Mentor or provide guidance to junior category managers/analysts as needed

Scope: Individual contributor with comprehensive knowledge in specific area. Ability to execute highly complex or specialized projects. Adapt precedent and may make significant departures from traditional approaches to develop solutions.

Note: Qualified candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. The American Red Cross does not sponsor employment visas.

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED (required/minimum qualifications):

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Management, HR, or related field (MBA a plus)
• Experience:10 years of progressive procurement/category management experience, with direct experience sourcing HR/HCM, benefits, payroll, or related professional services categories
• Demonstrated experience negotiating large, complex service contracts.
• Strong understanding of HR Total Rewards and Payroll vendor landscape (Workday, Alight, benefits carriers)
• Familiarity with data privacy and compliance considerations specific to HR/payroll data
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills
• Strong problem-solving, collaboration and influence skills.
• Strong analytical skills, spend analysis, TCO modeling, business case development.
• Adept negotiation skills in pay for performance and shared risk allocation in agreements.
• Ability to lead cross-functional business meetings, develop and deliver clear presentations and communicate with stakeholders.
• Solid business acumen coupled with understanding of business structures, processes, and information flow in an organization with multiple lines of business.
• Appearance on video is required by Microsoft Teams and similar means on a daily and frequent basis for meetings. A professional workspace is required to be maintained in the work-from-home setting.

WHAT WILL GIVE YOU THE COMPETITIVE EDGE (Preferred Qualifications):

• CPSM, CPM, or similar procurement certification
• Knowledge of HCM/HRIS/payroll systems from a sourcing/vendor selection perspective
• Prior experience in a shared services or enterprise procurement organization
• Commitment to the non-profit sector and its values.
• Combination of candidate's education and general experience satisfies requirements so long as the total years equate to description's minimum education and general experience years combined (Certification cannot be substituted).

Physical requirements are those present in normal office environment conditions. Operational flexibility is required to meet sudden and unpredictable needs. Ability to use a personal computer, applicable software, and office equipment for sustained periods of time. May include sitting for long periods of time, driving a vehicle, and working under challenging conditions.

PAY INFORMATION:

The annual salary range for this position is $135K - $150K. We do not offer an annual bonus for this role.

Note that American Red Cross salaries are aligned to the specific geographic location in which the work is primarily performed. Other factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include your specific skills, how many years of experience you have and comparison to other employees already in this role. We will review specific salary information at the time of phone screening based upon your location & experience.

This job will be posted for a minimum of five business days and extended if the applicant pool needs to be expanded.

BENEFITS FOR YOU:

As a mission-based organization, we believe our team needs great support to do great work. Our comprehensive package includes:

• Medical, Dental Vision plans
• Health Spending Accounts & Flexible Spending Accounts
• PTO: Starting at 19 days a year; based on type of job and tenure
• Holidays: 11 paid holidays comprised of six core holidays and five floating holidays
• 401K with up to 6% match
• Paid Family Leave
• Employee Assistance
• Disability and Insurance: Short + Long Term
• Service Awards and recognition
• LI-EH1

The American Red Cross is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, San Diego Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and any other applicable state and local laws.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency that brings people together through service, and its partners - the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps Alums, National Peace Corps Association, and the Service Year Alliance - launched Employers of National Service to connect national service alumni with opportunities in the workforce.American Red Cross is proud to be an EONS partner and share our employment opportunities with the network of organizations.

Interested in Volunteering? Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to learn more, including our most-needed volunteer positions.