Manager, Category Strategy Telecom, Network and Contact Center

The typical starting salary range for this role is determined by a number of factors including skills, experience, education, certifications and location. The full salary range for this role reflects the competitive labor market value for all employees in these positions across the national market and provides an opportunity to progress as employees grow and develop within the role. Some roles at Liberty Mutual have a corresponding compensation plan which may include commission and/or bonus earnings at rates that vary based on multiple factors set forth in the compensation plan for the role.

This position will offer a hybrid work structure out of either our Boston MA or Portsmouth NH office, 2 days in office, 3 days from home.

Compensation dependent on candidate’s geographic location, overall experience, and skill level.

We currently have an opening for an experienced Category Strategy Manager who will be responsible for support, development and advancement of Telecom, Network and Contact Center supplier spend management strategies that support key business objectives, resulting service/quality and process improvements as well as cost savings.

This role is responsible for development and advancement of one or more categories and supplier spend management strategies that support key business objectives/ priorities and result in significant cost savings, service/quality and process improvements within categories. The Category Strategist will be the category leader and key stakeholder relationship manager for assigned categories. This position will act as an advocate and change-manager for the value of procurement throughout assigned functional areas and business groups by demonstrating category knowledge, adding value and educating stakeholders on the strategic sourcing process. The role will work closely with key stakeholders to develop effective cost reduction strategies and implement plans. This is an individual contributor role that will lead cross-functional, non-reporting teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop relationships and work with key business partners to understand strategic direction, supply requirements and corporate business objectives and priorities.
• Work collaboratively with stakeholders to conduct opportunity identification and prioritization.
• Develop and execute multi -year category planning process to develop opportunity pipelines.
• Identify and prioritize sourcing initiatives within the categories through Category planning process for annual plan.
• Develop category/ sourcing strategies and lead/coordinate negotiation for a variety of assigned product and service areas. Build reputation as a subject matter expert for assigned product and service areas.
• Lead cross-functional teams in the development of sourcing strategies. Steps in the process include:
  • internal assessments of Company current and future needs, assessments of market trends and supply base
  • understanding of supplier economics, agreement on optimal relationship between Company and prospective suppliers
  • assessment of total cost of ownership and opportunities to leverage changes in process, systems and products to lower that cost,
  • working closely with the stakeholders to establish and execute the sourcing strategy, which will include development and implementation of communication strategies for key stakeholders on overall process
  • develop TCO reduction strategy into a business case, obtain stakeholder consensus and create execution plan.
• Drive early engagement of Procurement organization drive expanded scope of influence and increase spend under management. Proactively manage supplier performance through disciplined and collaborative feedback channels.
• Provide guidance on monitoring supplier performance against contractual terms and conditions, assess supplier financial health and develop risk mitigation plans for critical and preferred suppliers.
• Drive and measure annual productivity improvements in the category through establishment of key performance metrics and tracking of results. 

Responsibility Oversight:

• Manages at least USD $200-400M
• Category Complexity: Medium/High Telecom, Network, and Contact Center 
• Effectively manage several projects and associated resources to generate at least 5-10% in cost benefit annually
• Bachelor`s degree (preferably in Business) or equivalent experience
• At least 10 years’ experience in related field
• Deep understanding of assigned categories (Telecom, Network and Contact Center), supply markets, suppliers and products such as AT&T, Verizon, Twilio, etc.
• Experience interacting with and defending positions with stakeholders and senior management
• Effectively influences, collaborates, and partners with business leaders to drive results
• Develops solutions to complex problems
• Regularly uses ingenuity and innovation to develop solutions that are consistent with organization objectives
• Very strong analytic and negotiation skills
• Experience in MS Office including Excel, Word and PowerPoint

• Bachelor`s degree (preferably in Business) or equivalent experience
• At least 10 years’ experience in related field
• Deep understanding of assigned categories Telecom, Network and Contact Center, supply markets, suppliers and products preferred
• Understanding of Six Sigma and Project Management methodologies
• Experience interacting with and defending positions with stakeholders and senior management
• Effectively influences, collaborates, and partners with business leaders to drive results
• Develops solutions to complex problems
• Regularly uses ingenuity and innovation to develop solutions that are consistent with organization objectives
• Very strong analytic and negotiation skills
• Superior communications, interpersonal and presentation skills with strong influencing and persuasive abilities
• Expertise in MS Office including Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Working knowledge of online sourcing tools (ideally Ariba) and SharePoint

**This position may have in-office requirements depending on candidate location.**

At Liberty Mutual, our purpose is to help people embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow. That's why we provide an environment focused on openness, inclusion, trust and respect. Here, you'll discover our expansive range of roles, and a workplace where we aim to help turn your passion into a rewarding profession.

Liberty Mutual has proudly been recognized as a "Great Place to Work" by Great Place to Work® US for the past several years. We were also selected as one of the "100 Best Places to Work in IT" on IDG's Insider Pro and Computerworld's 2020 list. For many years running, we have been named by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers for New Graduates as well as one of America's Best Employers for Diversity. To learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion please visit: https://jobs.libertymutualgroup.com/diversity-inclusion

We value your hard work, integrity and commitment to make things better, and we put people first by offering you benefits that support your life and well-being. To learn more about our benefit offerings please visit: https://LMI.co/Benefits

Liberty Mutual is an equal opportunity employer. We will not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, disability, veteran's status, pregnancy, genetic information or on any basis prohibited by federal, state or local law.

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