Senior IT Category Manager

Company: Arena
Location: Boston
Posted on: April 2, 2025

Job Description:

Our world is transforming, and PTC is leading the way. Our software brings the physical and digital worlds together, enabling companies to improve operations, create better products, and empower people in all aspects of their business.Our people make all the difference in our success. Today, we are a global team of nearly 7,000 and our main objective is to create opportunities for our team members to explore, learn, and grow - all while seeing their ideas come to life and celebrating the differences that make us who we are and the work we do possible.PTC is seeking a high-performing Senior IT Category Manager to support its Source to Contract function globally. The Senior IT Category Manager will be part of the Global Source to Contract (S2C) team within the Global Controllership team in Finance and report directly to the Sr. Director of Global Strategic Sourcing and Contract Management. The specialist will be responsible for developing, executing, and implementing effective sourcing strategies across the IT category. The role is part of a Global team that creates category strategies, sources, negotiates, and implements agreements, covering all categories. The ideal candidate thinks long term, drives multiple initiatives, communicates appropriately, and influences internal customers and suppliers at all levels. The candidate will have experience in supporting the development and delivery of the IT category strategies and category plans, prioritizing agreements based on value and complexity. You will be collaborative but also work with significant autonomy. To be successful in this role you will be highly analytical; think strategically and globally; exhibit curiosity and learning drive; have a sense of urgency to meet customer timelines, succeed in a fast-paced environment; and have a high level of customer focus and business judgment.Key responsibilities:

• Able to lead and execute complex sourcing activities
• Analyze forecast trends and track savings targets in support of Sourcing and Category team commitment and goals
• Lead all aspects of the sourcing, contractual and commercial agreements with support of Legal
• Evaluate and apply the concept of total cost of acquisition (TCA) and switching costs to support decision making
• Work with Stakeholders to establish clear business needs, apply forward thinking skills to establish flexible long-term category strategies with value options & clear supplier performance criteria
• Partner effectively with stakeholders to become a trusted business partner
• Provide strategic direction, communicate goals, practices, and processes of the Global Strategic Sourcing organization with respective business partners
• Identify cost efficiency and savings strategies for managing IT Pipeline of contract renewals in partnership with stakeholders and cross-functional business partners
• Partner with Security and Privacy on Vendor Risk Management process
• Participates and contribute to annual fiscal planning
• Identify savings opportunities & service enhancements and initiate process improvements
• Defines, creates, and distributes reports to identify near/long term calendar of events/opportunities
• Take a leading role in developing and training the sourcing team to maximize value and achieve optimal outcomes
• Drives the decision-making process & action planning for each activity driving efficiencies and cost reduction/savings opportunities
• Ensures relevant stakeholders are informed of decisions, action plan and timing at all times
• Establishes and executes strategic supplier roadmap relationships
• Maintains awareness of industry leading practices, implements changes as needed to increase maturity at PTCCommercial Negotiation
  • Solid understanding of contractual commercial terms & conditions and able to craft structured agreements with legal and stakeholder input
  • Establish structured negotiation plans with clarity of desired outcomes, leveraging stakeholder input and support where appropriate
  • Understanding of supplier's position, desired outcomes, and leverage pointsSupplier Relationship Management
    • Identifies critical suppliers and creates appropriate engagement plans to ensure Supply Chain risk profile and inputs to continuous improvement are proactively managed
    • Demonstrates a collaborative approach with supply base and develops integrated plans to drive appropriate value for business and customer requirements
    • Builds appropriate supplier performance measurements (KPIs and SLAs) into contractual frameworksSystems and Analytics
      • Ability to adapt and support the Digital transformation roadmap
      • Understands how to analyze large data sets and extract information for strategic decision makingRequirements
        • Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills and be able to work with various functional departments to reach alignment and resolve conflicts.
        • Strong knowledge of Cloud, Software and SaaS Technology with experience leading negotiations of complex mission critical technology agreements.
        • Analytical approach to problem solving and ability to bridge communications between PTC's suppliers and stakeholders (budget owners, VRM, Legal, FP&A, Accounting).
        • Ensure structured sourcing, negotiation and contracting methodology is followed.
        • Strong Customer Service Orientation and Business Acumen including proven ability to present technical and financial information to a broad audience.
        • Must be able to work in a fast-paced, multi-project environment, with minimal supervision.
        • Strong digital dexterity skills, including the ability to quickly adapt to new technologies and leverage data.Key Qualifications
          • 6-8 years of experience managing relevant IT Category Sourcing work including contract negotiation, cost analysis, and supplier relationship management in a mid to large size global corporate environment.
          • Experience managing under Service Level Agreements (SLA), Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) and performance metrics.
            • Bachelor's degree (or similar work experience required); in supply chain, finance or business management preferred.
            • Strong interpersonal skills, specifically working cross-functionally to support critical business objectives at all levels of the company.
            • Subject Matter Expert of sourcing, contracts and procurement principles and best practices.
            • Experience in driving process improvement.
            • Excellent communication skills and ability to influence, guide, and collaborate with others.
            • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to multitask responsibilities.
            • Excellent organizational skills with high attention to detail.
            • Forward thinker who proactively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions.
            • Successful completion of professional negotiation coursework preferred.At PTC, we believe in the power of diverse ideas and perspectives. As a global company that values and respects all identities, cultures, and perspectives, we strive to create an inclusive PTC for ALL through an environment where everyone feels like they belong and are empowered to bring their true, authentic selves to work. Proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and hire without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, ethnicity, ancestry, marital status, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic identity, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.Life at PTC is about more than working with today's most cutting-edge technologies to transform the physical world. It's about showing up as you are and working alongside some of today's most talented industry leaders to transform the world around you.If you share our passion for problem-solving through innovation, you'll likely become just as passionate about the PTC experience as we are. Are you ready to explore your next career move with us?
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Keywords: Arena, Boston , Senior IT Category Manager, Executive , Boston, Massachusetts