Strategic Category Manager, Goods & Services

District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

DC Water is seeking a Category Manager, Goods & Services to lead large, cross‑functional sourcing projects and drive value through strategic category management. The role emphasizes market research, RFx development, contract negotiations, and supplier relationship management.

You will guide junior team members, manage internal stakeholders, and ensure alignment with procurement policies while delivering cost savings and continuous improvement across multiple categories.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5–7 years of progressive experience in sourcing and contracting.
• Experience developing and implementing category and sourcing strategies.
• Strong expertise in RFx processes, proposal evaluation, and contract negotiation.
• Experience developing contract documents in Oracle.

Responsibilities

• Develops, implements, and manages category and sourcing strategies to add value and achieve department goals.
• Lead cross-functional teams through sourcing and contracting processes, including requirements, TCO, supplier assessments, and contract execution.
• Manage contract issues and escalations with internal and external stakeholders.
• Optimize processes and workflows to improve category productivity and efficiency.
• Attend outreach events to build supplier relationships and optimize sourcing.
• Negotiate contracts and SLAs, monitor supplier performance and drive continuous improvement.
• Maintain stakeholder engagement to align strategies with current and future needs.
• Monitor KPIs for cost savings, supplier performance, and compliance.
• Support creation and management of risk management documents and NDAs; advise on procurement procedures.

Skills

Category Management

Strategic Sourcing

RFP/RFI/RFQ Development

Contract Negotiation

Supplier Management

Program & Project Management

Communication Skills

Stakeholder Management

Analytical Thinking

MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/technical/PM/vendor/contract management

Tools

Oracle

Job description

DC Water is seeking a Category Manager, Goods & Services to lead large, cross‑functional sourcing projects and drive value through strategic category management. The role emphasizes market research, RFx development, contract negotiations, and supplier relationship management.

You will guide junior team members, manage internal stakeholders, and ensure alignment with procurement policies while delivering cost savings and continuous improvement across multiple categories.