{"id":3050321,"url":"https://alion.io/job/highmark-health-category-manager-procurement","title":"Category Manager, Procurement","company":{"id":20346,"name":"Highmark Health","domain":"highmarkhealth.org","url":"https://alion.io/company/highmark-health","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":99,"open_postings":4,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.25,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":17,"computed_at":"2026-10-31T05:58:55Z"}},"role":"Operations","role_family":"Operations","seniority":"middle","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Pittsburgh, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":70000,"max_usd":140000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":2162},"experience_years_min":3,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Microsoft Excel","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-02T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-02","last_verified_at":"2026-10-31T19:22:13Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":29,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":29},"description":"Company :\nHighmark HealthJob Description :\nJOB SUMMARY\nThe Category Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing category strategies for assigned spend areas, with a significant emphasis on professional services. This role drives value through strategic sourcing, expert negotiation, and robust supplier relationship management. The Category Manager is expected to apply practical, scenario-based skills in areas such as intake shaping, market approach selection, negotiation planning & execution, and contract performance enablement, acting as a value-added partner to internal stakeholders, driving measurable outcomes, and actively contributing to critical procurement artifacts.\nESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES\n Category Strategy & Management:Develop and implement data-driven category strategies for assigned spend, especially professional services (e.g., consulting, managed services), leveraging market intelligence and internal needs.\nConduct spend analysis, market research, and competitive intelligence to identify sourcing opportunities and optimize categories.\nApply Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) principles and should-cost analysis to evaluate sourcing decisions, producing relevant models and worksheets.\nContribute to supplier rationalization/diversification strategies aligned with Highmark's risk profile & continuity objectives.\nIdentify and integrate innovation, AI-driven solutions, digital transformation, and sustainable practices into strategies to maximize long-term outcomes.\nChampion the integration of supplier diversity initiatives into category strategies and supplier selection processes.\nAccountable for delivering validated financial impact aligned to enterprise savings, cost avoidance, and margin improvement in partnership with Finance.\nContinuously benchmark supplier, pricing, and category strategies against external market data and industry standards to ensure competitiveness\n\n Strategic Sourcing & Negotiation Expertise:Lead end-to-end strategic sourcing, including intake shaping, RFx development, rigorous supplier evaluation, and optimal selection.\nDevelop and execute effective negotiation strategies, including detailed pre-negotiation planning (objectives, walk-away, concessions, stakeholder alignment).\nMaster services negotiation mechanics (e.g., rate cards, labor mix optimization, T&M vs. milestone, change control, total cost value optimization).\nManage contract lifecycle in Icertis from drafting to execution, ensuring compliance, favorable terms, and effective SOW/SLA drafting aligned to desired outcomes to mitigate pitfalls & protect Highmark’s interests.\nLeverage procurement tools (Coupa e-sourcing, Fair market) for sourcing optimization and market approach decisioning.\nConduct pre-award risk assessments, integrating stakeholder insights and data to mitigate contractual and operational risks.\nHolds decision authority on sourcing strategy, supplier selection, and commercial approach within defined financial and risk thresholds.\n\n Supplier Performance & Relationship Management:Nurture strong, strategic, and collaborative relationships with key suppliers to foster innovation and continuous improvement.\nStakeholder Management & Business Partnership:\nCultivate strong, collaborative relationships with internal business partners across departments.\nProactively engage stakeholders to understand needs, clarify complex requirements (intake shaping), and build consensus.\nAct as a trusted advisor, offering insights and recommendations to optimize spend and enhance value.\nPractice effective negotiation outcome delivery, emphasizing common ground and relationship building.\nTranslate complex business requirements into actionable & innovative procurement strategies.\nEffectively manage conflicts with internal stakeholders and suppliers, seeking mutually beneficial resolutions.\nPartner with business and Finance stakeholders to review and optimize spend requests, ensuring investments are necessary, appropriately scoped, and aligned to business priorities before sourcing.\n\n Process & Technology Optimization:Ensure consistent application of procurement policies, procedures, and best practices.\nLeverage and optimize procurement technology (Oracle, Coupa, Archer, Icertis, Sievo) for efficiency and data-driven decision-making.\nConsistently produce and utilize critical procurement artifacts (e.g., detailed negotiation plans, SOW/SLA drafts, TCO models, intake correction tools).\nDrive adoption of digital procurement tools, automation, and AI-enabled capabilities to improve decision-making speed, quality, and scalability.\n\n Value Creation & Financial Impact:Identify, quantify, and consistently deliver measurable value (cost reduction, risk mitigation, innovation, service levels).\nTrack, measure, and report on procurement performance against targets and KPIs, emphasizing achievement of defined outcomes.\nUnderstand and support post-award execution concepts related to value leakage and concession tracking.