Category Manager

Category Manager for IT Hardware and Software you will be responsible for developing and executing enterprise-wide category strategies across technology spend areas, including end-user computing, infrastructure hardware, enterprise software, SaaS, cloud-adjacent licensing, maintenance, support, and related IT services. This role partners closely with business stakeholders to optimize supplier performance, reduce total cost of ownership, manage contractual risk, and ensure alignment with business and technology objectives.

Responsibilities

• Analyze historical spend, business forecasts, and customer requirements to understand enterprise demand across IT hardware, software, SaaS, maintenance, support, OEMs, distributors, and resellers partners.

• Develop corporate category strategies that leverage total Peraton demand, provide scalable sourcing strategies for use across the business, and maximize value to Peraton.

• Establish enterprise supplier partnerships with OEMs and channel partners aligned to category strategies and business requirements.

• Negotiate, implement, and maintain FAR compliant enterprise agreements that can be leveraged across the business.

• Manage assigned categories through long-term strategies that deliver sustained value, maintain commodity expertise, and provide market intelligence to the business.

• Communicate category and sourcing strategies, preferred partners, and enterprise agreements to Procurement and business stakeholders.

• Train Procurement and business stakeholders on how to apply corporate sourcing strategies, use enterprise agreements, and engage preferred partners.

• Monitor partner value, including adoption, utilization, savings, supplier performance, agreement compliance, pricing competitiveness, fulfillment reliability, and quote responsiveness across the enterprise.

• Refresh category strategies based on business forecasts, supplier performance, market conditions, technology lifecycle changes, and customer requirements.

• Drive continuous improvement of enterprise category and sourcing strategies, supplier partnerships, and automated purchasing tools to increase leverage, streamline processes, and improve business outcomes.

Personal Attributes:

• A strategic mindset and a focus on innovation and continuous improvement.

• Demonstrated ability to act as a thought leader within the organization, influencing enterprise-wide category and sourcing strategies and cultivating a network of collaboration across diverse teams.

• Highly analytical and detail-oriented, with a commitment to excellence and high-quality outcomes.

• Strong communicator, capable of articulating complex strategies and influencing stakeholders at all levels.

• Strong change management skills, able to inspire alignment with new strategies, systems and processes while getting wide buy in to the approach.

• Agile and adaptable, with the ability to navigate changing environments and solve problems creatively.

• Able to work in a geographically dispersed environment.

Requirements:

• BA/BS with 6 years of experience with a strong emphasis on business management, supply chain, or related fields.

• Additional work experience may be considered in lieu of degree.

• Experience managing IT hardware and software categories, including software licensing, SaaS agreements, hardware procurement, maintenance, support, and reseller relationships.

• Experience developing category strategies, sourcing plans, savings pipelines, supplier segmentation models, and executive-level business cases.

• Strong understanding of federal government operations, procurement regulations, and compliance requirements.

• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate data into actionable sourcing strategies.

• Experience using artificial intelligence (AI) to support automation, sourcing activities, market intelligence, supplier management, or procurement decision-making is preferred.

• Proven negotiation and relationship management skills, with a demonstrated track record of developing and maintaining strategic supplier partnerships.

• Strong project management capabilities, with the ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive projects to completion under tight deadlines.

• Proven ability to manage multiple sourcing initiatives, renewals, supplier issues, and stakeholder priorities in a fast-paced environment.