Category Sourcing Manager - Technology

Please note this position requires to be 4 days a week in our CT office.

At Disney, we‘re storytellers. We make the impossible, possible. We do this through using and developing groundbreaking technology and opening up the boundaries to bring stories to life through our movies, products, interactive games, parks and resorts, and media networks. Now is your chance to join our dedicated team that delivers unparalleled creative content to audiences around the world.

The Enterprise Sourcing (ES) team has been established to support the corporate and segment functions’ Sourcing & procurement requirements. In addition, the ES team is responsible for supporting the business Segments in developing and implementing Category Management strategies for Technology, Professional Services, and Supply Chain categories.

The Category Sourcing Manager role provides strategic sourcing oversight of technology categories across Disney Entertainment and ESPN. Through partnering with leaders and teams, this role formulates and tracks business priorities and requirements aligning with a broader category to generate value from supplier initiatives. They should maintain a good understanding and upstream involvement of capital plans and supplier opportunities. The successful hire will be responsible for handling a large number of technology suppliers, their contracts, and spending data, and being the lead sourcing person on projects.

What You Will Do

• Relies on experience and judgment to achieve goals and adopts market intelligence and trending tools to drive category strategy and vision
• Cultivates collaborator relationships by serving as a business partner, helping identify critical business needs, and providing sourcing services, both strategic and tactical, that exceed their expectations
• Supports cross-functional technology teams through full life-cycle sourcing projects including leading workshops, project planning & management, analysis & strategy, supplier evaluation & selection, negotiation, and ongoing supplier relationship management
• Leads Requests for Proposals (RFPs) supporting stakeholders’ requirements to identify the best supplier options for software, cloud platforms, and technology services
• Aligns category resources globally to support collaborator requirements across geographies and leverage consolidation of vendors and technology standardization
• Builds and delivers compelling quantitative analyses, defines gaps and areas for improvement, and solution-focused presentations that influence key decision-makers
• Champions a collaborative environment among stakeholders and with other supporting teams (e.g., Legal, Finance, Segment-specific Sourcing teams, etc.), enabling category roadmaps
• Mentors less-experienced staff and drive internal capability development to improve project synergies and supplier contracts rolling up into the categories

Required Qualifications & Skills

• At least 5+ years of dynamic experience in Sourcing & Procurement
• At least 3+ years developing and implementing category plans and sourcing for technology
• Sophisticated negotiation skills and understanding of technology deal terms
• Executive presence, presentation, and engagement
• Technology Category Sourcing knowledge and experience in sub-categories such as application development, content engineering, and software platforms
• Able to demonstrate a solid understanding of Category Management framework (analysis, strategy, implementation, measurement) and proven experience in crafting category strategies
• Demonstrate the ability to exceed the demands of various internal collaborators across multiple business units and regions
• Proven track record of working strategically and developing strong cases for change
• Ability to perform detailed quantitative analysis in MS Excel
• Strong project management experience
• Outstanding communication skills
• Customer service orientation and client-centered focus

Preferred Qualifications

• Internal/external business consulting experience desired
• Experience in Media, Entertainment or FMCG Multinational Companies
• Willingness to travel (position may require up to 10% travel)
• Experience in Sourcing in a Media & Entertainment environment
• Knowledge of Technology services categories in international markets

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent field or experience

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