Category Manager- Professional Services Support

In This Position...

The Professional Services Category Manager will be a self-motivated member of a team consisting of other Professional Services Category Managers overseeing a diverse portfolio of services spend for Ford Motor Company. This team supports commodities such as professional services, contingent labor, training, audit services, document management services, management consulting, etc. Category managers are responsible for establishing and executing the procurement strategy within their category across the global organization. 

This role involves managing supplier relationships, negotiating contracts, identifying cost-saving opportunities, ensuring compliance with procurement policies, and collaborating closely with various internal departments to meet their needs. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with strong negotiation skills, a deep understanding of indirect spend categories, and proven experience in managing procurement processes. 

What You'Ll Do…

• Develop, implement, and manage comprehensive sourcing strategies for Ford’s professional services category across all Ford Business Units.
• Achieve significant value creation, cost savings (including redundancy reduction/tail spend control), and favorable terms, with the ability to report out on key performance indicators to senior leadership.
• Cultivate strong collaborative relationships with internal business partners to understand requirements and ensure alignment.
• Build and maintain robust relationships with key suppliers, managing performance against KPIs, conducting business reviews, and driving continuous improvement.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of buyers and oversee global coordination with global purchasing partners.
• Provide guidance, set clear performance objectives, manage workload distribution, and foster a collaborative, engaging, and high-performing team environment.

You'Ll Have…

• Bachelor’s Degree or a combination of education and work experience within a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Contingent Labor, Professional Services, Supply Chain Management, Commodity Management, or Program Management, preferably within the automotive industry.
• Strong foundational knowledge of different labor and services categories including contingent labor, IT services, Engineering Services, and other misc. professional services.
• Proven results in optimizing spend through robust contracting and supplier performance management. 
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate across all levels of the organization, translating detailed information into clear, concise executive summaries.
• Above average analytical skills with the ability to develop and interpret complex data and subsequently present insights clearly to various audiences.
• Experience leading and successfully executing complex strategic sourcing initiatives and negotiations.
• Highly adaptable and resourceful, with a proven ability to manage changing priorities and thrive in ambiguous environments.

Even better, you may have...

• Master’s degree in business administration or a related field is preferred. 
• 3-5 years of experience in Supply Chain, Program Management/ Commodity Management roles, particularly within the automotive industry.
• Extensive understanding of the full spectrum of Contingent Labor and Professional Services offerings commonly found in Indirect Supply Chain.
• Strong competency and demonstrated experience with complex sourcing processes and procurement systems (S2C, P2P, VMS, or relevant I-ERP/procurement platforms).
• Product management experience either within a Procurement Operations, or a Product-specific role overseeing a VMS, P2P, or other Procurement platform You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
• For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSRSP1
• This position is a range of salary grades 6-8. 
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. 

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid   #Li-LB1