Category Manager

About the role

• Location: Integrated Services Center
• Worker Type: Regular
• Work Shift: Day Shift (United States of America)

Pay Range

The pay range for this position is listed below. Actual pay rate dependent upon experience.

$67,080.00 - $100,880.00

Position Highlights

Preferred candidates will have extensive operating room experience or a demonstrated track record supporting OR operations, products, surgical procedures, and clinical teams. Given the specialized and clinical nature of this category, this expertise is critical to ensuring the individual can successfully navigate the complexities of the role and serve as a trusted partner to physicians, clinical staff, and other stakeholders.

You Belong at Avera

Be part of a multidisciplinary team built with compassion and the goal of Moving Health Forward for you and our patients. Work where you matter.

A Brief Overview

The Category Manager is responsible for developing and executing category sourcing strategies, managing supplier relationships, and delivering value across assigned categories within the enterprise procurement model.

This role partners with clinical, operational, IT, and business stakeholders to define requirements, lead sourcing initiatives, and ensure alignment to organizational standards, contracts, and performance expectations. This role is responsible for executing procurement contracts end-to-end within defined contract standards and guardrails.

The Category Manager operates within a structured procurement model, owning category strategy and supplier outcomes while collaborating with Sourcing Agents for intake and Managers for oversight and escalation.

What you will do

• Develop and execute category sourcing strategies that drive standardization, cost optimization, quality outcomes, and supplier performance across assigned categories.
• Lead sourcing events and supplier negotiations, owning commercial strategy, pricing, and service level expectations, and executing procurement contracts within defined contract standards and guardrails.
• Partner with stakeholders to define clear requirements while guiding decision-making toward standardized, value-based solutions aligned with procurement strategies.
• Own supplier relationships and performance, driving accountability for service levels, quality outcomes, and continuous improvement across assigned categories.
• Ensure sourcing decisions align with approved contracts, suppliers, and enterprise standards, guiding stakeholders toward compliant solutions and enforcing adherence to preferred suppliers and contract requirements and ensures accurate documentation, metadata, and submission into the CLM system in accordance with enterprise standards.
• Partner with Sourcing Agents to support intake validation and request routing, ensuring alignment to existing contracts, standards, and defined procurement processes.
• Drive standardization, utilization, and category optimization efforts to reduce variation, improve contract compliance, and enhance overall value.
• Monitor and report on category performance including savings, contract utilization, supplier performance, and service outcomes to support data-driven decision making.
• Support continuous improvement of sourcing, category management, and procurement processes to improve efficiency, consistency, and compliance.
• Execute procurement contracts end-to-end using approved templates and defined contract standards, escalating non-standard terms, high-risk provisions, and regulatory or data-related considerations through established Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) governance processes.

Essential Qualifications

The individual must be able to work the hours specified. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily including having visual acuity adequate to perform position duties and the ability to communicate effectively with others, hear, understand and distinguish speech and other sounds. These requirements and those listed above are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the essential job functions.

Required Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience

• 4-6 years Experience in sourcing, procurement, contracting, or category management and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Education, License/Certification, or Work Experience

• Bachelor's in business, healthcare, supply chain, or related field
• Experience working with stakeholders, suppliers, and contracts.
• Demonstrated skill in negotiation, analytical, and communication skills.

Expectations and Standards

• Commitment to the daily application of Avera’s mission, vision, core values, and social principles to serve patients, their families, and our community.
• Promote Avera’s values of compassion, hospitality, and stewardship.
• Uphold Avera’s standards of Communication, Attitude, Responsiveness, and Engagement (CARE) with enthusiasm and sincerity.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Work effectively in a team environment, coordinating work flow with other team members and ensuring a productive and efficient environment.
• Comply with safety principles, laws, regulations, and standards associated with, but not limited to, CMS, The Joint Commission, DHHS, and OSHA if applicable.

Benefits You Need & Then Some

• Avera is proud to offer a wide range of benefits to qualifying part-time and full-time employees.
• We support you with opportunities to help live balanced, healthy lives.
• Benefits are designed to meet needs of today and into the future.

• PTO available day 1 for eligible hires.
• Up to 5% employer matching contribution for retirement
• Career development guided by hands-on training and mentorship