JOB FUNCTION / SUMMARY: Category Managers will be a central point between their assigned line of business, third party relationships, and other partners including risk, legal, and technology to develop category strategies for third party cost takeout, optimizing new investments, and managing third party risk. This role will have expertise in either banking products and services, IT or professional services and will play a critical role in optimizing spend, performance, and efficiencies that help improve the customer experience through the bank's product offerings.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work with business unit executive leadership to jointly develop category strategies that lead to cost reduction and optimized third party investments
• Identify alternative third party vendors for consideration to aid in pricing, performance and effective third party risk management
• Negotiate third party contracts on behalf of HWC; lead complex high dollar / vendor risk negotiations while monitoring and delivering on savings targets for annual cost reduction improvements
• Build and drive a strategic partner management (supplier relationship management) framework for the most critical suppliers
• Establish category management capabilities and develop a deep understanding of the HWC vendor landscape; understanding new product technology and innovations and working with vendors and line to implement
• Track and report category metrics associated with strategic sourcing and savings on an enterprise level to management
• Manage complex vendor relationships including score carding performance; experience with category governance and the oversight of complex and critical vendor relationships
• Develop effective working relationships with key decision makers, influencers, business units, and subject matter experts; role will interact with senior executives at both HWC and supplier partners and regulators from time to time depending on Procurement category expertise
• Communicate guidance received from Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) to category teams and throughout the enterprise
• Manage the performance of category teams including: defining goals, setting priorities, tracking performance, and staffing administration and coaching;
• Monitor significant developments among vendors including: performance, financial results, management turnover, M&A activity, and product line strategies
• Network externally with other strategic Procurement professionals and vendor partners; make recommendations for the continuous improvement of these areas based on leading practices and benchmarking; facilitate competitive intelligence including best practices, emerging/potential sourcing of competitive advantage, market pricing etc.
• Lead a team that helps to operationalize a centralized procurement function at HWC; guide teams that help business partners navigate the third party management landscape from business case creation, to risk validation, to contracting, and ultimately contract signature and ongoing vendor management.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Responsible for the overall direction, coordination and evaluation of a team of associates, carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws; Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training associates; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding associates and enforcing policy and procedure; addressing complaints and resolving problems.