Transamerica

Category Manager, Strategic Procurement - Corporate Services

Transamerica$71K — $94K *
Business Services
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in business administration, supply chain management, or related field, or equivalent experience
  • 3+ years of experience in category management, procurement, strategic sourcing, supplier management, and contract management
  • Knowledge of supplier identification, evaluation, and selection
  • Understanding of best practices and trends in supplier management and procurement
  • Excellent negotiation skills with a focus on supplier rapport and company interests
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with a balance of assertiveness and diplomacy
  • Ability to cultivate relationships across organizational levels and external parties

Responsibilities

  • Serve as primary procurement contact for assigned stakeholders and categories, aligning business goals with contracting strategies
  • Guide team on negotiation tactics, best practices, and category trends
  • Analyze marketplace dynamics and benchmarks to inform category strategies
  • Optimize category value through supplier strategies and competitive bidding
  • Lead entire procurement lifecycle for assigned categories from strategy to execution, including RFx and negotiations
  • Communicate effectively with stakeholders and suppliers at all levels as the procurement representative
  • Act as a trusted advisor on procurement decisions related to assigned categories

Benefits

  • Competitive Pay
  • Bonus for Eligible Employees
  • Pension Plan
  • 401k Match
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Disability Insurance
  • Medical Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Employee Discounts
  • Paid Time Off starting at 160 hours annually
  • Ten (10) paid holidays per year
  • Holistic wellness program including Wellness Coaching
  • Fifteen (15) days of paid parental leave
  • Adoption Assistance
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Back-Up Care Program
  • PTO for Volunteer Hours
  • Employee Matching Gifts Program
  • Inclusion and Diversity Programs
  • Employee Recognition Program
  • Referral Bonus Programs
Full Job Description

Job Family

Procurement

Job Description Summary

Identify and engage with the best suppliers to negotiate optimal contracts that balance speed to market, access to needed capabilities, organizational risk tolerance, cost containment, supplier-driven innovation, etc. Act as a trusted advisor to business stakeholders to deliver value through a comprehensive and ethical sourcing approach that support business priorities and improves long term partnerships with stakeholders and suppliers.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the primary procurement point of contact for assigned business stakeholders and categories, translating business goals and risk appetite into contracting strategies and decision frameworks

  • Provide guidance to fellow team members on negotiation tactics, contracting best practices and category trends.

  • Provide valued insight of the external marketplace dynamics, trends, spend analysis, and benchmarks to inform decision- makers and create category strategies for acquisition of performance and outcome-based contracts.

  • Optimize category value through strategies such as supplier stratification, supply base rationalization, supply chain business continuity, category or strategy roadmap/supplier alignment, supplier-driven innovation/value creation, directed buys, and competitive bidding.

  • Lead and coordinate procurement of assigned categories managing the entire lifecycle from strategy through execution, including RFx solicitation, bid evaluation, and supplier negotiations.

  • Communicate professionally with internal stakeholders and external suppliers at all levels from operational through executive as the "face of procurement."

  • Act as a trusted advisor to business stakeholders for all procurement decisions related to the category.

  • Maintain current knowledge of the supplier marketplace, emerging technologies, diverse suppliers, regulatory changes, pricing trends, and other relevant market dynamics.

  • Assure year-over-year supplier productivity improvements via contractual process improvement, automation, and innovation investments.

  • Deploy successful engagement model with suppliers, partnering with VMO, Legal, and business stakeholders

  • Negotiate contracts, and contract change orders.

  • Assure continuous improvement of category process, strategies, data sources, tools, and metrics.


Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in business administration, supply chain management or a related field, or equivalent experience

  • Minimum 3 years of experience in category management, procurement, strategic sourcing, supplier management, and contract management

  • Knowledge of supplier identification, evaluation, and selection skills

  • Understanding of supplier management, procurement, and category management best practices and industry trends for assigned categories.

  • Excellent negotiation skills with the ability to build good rapport with suppliers, while keeping the company’s interests in mind

  • Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills requiring a balance of assertiveness, tact and diplomacy

  • Ability to work effectively and cultivate relationships across all levels of the organization and external parties

  • Ability to work effectively with teams across geographic locations and time zones

  • Ability to manage ambiguous situations and drive towards clarification

  • Analytical and problem-solving skills, and attention to detail

  • Ability to work under pressure, set priorities, and meet deadlines in a rapid-paced environment

  • Self-motivated and the ability to manage multiple projects and support activities within a single job function


Preferred Qualifications

  • Procurement experience managing Corporate Services related categories (e.g. IT, Finance, HR, Legal & Compliance, Market Data, Marketing, Public Affairs, Facilities, Risk, Global Insurance, travel, etc.)

