Head of Category Management

Head of Category Management

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or related field
• 15+ years of Direct Sourcing, Procurement, or related experience.
• 7+ years of experience in managing a team.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for all sub-categories within IT and Non-IT ensuring alignment with the broader business goals and objectives of Ryan Specialty.
• Competitively source through engagement of strategic suppliers (i.e., RFx) and application of industry knowledge.
• Guide and mentor a high-performing sourcing team, setting clear goals, providing development opportunities, and fostering a culture of excellence.
• Collaborate with key internal stakeholders to understand business needs and create tailored sourcing strategies that deliver value across the firm.
• Lead the development and execution of strategic category plans, identifying opportunities for cost savings, risk mitigation, and process optimization within the sub-categories.
• Accountable for driving annual savings within the sourcing function.
• Support negotiations to ensure favorable contract terms that meet business requirements and assist with the execution of complex agreements and SLAs.
• Contribute to sourcing initiatives that drive innovation, cost savings, and operational efficiency in line with the firm’s broader business strategies.
• Partner with these teams to ensure sourcing strategies and supplier relationships align with the firm’s compliance requirements and risk management frameworks.
• Support continuous improvement efforts, evaluating sourcing processes, performance metrics, and benchmarks to optimize sourcing outcomes.
• Assist in identifying training needs and growth opportunities within the team, ensuring the development of future sourcing leaders and building a best-in-class function.
• Management of the Procurement Department to include supervision of product and budgets; contracts; options; and scope of work coordination with the Procurement Team.
• Establishes Best Practices and makes recommendations to achieve excellence in Procurement.
• Establish standard processes, policies, controls, governance, and performance management which aligns with PL’s objective to boost customer service to internal partners/key stakeholder in the organization.
• Lead a high-performance culture and ensure proper implementation of leading-edge procurement /vendor management capabilities.
• Maintain acquisition due diligence.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) or Certified Procurement Professional (CPP) or Certified Professional in Supply Management (PSM) is a plus.