Category Manager

Microsoft Microsoft · Big Tech · Chandler, AZ +4 · Sourcing and Category Management

Microsoft is seeking a Category Manager for its Cloud Operations + Innovation (CO+I) procurement team, specifically for data center operations supply chain. The role involves defining and executing sourcing strategies, managing supplier scorecards, negotiating contracts, and ensuring compliance within critical equipment maintenance and services categories. The position requires experience in supply chain, data analytics, finance, or project management, with a strong commercial understanding and contract negotiation skills.

What you'd actually do

  1. You’ll define and execute a sourcing strategy for one or more complex purchasing categories within datacenter critical environment equipment maintenance and services to ensure optimal costs and a sufficient continuity of supplies. You’ll also share industry and category expertise across stakeholder teams to develop and execute sourcing strategies.
  2. While integrating business specifications into sourcing events, you’ll define and manage supplier scorecard criteria, coordinate performance reviews, and drive corrective actions. You’ll also manage contract and pricing negotiations for a single purchasing category.
  3. You’ll influence senior managers, adopt practices, and apply market intelligence to enable quality execution, while educating stakeholders to ensure compliance, adapting policy as needed to mitigate risk. You’ll also drive consistency, timeliness, and quality of deliverables, ensuring stakeholders are aware of Service Level Agreements.
  4. You’ll process or support stakeholder procurement requests for CE equipment maintenance and services via engagement. You’ll also execute contracts and comply with established control processes, identifying roadblocks and taking action to resolve them as needed.
  5. You’ll develop pricing and negotiation strategies, gaining senior executive support and mitigating contract disagreements. You’ll also drive early business engagements for complex business areas and collaborate with suppliers and leads on onboarding processes.

Skills

Required

  • Master's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND 3+ years experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operation OR Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance OR related field AND 4+ years experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operations OR equivalent experience

Nice to have

  • Master's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND 3+ years experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operation OR Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance OR related field AND 4+ years experience in data science/analytics, finance, project management, supply chain, and/or operations OR equivalent experience
  • Strong commercial understanding and experience driving and developing contracts on key categories (General Contractors, Mechanical & Electrical Equipment, Power Generation, Construction Services, Operations Services).
  • Experience of collaborating with key stakeholders to jointly develop and implement category strategies to drive efficiencies, improve performance delivery and reduce costs.
  • Experience of developing and enhancing supplier relationships.
  • Data driven mindset to support continuous improvement and accurate reporting.
  • Growth mindset to explore new technologies, new ways of working and new contracting methods.
  • Knowledge of data center industry and experience managing a variety of project delivery methods - ability to lead a project team in defining risk and developing the appropriate contracting and compensation approach.
  • Technical ability to write contracts, ability to set up sourcing plans and negotiation strategies and execute them.
  • Excellent communicator that can interact with diverse groups across organizational levels.
  • Familiarity with common process improvement methodologies (Lean, Six-Sigma, etc.) and ability to facilitate change management.
  • Ability to implement new processes and get buy in from a cross functional team.
  • Category Management experience in one or more key categories including General Contractors, Mechanical & Electrical Equipment, Construction Services, Operations Services.
  • Skilled project management experience plus exceptional communication and influencing skills
  • Experience with Global and regional planning and development

What the JD emphasized

  • critical role
  • critical environment equipment maintenance and services
  • supplier scorecard criteria
  • contract and pricing negotiations
  • mitigate risk
  • critical environment equipment maintenance and services