CPS Sourcing Category Manager

At IBM Finance & Operations, we are the backbone of IBM’s transformation driving efficiency, transparency, and smart decision-making across the business. Our teams provide the insight and discipline that guide strategy, ensure financial strength, and enable IBM to invest in innovation and growth. Working in Finance & Operations means combining analytical skills with collaboration and curiosity. You’ll partner with colleagues across functions and geographies, using data, technology, and process excellence to create solutions that improve performance and deliver measurable impact. IBM offers continuous learning, career development, and a culture that values diverse perspectives. Join us and be part of a global team that keeps IBM moving forward, while building your own future in a dynamic and evolving environment. As a Procurement Sourcing Professional: Category Management & Knowledge Leader, you will provide strategic leadership, guidance, and subject matter expertise across global category management activities. You will combine deep category knowledge with the ability to design, implement, and continuously improve sourcing strategies that deliver measurable business value. Your primary responsibilities will include:

• Lead Category Strategy Development: Design, implement, and continuously improve sourcing strategies that deliver measurable business value, ensuring alignment between global strategies and local execution.
• Conduct Market Research and Benchmarking: Analyze spend data to identify trends and opportunities, and conduct market research and benchmarking to inform category strategies.
• Coach and Mentor Category Teams: Promote capability development and foster collaboration to ensure consistent, auditable, and compliant sourcing processes.
• Develop and Maintain Category Playbooks: Build and maintain category playbooks, sourcing wave plans, and best-practice documentation to enable knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Ensure Governance and Compliance: Manage contractual commitments, maintain transparency through accurate documentation, and ensure adherence to sourcing policies.
• Category Management Expertise: Experience with designing, implementing, and continuously improving sourcing strategies that deliver measurable business value, combining deep category knowledge with strategic thinking.
• Strategic Sourcing Leadership: Experience in leading the development and deployment of category strategies, conducting market research and benchmarking, and analyzing spend data to identify trends and opportunities.
• Project Management Skills: Experience with managing complex initiatives across geographies and organizational structures, requiring strong skills in project management, planning, and stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge Leadership: Experience in building and maintaining category playbooks, sourcing wave plans, and best-practice documentation to enable knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Contract Governance: Experience with managing contractual commitments, maintaining transparency through accurate documentation, and ensuring adherence to sourcing policies.
• Agile Methodology Experience: Familiarity with agile methodologies to adapt strategies in response to evolving business and market conditions, enabling effective change management and continuous improvement.
• Change Management Skills: Experience with change management principles to support the implementation of new strategies and processes, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations.
• Consultative Capabilities: Exposure to consultative approaches to represent category expertise in client interactions, due diligence, and sales support, promoting effective stakeholder engagement and collaboration.