Sr. Procurement and Category Manager - Total Rewards and Benefits

The Senior Category Manager will own end-to-end category strategy, sourcing, and supplier management for HR Total Rewards and Payroll spend, including benefits administration, retirement/401(k) recordkeeping, payroll processing platforms, compensation survey/benchmarking services, leave management, wellness programs, and related HR technology and consulting services. This role partners closely with HR, Total Rewards, Payroll Operations, Finance, and Office of the General Counsel to align category strategy with business objectives, manage supplier risk, and deliver measurable value. The position is fully remote within the USA and requires working an east coast schedule.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute multi-year category strategies for HR Total Rewards and Payroll spend, informed by market intelligence, spend analysis, and stakeholder priorities
• Lead complex sourcing events (RFI/RFP/RFQ) for benefits carriers, payroll processing/HRIS platforms, and related services
• Negotiate contracts, pricing, and SLAs with major providers (e.g., benefits administration platforms, payroll processors, compensation survey vendors)
• Manage supplier relationships and performance through structured QBRs, scorecards, and SLA governance
• Identify and deliver cost savings, cost avoidance, and process efficiencies; track and report against savings targets
• Partner with HR/Total Rewards and Payroll leadership as primary procurement business partner — embed early in planning cycles and technology roadmaps
• Assess and mitigate supplier risk (financial, operational, data security/privacy given sensitivity of payroll/benefits data, compliance with ERISA, ACA, state payroll regulations, etc.)
• Manage contract lifecycle including renewals, amendments, and terminations
• Mentor or provide guidance to junior category managers/analysts as needed

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Management, HR, or related field (MBA a plus)
• 10 years of progressive procurement/category management experience, with direct experience sourcing HR/HCM, benefits, payroll, or related professional services categories
• Demonstrated experience negotiating large, complex service contracts
• Strong understanding of HR Total Rewards and Payroll vendor landscape (Workday, Alight, benefits carriers)
• Familiarity with data privacy and compliance considerations specific to HR/payroll data
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills
• Strong problem-solving, collaboration and influence skills
• Strong analytical skills, spend analysis, TCO modeling, business case development
• Adept negotiation skills in pay for performance and shared risk allocation in agreements
• Ability to lead cross-functional business meetings, develop and deliver clear presentations and communicate with stakeholders
• Solid business acumen coupled with understanding of business structures, processes, and information flow in an organization with multiple lines of business
• Appearance on video is required by Microsoft Teams and similar means on a daily and frequent basis for meetings
• A professional workspace is required to be maintained in the work-from-home setting
• Qualified candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. The American Red Cross does not sponsor employment visas.

Skills

• Procurement Management
• Category Management
• HR Total Rewards
• Payroll Vendor Management
• Supplier Contract Negotiation
• Data Protection Compliance
• Stakeholder Management
• Executive Communications
• Spend Analysis
• Total Cost of Ownership Modeling
• Business Case Development
• Negotiation Skills
• Cross-functional Leadership
• Presentation Development
• Business Acumen
• Vendor Risk Management
• Benefits Administration
• Payroll Processing Platforms
• Compensation Benchmarking
• HR Technology Solutions

Languages

English