Category Manager, Indirect Procurement

Category Manager, Indirect Procurement Department : Procurement Reports to: Director of Procurement Location: Hybrid -work arrangement Employment type: Full-time, permanent Travel: Up to 15% across U.S. and Canadian operations About BrightPath Kids BrightPath Kids, part of the Busy Bees family, operates a large and growing network of early childhood education and care centers across the United States and Canada. Its purpose is to give every child the best start in life, supported by values of care, service, quality, and value. We are building a centralized procurement function to make it easier for our centers and support teams to obtain the goods and services they need—reliably, responsibly, and at the best total value. The function will balance disciplined commercial management with an uncompromising commitment to child safety, regulatory compliance, educator productivity, and continuity of center operations. The Opportunity The Category Manager, Indirect Procurement will lead strategic sourcing, contracting, supplier performance, and category-management activities for indirect spend across BrightPath Kids’ multi-site North American operations. This is a hands-on, high-impact role for a commercially astute procurement professional who can convert distributed local buying into scalable, service-led category strategies. The role will initially focus on facilities and operational services, including maintenance and repair, janitorial and sanitation services, waste and recycling, pest control, security and life-safety services, landscaping and snow removal, uniforms and linen services, utilities-related services, and other center-support requirements. The precise category portfolio will evolve with business priorities and may expand into additional indirect categories such as professional services, technology and telecom, fleet or travel. Reporting to the Director of Procurement, the Category Manager will work closely with Facilities, Operations, Finance, Legal, IT, Risk, regional and center leaders, and Accounts Payable. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable negotiating a national agreement and presenting a clear business case to senior stakeholders. What You Will Do Develop and execute category strategies You will work with Director of Procurement to create multi-year category strategies that identify demand, market dynamics, risk, service requirements, sourcing opportunities, and implementation plans. You will establish category baselines using spend, supplier, contract, and service-performance data; prioritize initiatives according to total value, service criticality, and operational risk; and maintain a visible pipeline of sourcing and value-creation projects. You will recommend the right sourcing model for each category, including national agreements, regional agreements, approved local supplier programs, or spot-buy controls. You will drive supplier rationalization where it improves service, cost, compliance, or administrative efficiency without compromising local responsiveness or business continuity. Lead strategic sourcing and contracting You will lead end-to-end sourcing processes, including stakeholder discovery, specifications and scopes of work, supplier qualification, requests for information and proposals, bid analysis, commercial negotiation, business-case development, supplier selection, and implementation. You will negotiate agreements that define clear service levels, pricing and rate-card structures, performance remedies, renewal and termination rights, insurance and safety requirements, data and confidentiality expectations where applicable, and escalation processes. You will partner with Legal, Risk, Finance, and operational stakeholders to ensure contracts are commercially sound, practical for center operations, and aligned with company policy and applicable requirements. You will maintain an accurate contract repository, renewal calendar, and supplier documentation record. Manage suppliers and protect service continuity You will establish practical supplier-management routines for strategic and high-risk suppliers, including scorecards, quarterly business reviews, issue-resolution processes, corrective-action plans, and executive escalation where needed. You will monitor supplier performance against agreed service-level commitments, safety and compliance obligations, customer-service expectations, invoice accuracy, and savings commitments. You will proactively identify and mitigate supply and service risks, including geographic coverage gaps, single-source dependency, price volatility, emergency-service needs, supplier financial or operational risk, and vendor non-performance. For services that directly affect center safety, hygiene, security, or daily operating continuity, you will ensure there are actionable escalation and contingency arrangements. Partner with the business and communicate change You will build trusted relationships with leaders at both corporate and center levels, ensuring procurement solutions are grounded in real operational needs. You will communicate sourcing decisions, implementation plans, supplier changes, and purchasing guidance clearly and respectfully, with particular attention to the needs of busy center teams. You will lead implementation and change-management plans that protect service continuity, measure adoption, and capture promised value. You will prepare concise reports and ready executive recommendations on category performance, sourcing outcomes, risks, savings, and next steps. Required Qualifications The successful candidate will bring at least five years of progressive procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, or supplier-management experience, including substantial experience leading indirect-service sourcing and complex commercial negotiations. Experience managing facilities, maintenance, property services, cleaning and sanitation, waste, security, or comparable multi-site operational-service categories is required. A bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, finance, operations, engineering, facilities management, or a related discipline is preferred; equivalent relevant experience will be considered. The candidate must demonstrate the ability to translate spend and performance data into practical recommendations, conduct total-cost and commercial analyses, and build compelling, evidence-based business cases. The role requires experience working in a geographically distributed, multi-location service organization, such as childcare, education, healthcare, hospitality, retail, senior living, food service, franchising, or similar environments. The candidate must have a proven record of working constructively with operational stakeholders, managing third-party supplier performance, and implementing sourcing decisions across multiple sites. Strong experience with procure-to-pay and ERP systems is required; NetSuite purchasing, vendor, requisition, purchase-order, and reporting experience is strongly preferred. Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel or equivalent spreadsheet tools and the ability to present findings clearly in PowerPoint, Google Slides, or comparable tools are also required. Preferred Qualifications The ideal candidate will have experience supporting operations across both the United States and Canada, including managing suppliers with national and regional footprints. A professional procurement certification, such as CPSM, CSCP, SCMP, or equivalent, is an advantage but not required. Experience developing supplier diversity, sustainability, or responsible-procurement initiatives is valued. Experience operating in a highly regulated setting where safety, hygiene, safeguarding, customer trust, and uninterrupted service are central to the business is also highly desirable. Core Capabilities Capability What we mean by it Category leadership Builds a fact-based strategy, makes clear choices, and turns an opportunity pipeline into executed results. Commercial acumen Understands pricing, rate structures, demand drivers, contractual risk, supplier economics, and total cost of ownership. Negotiation and contracting Achieves balanced commercial outcomes while protecting service levels, operational flexibility, and compliance requirements. Supplier-performance management Uses scorecards, reviews, corrective actions, and escalation routes to convert contracts into reliable day-to-day delivery. Data fluency Extracts insight from spend, PO, invoice, contract, and supplier data; distinguishes a valid opportunity from an assumption. Operational empathy Designs solutions that work for center teams, not only for corporate processes, and recognizes that service failures can affect children, families, and educators. Change leadership Secures stakeholder input, communicates the “why,” makes adoption simple, and follows through until the new process is working. Integrity and judgment Applies fair, transparent, and ethical procurement practices; raises risks early and protects confidential commercial information. Why Join Us This is an opportunity to help build a modern procurement capability from the ground up within a mission-led, multi-site organization. Your work will directly improve how centers obtain critical services and will support the operational environments in which children learn, play, and thrive. You will have the opportunity to shape category strategies, supplier partnerships, purchasing processes, and NetSuite-enabled buying channels at scale. In return, we are looking for a practical leader who combines commercial rigor with a deep respect for frontline operations and the families and children we serve. We are dedicated to giving children the best start in life, and you’ll be part of that purpose every day. We offer: · An award-winning culture where your contributions matter · Competitive pay · Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits · 401(k) with company match · Tuition assistance · Childcare discounts · A workplace where you are truly valued We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected status.