Senior Category Manager - Indirect Categories (Remote)

Job Title:

Senior Category Manager - Indirect Categories (Remote)

Requisition ID:

R027824

Job Description:

Job Title:  Senior Category Manager - Indirect Categories (Remote)

Reporting To: Director, Procurement

Location:  Remote or Redmond, Washington

Position Summary

Join a Global Procurement organization supporting a fast-paced entertainment and technology business. The Senior Category Manager – Indirect Categories will own global category strategies, complex sourcing initiatives, supplier negotiations, and ongoing supplier management across a diverse portfolio of indirect and technology spend.

You'll drive cost optimization, risk mitigation, and procurement transformation while partnering with senior stakeholders across Marketing, Technology, HR, Finance, Legal, Facilities, and Security. This role calls for strong commercial acumen, analytical depth, and the executive presence to influence decisions across a complex global organization.

Category Scope

Required / Strong Category Experience

• Advertising & Marketing, including Performance Marketing, Media Buying, and Events.

• Technology, including Infrastructure, Hardware, Software, SaaS, and Security.

• Benefits.

Preferred / Nice-to-Have Category Experience

• Facilities Management, including Physical Security and Safety.

• Outsourced Development (ODF).

• Localization.

• Quality Assurance (QA).

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute short- and long-term category strategies, partnering with stakeholders to understand business objectives, demand, risk considerations, and future needs.

• Lead end-to-end strategic sourcing: supplier evaluations, RFx processes, selection, and executive sourcing recommendations.

• Negotiate commercial, financial, and contractual terms that maximize value while mitigating business, operational, legal, privacy, and security risks, working closely with Legal, Security, Privacy, Finance, HR, Tax, and Risk Management.

• Build financial models and perform quantitative analysis of supplier cost structures, market trends, benchmarking, and total cost of ownership to shape negotiation strategies and identify savings opportunities.

• Drive supplier consolidation, demand management, contract standardization, preferred supplier programs, and governance frameworks.

• Manage supplier relationships through performance scorecards, business reviews, governance meetings, and escalation management.

• Deliver executive-ready presentations, business cases, category roadmaps, and sourcing recommendations to senior leadership.

• Leverage Microsoft Copilot, AI-enabled tools, and analytics to improve procurement productivity, spend visibility, and reporting.

Requirements

• 7+ years of strategic sourcing, procurement, or category management experience in large, complex organizations.

• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-scale sourcing across Advertising & Marketing, Technology, and Benefits categories.

• Proven success negotiating complex commercial agreements spanning agency, technology services, software, infrastructure, hardware, and SaaS environments.

• Track record of delivering measurable savings, cost avoidance, process improvement, and risk mitigation outcomes.

• Exceptional stakeholder management and the ability to influence at all organizational levels.

• Strong financial, analytical, and quantitative modeling skills, with advanced Excel proficiency (complex formulas, data modeling, pivot tables, executive reporting, and dashboards).

• Proficiency with Microsoft Copilot and AI-enabled tools to synthesize information, analyze supplier and spend data, and streamline procurement workflows.

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with high attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or advanced business degree.

• CPSM, CIPS, ISM, APICS, PMP, or similar certification.

• Experience with Oracle iProc or similar Source-to-Pay platforms, and ServiceNow or intake/workflow management.

• Experience supporting entertainment, media, technology, or global consumer-facing businesses.

• Category experience in Facilities Management, Physical Security/Safety, Outsourced Development (ODF), Localization, or QA.

• Experience supporting procurement transformation, supplier consolidation, and operating model standardization.

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.

Ready to Activate Your Future?

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!  Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company.  You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $119,280.00 - $220,700.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.