EY Category Management Leader 

United States, New Jersey 

725673791

The Category Management Leader (Associate Director) will be at the forefront in working with our internal and external clients, to understand data needs and support strategic and cost-effective sourcing of that data.

Your key responsibilities

The Category Management leader (Associate Director) will be responsible for:

• framing the overall strategy and approach for sourcing external data based on stakeholders’ input and EY’s strategy and priorities
• providing oversight on the execution of the enterprise content acquisition approach for external content
• sourcing relevant content from the marketplace
• managing third-party data providers
• monitoring and ensuring practice take-up, impact and value of data sourced

Skills and attributes for success

• Responsible for the data sourcing planning and execution for supplying external content that benefits the full enterprise (cross firm). Provides insights to EY's service lines, sectors, and geographic areas on specialized and local external content needs.
• Determine content needs of global business units by liaising with key stakeholders, soliciting inputs and needs to help source and buy relevant content; and conducting proper evaluations of content vendors to determine and recommend suitable content sources.
• Oversee the business case development process, vendor evaluation and selection, management of request for proposals (RFPs), funding approvals, contract negotiation and invoice coordination,
• Coordinate deployment, develop catalog plans, and design and monitor usage / value measures that realize desired return of investment.
• Establish external content sourcing plans, determine priorities, manage the processes needed to achieve the required objectives, proactively offer a variety of relevant considerations, and drive effective implementation to achieve the desired end result
• Oversee and manage the operating model/structure to support the business' enterprise content priorities. This includes staffing, organizing and motivating a team of professionals, assigning work and managing people processes (performance management, recruiting, coaching and mentoring).
• Ability to build an in-depth knowledge of EY's business strategy and of the critical issues and drivers of the domains supported. Work with key stakeholders on funding strategies where needed.
• Partner with other EY business units involved in content acquisition process (e.g., Procurement, Finance, etc.) and work collaboratively to optimize value and cost to the firm.
• Keep apprised of vendor roadmaps and pricing approaches to enable appropriate planning, and to minimize potential surprises.
• Work across service lines, sectors, and geographies to develop and drive common external sourcing strategies, consistency of content acquisition process, and cohesive use of common tools, where appropriate
• Fiduciary responsibility for operating budgets, including the development of annual budgets and plans, and management of expenditures in compliance with approved funding
• Understand and communicate the value of the Data Sourcing strategy and its strategic relevance to firm leaders
• Proactively provide perspectives on the external data marketplace to Data Office and firm leadership and key stakeholders to help drive understand of key impacts with vendors, cost, use, and innovative new approaches. Assist Service Line, Sector, and Area Knowledge Leaders in explaining to stakeholders any changes (cost, content, vendor changes, etc.) relevant to that domain.
• Collaborates and shares best practices across Knowledge Services and serves as a role model for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Sets priorities and determines strategies based on the business units' goals and objectives
• Understands the business vision and identifies relevant external content options
• Conducts ongoing analysis and evaluations of ROI to determine effectiveness of external content; proactively identifies recommendations and opportunities
• Understands the firm's go-to-market strategy and service delivery models, how core business services support the service lines, and how the Data Office contributes to the firm's strategies.
• Understands the firm's strategy and ensures key external content sourcing strategies are aligned to it.
• Serves as the authority in the firm with respect to vendor selection of content sources
  

To qualify for the role you must have

• Bachelor’s degree or 12+ years of relevant work experience
• Exceptional consulting experience – with strong communication and analytical skills
• Working knowledge in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and in addition knowledge of analytical tools such as Power BI will be helpful
• Ability to quickly analyze issues, develop solutions and effectively communicate recommendations
• Previous knowledge and strong understanding of the complexities and pressures of data sourcing marketplace (vendor, open data sources, aggregators)
• Strong executive presence, relationship and project management, team development, strategic planning and budgeting skills
• Ability to quickly analyze issues, develop solutions and effectively communicate recommendations
• Ability to effectively participate in workshops to gather requirements and gain consensus
• Strong analytical skills, good knowledge of data pipelines, data models, data processes and strong team leadership
• Deep knowledge of the latest data tools and technologies, including cloud capabilities.
• Ability to constructively challenge requirements and current state to increase overall value to the firm
• Ability to abstract real world scenarios into easy to understand models
• Ability to balance what is “right” with what is “realistic”
• Flexibility to adjust and make decisions in situations with multiple demands, shifting priorities, ambiguity and rapid change
• Ability to translate business and functional needs into data requirements, and estimate their impact across the data lifecycle
• Excellent sense of operational efficiency, judgment and tact
• Ability to work and team with a multitude of different people - including business customers, Functional managers, IT project managers and IT engineers - to balance demands
  

Ideally, you’ll also have

• Possesses strong understanding of the firm’s business, organizational structure and operations and leverages it to effectively identify opportunities to support the firm’s strategy and key initiatives.
• A customer-focused mindset
• Demonstrated strategic leadership capabilities, managing globally dispersed, virtual teams and global programs
• Ability to direct a team and create an environment which supports generating and sharing creative ideas and solutions
• Understanding of and desire to strive for technical excellence
• A demonstrated commercial acumen using commercial language that presents knowledge activities in the context of business objectives
• Ability to assert ideas and influence others to gain support and commitment
• A self-starter attitude, with the ability to strategically and consider a broad range of factors when solving/prioritizing issues and making decisions
• Strong project management, time management and organizational skills. Ability to coordinate multiple projects and initiatives at one time
• Ability to identify, influence and leverage internal subject matter resources
• Experience in successfully supporting large complex projects
• Strong relationship and project management skills
• Strong execution discipline
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including ability to display a range of communication approaches for diverse community needs skills and to talk about programs in a clear, compelling manner with professional/executive presence
  

What we look for

As a Category Management Leader, you should have the ability to constructively challenge requirements and current state to increase overall value to the firm. Be able to analyze complex situations and derive workable actions and have experience of being able to engage with a multi-cultural, multi-disciplined, globally dispersed team, have strong relationship building skills. Have the ability to understand and integrate cultural differences and motives, lead virtual cross-cultural/cross-border teams, flexibility to adjust to multiple demands, shifting priorities, ambiguity and rapid change. Provide formal and informal coaching on-the-job to grow team members to their full potential.

Along with the above mentioned niche skills, you should possess supervisory attributes which are critical in reviewing performance, deliverables, work/responsibility assignment etc.

What we offer

As part of this role, you'll work in a highly integrated, global team with the opportunity and tools to grow, develop and drive your career forward. Here, you can combine global opportunity with flexible working. The EY benefits package goes above and beyond too, focusing on your physical, emotional, financial and social well-being. Your recruiter can talk to you about the benefits available in your country. Here’s a snapshot of what we offer:

• Continuous learning: You’ll develop the mindset and skills to navigate whatever comes next.
• Success as defined by you: We’ll provide the tools and flexibility, so you can make a meaningful impact, your way.
• Transformative leadership: We’ll give you the insights, coaching and confidence to be the leader the world needs.
• Diverse and inclusive culture: You’ll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.

• Continuous learning: You’ll develop the mindset and skills to navigate whatever comes next.
• Success as defined by you: We’ll provide the tools and flexibility, so you can make a meaningful impact, your way.
• Transformative leadership: We’ll give you the insights, coaching and confidence to be the leader the world needs.
• Diverse and inclusive culture: You’ll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.