You are a driven and motivated problem solver ready to pursue meaningful work. You strive to make an impact every day & not only at work, but in your personal life and community too. If that sounds like you, then you've landed in the right place.

The Hartford is a strong company with a powerful brand and a bright future. The Strategic Sourcing & Real Estate (SSRE) department plays a critical role in The Hartford's future by operating as a trusted business advisor with deep expertise that advances The Hartford's business objectives and delivers exceptional customer experiences. SSRE is structured with three category management teams, Professional and Corporate Services, Technology & Outsourcing and Claims, complemented by sourcing delivery teams. We operate as advisors with our customers to positively impact business strategy, while optimizing the way we use third parties to meet enterprise and business unit objectives comprehensively.

OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE:

The Associate Director, Category Management is responsible and accountable for developing, managing and executing the category and sourcing strategy for the IT Professional Services Sourcing category of spend, managing annual spend of up to $100M. This role works closely IT leaders, requires knowledge and experience of IT Outsourcing relationships, and experience in executing on enterprise-wide sourcing strategies. This role will report to the AVP, Category Lead for Outsourcing within the Technology Category Management Team.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Update/build out the category strategy for a subset of spend within the IT Outsourcing category. This requires:
  
  • Understanding the current vendor landscape and how it fits within the broader vendor strategy, and mapping of current state spend with vendor profiles
  • Knowledge and understanding of the supplier landscape/industry and trends
  • Working with key business stakeholders and forming relationships, to collaborate on opportunities
  • Developing levers/negotiation strategies for spend reduction, spend optimization and service delivery
  • Proactively identifying opportunities for cost optimization and socialization of these with business stakeholders
  • Defining short to medium term roadmap for the category
• Responsible for leading all sourcing events for their spend category, working with the business on crafting RFI's/RPF's
• Advise The Hartford stakeholders on supplier options, deal structuring and other deal aspects, including deal term, selection criteria and supplier KPIs
• Analyze supplier proposals and present analysis to stakeholders, highlighting key differentiators between suppliers, including pricing and legal terms
• Lead negotiations with major vendors, negotiate on key terms, and work with various internal stakeholders from legal, information protection, business resiliency, etc. to draft and execute contracts
• Proactive and regular engagement with contract owners / Line of Business leads to review business needs, expiring contracts, and explore renewal options for cost and service opportunities
• Strong ability to execute against the set standards and follow policies, best practices, and process to ensure compliance
• Manage strategic supplier relationships within their category of spend
• Utilize Procurement technology to facilitate the end-to-end Procurement Lifecycle

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in strategic sourcing; demonstrated experience in sourcing, contracting and category management of IT Professional services and IT Managed services spend categories
• Experience with interacting and managing relationships with senior leaders within IT and Business
• Experience with performing the end-to-end sourcing, contracting, and vendor management functions
• Experience working/negotiating with global sourcing vendors, and ability to form and manage relationships with strategic vendors
• Strong understanding of industry landscape, commercial models, pricing/rate card levels and best practices, especially in the IT and Consulting categories
• Must have in depth analytical and negotiation skills. Ability to organize and summarize data sets for comparative analysis
• Ability to interact effectively with various internal stakeholders such as Architecture, Legal, Risk, Compliance etc.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point is a must. Coupa skills are a plus
• Bachelor's degree preferred along with relevant experience. Advanced degree (JD, Master's degree in procurement/supply chain, business, engineering, or related field) or equivalent experience a plus

Compensation

The listed annualized base pay range is primarily based on analysis of similar positions in the external market. Actual base pay could vary and may be above or below the listed range based on factors including but not limited to performance, proficiency and demonstration of competencies required for the role. The base pay is just one component of The Hartford's total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include short-term or annual bonuses, long-term incentives, and on-the-spot recognition. The annualized base pay range for this role is:

$89,600 - $134,400

Benefits

Our company's success is due to our employees' dedication and passion for their work. They are our greatest asset. That's why we are committed to offering employees and their families a comprehensive benefits package and award-winning well-being programs. By helping our employees achieve their full potential, we unlock our own. Visit https://www.thehartford.com/careers/benefits for details.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Females/Minorities/Veterans/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity or Expression/Religion/Age

AD Category Mgmt - FP07BE