\n\nRisk Management & Compliance:Ensure all procurement activities adhere to company policies, legal requirements, and ethical standards, utilizing Archer for risk assessments.\nStay abreast of industry best practices, regulatory changes, and emerging risks relevant to assigned categories, advising stakeholders accordingly.\n\nOther duties as assigned or requested.\nEXPERIENCE\nRequired\n 3-5 years of progressive experience in strategic procurement, category management, or supply chain, with a proven track record of independently managing specific spend categories and delivering measurable results. Experience in professional services procurement is highly desirable.\nPreferred\n None\nSKILLS\nStrategic Sourcing & Negotiation Expertise: Proven ability to develop and execute effective negotiation strategies for services (rate cards, T&M, milestone-based), leveraging data-driven insights and AI where applicable, coupled with strong TCO and should-cost modeling skills. Experienced in intake shaping, requirements clarification, and drafting robust SOWs/SLAs, including risk mitigation.\nAnalytical & Data-Driven: Proficient in spend analysis, market research, data interpretation, and applying market approach decision frameworks. Advanced Excel skills and experience with procurement systems (e.g., Coupa, Icertis, Oracle); familiarity with spend analytics platforms (e.g., Sievo) and basic understanding of AI/ML concepts is a plus.\nExceptional Communication & Stakeholder Management: Superior interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to influence diverse audiences, drive consensus, manage high-stakes conversations, and build strong, collaborative internal stakeholder relationships.\nProject Management & Business Acumen: Solid project management skills, capable of managing multiple initiatives and meeting deadlines. Possesses strong business acumen, is proactive, results-oriented, and a strategic, innovative problem-solver.\nAdaptable & Resilient: A collaborative, ethical, and principle-driven professional with a passion for continuous learning and exploring new technologies like AI. Resilient, adaptable, and thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced, outcome-oriented environment.\nEDUCATION\nRequired\n Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field or relevant experience and/or education as determined by the company in lieu of bachelor's degree. \nPreferred\n Master's degree\nLICENSES or CERTIFICATIONS\nRequired\nNone \nPreferred\nCPSM or C.P.M.\n Language (Other than English):\nNone\nTravel Required:\nLess than 25%\nPHYSICAL, MENTAL DEMANDS and WORKING CONDITIONS\nPosition Type\nHybrid\nPhysical work site required\nFrequently\nDisclaimer: The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job. \nCompliance Requirement: This job adheres to the ethical and legal standards and behavioral expectations as set forth in the code of business conduct and company policies. \nAs a component of job responsibilities, employees may have access to covered information, cardholder data, or other confidential customer information that must be protected at all times. In connection with this, all employees must comply with both the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices and Privacy Policies and Procedures as well as all data security guidelines established within the Company’s Handbook of Privacy Policies and Practices and Information Security Policy. \nFurthermore, it is every employee’s responsibility to comply with the company’s Code of Business Conduct. This includes but is not limited to adherence to applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations as well as company policies and training requirements.\nHighmark Health and its affiliates prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on any category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.\nCalifornia Consumer Privacy Act Employees, Contractors, and Applicants Notice","description_format":"text","description_chars":9387,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":3,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[{"language":"English","level":"All levels","optional":true}]},"benefits":["Continuous learning","Health insurance"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Supply Chain","Hospitals & Health Systems","Health Insurance & Benefits"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-22T02:13:24Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 34","filings_12m":34,"filings_prev_12m":38,"green_card_filings_12m":0,"median_offered_wage_usd":132500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-29T16:27:21+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":32,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.706,"p_room":0.45,"age_days":29,"expected_fill_days":17,"reasons":["conf:0","velocity","win:tail","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-31T05:58:55Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/highmark-health-category-manager-procurement","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/highmark-health-category-manager-procurement.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-31T23:13:12Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":36247,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-01T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":20346},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=20346"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fhighmark-health-category-manager-procurement"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fhighmark-health-category-manager-procurement"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fhighmark-health-category-manager-procurement"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/highmark-health-category-manager-procurement\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fhighmark-health-category-manager-procurement"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3050321}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"highmarkhealth.org","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3050321},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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