Technology & Professional Services Category Manager

Onsite in Atlanta, GA or Dallas, TX

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced sourcing and category management professional to support Technology Professional Services and broader Professional Services categories. The initial focus will include technology consulting, systems integration, managed services, application development services, staff augmentation, outsourced delivery, and consulting engagements. Responsibilities include strategic sourcing, supplier management, MSA and SOW negotiations, rate card development and benchmarking, commercial deal structuring, and contract support.
This role requires a hands-on practitioner with meaningful Professional Services market expertise who can independently structure and advance complex services engagements, negotiate sophisticated commercial agreements, and partner credibly with business leaders. The individual will work closely with Technology and business stakeholders, Legal, Finance, and Procurement to deliver measurable value while meeting procurement policies, governance standards, and business objectives.
The assignment is expected to last 12 months. If future business needs, approved budget, and headcount support a regular full-time position, the experience and capabilities demonstrated during the assignment may be considered as part of a future selection process. This temporary assignment does not guarantee extension or conversion.

Key Responsibilities / Accountabilities

Strategic Sourcing and Commercial Negotiations

• Lead and support RFI, RFP, and RFQ activities, including requirements development, sourcing strategy, supplier coordination, proposal evaluation, negotiations, recommendations, and award documentation.
• Lead commercial negotiations for Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), amendments, rate cards, managed services agreements, and related Professional Services contracting vehicles.
• Structure and negotiate complex commercial models, including time-and-materials, fixed-fee, milestone-based, managed services, and outcome-based engagements.
• Review and strengthen scope, deliverables, acceptance criteria, pricing, service levels, performance measures, governance, change control, risk allocation, intellectual property considerations, and exit provisions.
• Develop, analyze, benchmark, and negotiate supplier rate cards, labor categories, discounts, pricing frameworks, and related commercial terms using market intelligence and supplier data.
• Coordinate with Legal on contract drafting, redlines, amendments, and execution while maintaining ownership of sourcing and commercial outcomes.
• Use competitive benchmarking, total cost analysis, market intelligence, and supplier data to support fact-based recommendations and favorable commercial outcomes.

Category and Supplier Management

• Support Technology Professional Services and Professional Services category strategies, opportunity pipelines, market assessments, and supplier segmentation.
• Serve as a knowledgeable advisor on supplier capabilities, delivery models, market trends, pricing dynamics, and industry best practices.
• Manage sourcing activities involving consulting firms, systems integrators, managed service providers, staff augmentation suppliers, and outsourced services providers.
• Support supplier governance, KPI and SLA tracking, business reviews, issue resolution, and continuous improvement actions.
• Oversee assigned SOW activities within Fieldglass or a comparable VMS, including compliant intake, approvals, documentation, and active management against scope and spend.
• Identify and track measurable value, including cost savings, cost avoidance, risk mitigation, cycle-time improvements, and supplier quality gains.

Stakeholder Partnership, Risk, and Execution

• Partner with Technology, Finance, Legal, HR, Procurement, and business stakeholders to understand needs and align sourcing strategies.
• Provide commercial guidance regarding supplier selection, negotiation strategies, contracting approaches, and risk mitigation.
• Communicate recommendations, market insights, supplier assessments, risks, options, and status updates clearly to stakeholders and leadership.
• Proactively identify sourcing, supplier, contractual, and operational risks and drive mitigation actions.
• Manage multiple concurrent initiatives with strong execution discipline, transparent follow-through, and timely communication.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, documentation standards, governance requirements, ethical sourcing expectations, and audit needs.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of sourcing processes, tools, templates, and ways of working.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Technology, or a related field.
• 7-10 years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management, procurement, or contracting, including significant direct experience supporting Technology Professional Services and/or Professional Services categories.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating and redlining MSAs, SOWs, amendments, rate cards, managed services agreements, and consulting services agreements across multiple commercial models.
• Experience sourcing and managing services provided by consulting firms, systems integrators, managed service providers, staff augmentation suppliers, and outsourced delivery organizations.
• Experience leading competitive sourcing events and developing clear supplier evaluations, commercial recommendations, and award documentation.
• Strong working knowledge of service agreement terms, rate cards, labor categories, benchmarks, deliverables, acceptance criteria, SLAs, KPIs, governance, change control, intellectual property considerations, and commercial risk protections.
• Demonstrated experience conducting supplier evaluations, commercial assessments, rate benchmarking, and competitive sourcing events.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and operate independently in a fast-paced, matrixed enterprise environment.
• Strong analytical, commercial, negotiation, written communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing the full SOW lifecycle within Fieldglass or a comparable Vendor Management System.
• Experience with contingent workforce management, Managed Service Provider models, and VMS governance.
• Experience with procurement, contract management, spend analytics, and reporting tools such as SAP Ariba, Coupa, Excel, Power BI, or Tableau.
• Experience in a large enterprise or regulated procurement environment.
• Master's degree or professional certification such as CPSM, CIPS, or equivalent.

Core Competencies

• Professional Services Market Expertise: Understands consulting, managed services, systems integration, staff augmentation, outsourced delivery, supplier capabilities, pricing structures, and market dynamics.
• Commercial Acumen and Negotiation: Structures agreements that balance cost, risk, flexibility, performance accountability, and business outcomes.
• Stakeholder Influence: Builds credibility quickly and drives alignment through expertise, judgment, and data-supported recommendations.
• Execution Discipline: Manages concurrent sourcing, contracting, and supplier initiatives from intake through implementation with rigor and follow-through.
• Analytical Mindset: Uses market intelligence, benchmarking data, spend analysis, and supplier insights to support decisions.
• Adaptability: Remains effective amid ambiguity, changing priorities, and evolving business needs.

Indicators of Success During the Assignment

• Quickly develops an understanding of the assigned Technology Professional Services and Professional Services portfolio, stakeholders, suppliers, active engagements, and sourcing pipeline.
• Independently advances sourcing initiatives and complex MSAs and SOWs with sound commercial judgment, clear risk identification, and dependable execution.
• Drives successful negotiations of MSAs, SOWs, managed services agreements, and supplier rate cards.
• Builds trusted stakeholder partnerships and provides practical, data-supported recommendations that improve sourcing outcomes.
• Delivers measurable value and improves the quality, consistency, and transparency of how assigned services are sourced and managed.