Microsoft Sourcing Category Manager 

United States, Georgia, Atlanta 

108200796

Within CO+I, the Strategic Category Management Supply Chain team is responsible for establishing a supply chain that can meet the ever-growing Microsoft Cloud for our customers. We support a portfolio of complex, multi-disciplinary, multi-billion, multi-year datacenter construction and lease projects and operations of those assets. We are looking to fill a critical role of Global Category Manager.

• This role is located either in one or all hub locations - Atlanta, GA, Redmond, WA, San Antonio, TX or Phoenix, AZ.
• Relocation support will be provided, and successful candidates must ​relocate or reside within 50 miles of the hub office location.
• This role is eligible for hybrid or remote work, up to 100%

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND 6+ years experience (including internships) in Data Science/Analytics, Finance, Project Management, Supply Chain, and/or Operations
  • OR Master's Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND 5+ years experience in Data Science/Analytics, Finance, Project Management, Supply Chain, and/or Operations
  • OR equivalent experience.

Other Requirements:

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role.These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:

• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND 8+ years experience in Data Science/Analytics, Finance, Project Management, Supply Chain, and/or Operations
  • OR Master's Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Supply Chain, Data Analytics, Business, Finance or related field AND 7+ years experience in Data Science/Analytics, Finance, Project Management, Supply Chain, and/or Operations
  • OR equivalent experience.

• Category Vision and Strategy: Manages the development and execution of multi-year sourcing strategies based on business intelligence, Microsoft policies, and Microsoft-wide cross-functional buy-in from stakeholders.
• Strategic Sourcing Alignment: Maintains strategic alignment with sourcing execution, Construction, Engineering, Cost, Legal, Risk, Finance, Safety, and other teams to continuously re-evaluate and improve Microsoft procurement. Collaborates with senior Procurement stakeholders to ensure awareness of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and/or defined milestones and deliverables, and to drive timeliness, accuracy, quality, and consistency across supply chain requests. Serves as subject matter expert on the SLA, milestones, and/or deliverables, and manages any escalations related to policy non-compliance. Leverages data to anticipate and mitigate risk and negative business impacts by ensuring compliance with agreed-upon terms, communicating delay potential to stakeholders, and driving the execution of contingency plans cross-functionally and/or cross-regionally as needed.
• Negotiation Strategy: Develops and leads pricing and negotiation strategies for several complex purchasing categories, ensures that strategies clearly articulate tradeoffs, roles, and responsibilities across parties, and gains C-suite support for strategies both internally and externally. Anticipates negotiation setbacks, proactively drives action to mitigate contract disagreements, and coaches others on negotiation best practices across internal sourcing teams.
• Supplier Selection: Oversees supplier selection and performance management through applying subject matter expertise in procurement processes and policies, and market intelligence to develop, and influence channel strategies cross-functionally and/or cross-regionally that reduce costs, mitigate risks, and enable scalable execution with consistency, accuracy, quality, and timeliness of delivery.
• Contracting: Creates, maintains, and executes on multi-year sourcing strategy for several complex, projects and/or purchasing opportunities, optimizing costs, ensuring continuity of supply and/or services, and driving benchmarking and alignment across Microsoft. Understands industry contracting norms and Microsoft contracting requirements. Successfully facilitates negotiation of final contracts that achieve business goals. Provides strategic oversight for improving existing, or establishing new, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and/or defined milestones and deliverables, holds accountability and ownership of SLAs, and ensures compliance is cascaded down to the business. Ensures adherence to policy, educates stakeholders and suppliers on policy compliance, and drives the remediation and resolution of sourcing issues. Influences current and future policy direction as needed to mitigate risks across business units and enable suppliers to meet business requirements.
• Supplier Engagement: Proactively segments suppliers and utilizes engagement programs to improve performance and achieve business goals. Manages supplier activity and progress across multiple accounts and complex purchasing categories, developing and executing supplier account plans detailing mutual priorities and focus for the supplier relationship for the upcoming period. Trains external stakeholders during onboarding, and identifies engagement programs to improve supplier performance to achieve business goals.
• Continuous Improvement: always be seeking ways to streamline, automate, and simplify processes. This will include deployment of tools, proficiency in data analytics, and ability to work with Information Technology (IT) groups to provide system requirements.
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