Senior Category Manager

Overview:

Reporting to the Director of Procurement Operations, the Senior Category Manager is accountable for building and executing category strategies that deliver measurable business value across cost, risk, service quality, and supplier performance. This role partners closely with Procurement & Sourcing, Legal, Finance, Vendor Management, and IT/Security to translate business demand into scalable sourcing strategies, lead sourcing events end-to-end, and manage strategic supplier relationships.

The ideal candidate is a experienced category leader with a proven track record managing both large, complex sourcing initiatives and fast-turn tactical events across multiple categories. The hired individual is expected to influence senior stakeholders, drive alignment across competing priorities, and deliver sustainable outcomes through strong governance, commercial discipline, and data-driven decision-making. This role will also leverage AI to automate and streamline tactical procurement work, enabling greater focus on strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and value creation.

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Value Delivery

• Develop and execute robust category strategies grounded in demand analysis, market intelligence, supplier economics, and total cost of ownership (TCO) modeling.
• Build multi-year category roadmaps and value pipelines, including savings forecasts, risk mitigation initiatives, and supplier-led innovation opportunities.
• Challenge demand assumptions and identify demand management levers that reduce cost while protecting business outcomes and service quality.

Strategic Sourcing Execution (End-to-End)

• Lead sourcing events from intake through award and implementation for Indirect Categories (IT, Market Data, Marketing, etc.), including requirements definition, RFx design, negotiation planning, supplier evaluation, and executive-ready recommendations.
• Execute a mix of high-complexity strategic sourcing initiatives and smaller, high-velocity events, consistently delivering results on time and with stakeholder buy-in.
• Own commercial negotiations including pricing, contract structure, SLAs, performance metrics, risk terms, and governance frameworks.

Stakeholder Leadership & Consensus Building

• Serve as the primary category business partner, aligning cross-functional stakeholders around strategy, trade-offs, and final decisions.
• Influence senior leaders through structured business cases, clear recommendations, and fact-based options analysis.
• Help develop and drive governance discipline across category decisions, supplier performance, and sourcing outcomes.

Supplier Relationship & Performance Management

• Manage strategic supplier relationships including performance reviews, QBRs, risk assessments, and continuous improvement plans.
• Establish and monitor KPIs, SLAs, and corrective action plans to improve service delivery, compliance, and cost performance.
• Identify and mitigate supplier-related risks across operational resilience, security, compliance, and financial stability.

AI-Enabled Procurement & Systems Enablement

• Leverage AI and automation to streamline tactical work (e.g., spend analysis, RFx drafting, requirements synthesis, supplier research, meeting summaries, pipeline tracking), improving speed and decision quality.
• Partner with Procurement Operations and IT to improve procurement workflows, intake/orchestration, and system adoption across the business.
• Contribute to procurement technology enablement, with experience supporting at least one implementation of ERP, eProcurement, CLM, intake, or orchestration tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Finance, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 6-12 years of progressive procurement/category management experience, including ownership of category strategy and end-to-end sourcing execution.
• Demonstrated success delivering measurable savings and value outcomes across multiple categories (direct and/or indirect), with the ability to quantify impact.
• Strong track record of stakeholder leadership, executive influence, and navigating complex decision-making environments.
• Experience with procurement systems and processes (ERP, eProcurement, intake/orchestration, supplier management, CLM); involvement in at least one system implementation strongly preferred.
• Strong commercial acumen including negotiation strategy, contract structuring, cost modeling, and supplier performance governance.

Core Skills

• Category Strategy & Multi-Year Roadmapping
• End-to-End Strategic Sourcing & RFx Leadership
• Negotiation, Contracting & Commercial Structuring
• Stakeholder Management & Executive Influence
• Market Intelligence, Spend Analytics & TCO Modeling
• Supplier Relationship Management, Risk & Performance Governance
• AI-Enabled Productivity & Procurement Automation
• Procurement Systems Enablement (ERP, ePro, Intake/Orchestration)

The base salary range for this position is $120,000.00 - $165,000.00 per year. This range reflects the minimum and maximum base salary we reasonably expect to pay for this role. In addition, this position may be eligible to participate in the relevant business unit’s incentive compensation plan, and other compensation programs as applicable. Eligible employees may participate in a 401(k) program with a generous profit-sharing contribution, medical, prescription dental, and vision coverage; life insurance; disability coverage; paid holidays; vacation; and sick time, subject to plan terms and Company policies.

About Bessemer Trust:

• Bessemer Trust is a family office, overseeing $250 billion in assets for 3,000 individuals and families of substantial wealth. Its more than 1,300 employees are singularly focused on private wealth management — disciplined investment management, sophisticated wealth planning, comprehensive family office services, and highly personalized client service.
• Established in 1907 as the family office for Annie and Henry Phipps, Bessemer Trust is in its seventh generation of ownership by the Phipps family. As a self-made entrepreneur, Henry Phipps was a founding partner and chief financial officer of Carnegie Steel.
• Bessemer Trust retains its original focus as a privately owned and independent wealth manager deeply committed to its mission of providing peace of mind to its clients. Bessemer’s adherence to putting clients’ interests first, fiduciary mindset, and highly collaborative culture are at the heart of everything the firm does.

 Key Facts:

• For more than 119 years, Bessemer Trust has operated continuously in a single line of business, independently owned by one family.
• Headquartered in New York’s Rockefeller Center, Bessemer Trust has 22 offices in total. Woodbridge, NJ, is one of the firm’s largest offices, which hosts a wide range of technology and operations professionals. In addition to its sizable presence in New York and Woodbridge, the firm provides client service through offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Delaware, Denver, Garden City, Grand Cayman, Greenwich, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Naples, Nevada, Palm Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Stuart, and Washington, D.C.
• To watch a video about Bessemer Trust’s history, click here.
• To learn more about Bessemer Trust, click here.

 About Our Employee Rewards and Benefits:

• We provide exceptional rewards and benefits that are among the best in the industry, giving our people access to a wide range of options, including:
• Competitive base salary plus discretionary annual bonus for select positions
• A 401(k) plan with a generous annual profit-sharing contribution
• Personalized development and career opportunities, including tuition reimbursement support
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with zero contributions for employee coverage
• Employee assistance (EAP) and wellness programs
• Hybrid work environment: 60% in office, 40% remote for most positions
• Paid time off and paid parental leave
• Employer-paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage
• Legal services and financial wellness plans at no cost to employees

Bessemer Trust is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage candidates of diverse backgrounds to apply.