  • Category Management experience with Market Data Subscription vendors (e.g. Bloomberg, Moody’s, Morningstar, S&P, Refinitiv, Murex, ICAP, etc.)

  • MBA, JD, or equivalent combination of advanced education and experience

  • Experience working in a Contracting Lifecycle Management System (CLM)

  • Certified Sourcing Professional (CSP), Certified Outsourcing Professional (COP), or similar industry certification

  • Participation in Sourcing, Procurement, and or Outsourcing Industry Associations such as Sourcing Industry Group (SIG), International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP), Procurement Foundry, institute for Supply Management (ISM), or National Contract Management Association (NCMA)

  • Global perspective and experience working with diverse customer and suppliers

  • Experience managing outsourcing and/or professional services suppliers with global product/service provisioning models

  • Experience in the financial services or similar highly regulated industry

  • Understanding of outsourcing models, supplier, products and services.


Working Conditions

  • Hybrid (Tuesday - Thursday)

  • Occasional Travel <10% (Travel for business meetings)

The Salary for this position generally ranges between$71,000 - $94,000 annually. Please note that the salary range is a good faith estimate for this position and actual starting pay is determined by several factors including qualifications, experience, geography, work location designation (in-office, hybrid, remote) and operational needs. Salary may vary above and below the stated amounts, as permitted by applicable law.

Additionally, this position is typically eligible for an Annual Bonus based on the Company Bonus Plan/Individual Performance and is at the Company’s discretion.

Disclaimer:
Beware of fake job offers!

We’ve been alerted to scammers impersonating Transamerica recruiters, particularly for remote positions. Please note:

  • We willnever request personal information such as ID or payment for equipment upfront.

  • Official offers are sent viaDocuSign following a verbal offer—not through text or email.

This job description is not a contract of employment nor for any specific job responsibilities. The Company may change, add to, remove, or revoke the terms of this job description at its discretion. Managers may assign other duties and responsibilities as needed. In the event an employee or applicant requests or requires an accommodation to perform job functions, the applicable HR Business Partner should be contacted to evaluate the accommodation request.

What We Offer 

For eligible employees, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support both the personal and financial well-being of our employees. 

 

Compensation Benefits 

  • Competitive Pay 

  • Bonus for Eligible Employees 

 

Benefits Package 

  • Pension Plan 

  • 401k Match

  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan

  • Tuition Reimbursement

  • Disability Insurance

  • Medical Insurance

  • Dental Insurance

  • Vision Insurance

  • Employee Discounts

  • Career Training & Development Opportunities

 

Health and Work/Life Balance Benefits 

  • Paid Time Off starting at 160 hours annually for employees in their first year of service.

  • Ten (10) paid holidays per year (typically mirroring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) holidays).

  • Be Well Company holistic wellness program, which includes Wellness Coaching and Reward Dollars 

  • Parental Leave – fifteen (15) days of paid parental leave per calendar year to eligible employees with at least one year of service at the time of birth, placement of an adopted child, or placement of a foster care child.

  • Adoption Assistance

  • Employee Assistance Program

  • Back-Up Care Program

  • PTO for Volunteer Hours

  • Employee Matching Gifts Program

  • Employee Resource Groups

  • Inclusion and Diversity Programs

  • Employee Recognition Program

  • Referral Bonus Programs

 

About Transamerica

The Transamerica Corporation is an American holding company for various life insurance companies and investment firms operating primarily in the United States, offering life and supplemental health insurance, investments, and retirement services. The company has major offices located in Baltimore, Maryland; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Denver, Colorado; Norwood, Massachusetts; Exton, Pennsylvania; Harrison, New York; Johns Creek, Georgia; Plano, Texas; and St. Petersburg, Florida. Additional affiliated offices are located throughout the United States. In 1999, it became a subsidiary of Aegon, a European financial services company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. Transamerica funds the Transamerica Institute, a nonprofit foundation which comprises the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies and the Transamerica Center for Health Studies.
Learn more about Transamerica
Industry
Founded
1904

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