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Job Summary

The Lead - Category Management role is responsible for developing and implementing fact-based, comprehensive, and well-communicated strategies that deliver superior financial returns and competitive advantages. This role ensures the strategy is dynamic and responsive to market, customer, supplier, and company needs. They oversee supplier relationships, selection, development, and management, partnering with internal stakeholders to align business objectives. They lead strategic sourcing activities across high value diverse spend categories to drive cost reduction, maximize value, and minimize third-party risks. Acts independently to develop methods and procedures on new or special assignments.

Essential Job Functions

• Drive strategic sourcing strategy, market analysis, RFX development and complex negotiations. Lead business requirement development and drive stakeholders’ interactions to ensure understanding of product or service. Provide sourcing analysis and recommendations to senior leaders. Monitor supplier lifecycle performance. - (25%)
• Leads development and implementation of category strategies aligned with business requirements and cost reduction objectives. Leads analysis of spend data, benchmarks and other key metrics to identify savings and maximize value. Drives multiyear category roadmap with stakeholders and senior leaders. Must have experience managing multiple and diverse categories. - (20%)
• Ability to interact with stakeholders and supplier personnel at all levels in the organization, to influence the direction of the business, and align and engage resources outside area of responsibility. Drive processes to monitor performance and ensure continuous improvement with suppliers. Must demonstrate leadership and commitment to ensure the continued strengthening of partnerships. - (15%)
• Expertise in contract lifecycle management. Review, negotiate and manage commercial issues relating to contracts, payments and supplier non-performance. Provide guidance to stakeholders on commercial contract issues and proactively drive lifecycle management to drive value and mitigate risk. Advise internal constituents on the full contract lifecycle management process and best practices. - (10%)
• Lead, develop, and implement new strategic sourcing processes and policies to drive continuous improvement and team growth. Streamline RFX and category management processes. Proactively champion consistent processes across the teams and drive change management to ensure adoption. Lead and foster cross-functional communication. - (10%)
• Acts as a mentor and coach to team members. Leads by example. - (5%)
• Lead development and implementation of strategies and processes to track and monitor progress across the teams' initiatives and special projects to ensure targeted value is achieved. Create and present strategic documents to leadership, outlining the progress and impact of initiatives. - (5%)
• Initiate, lead, plan, execute, monitor and drive projects to closure, escalating issues at appropriate times to ensure resolution among stakeholders and/or suppliers. Develop strong relationships with the project team. Identify risk, measure the impact, and communicate proactively for risk mitigation to ensure desired outcome. - (5%)
• Build reports that provide spend and market analysis insights to help Category strategists and stakeholders drive savings efficiency. Strong understanding of intelligence reporting tools and methods, including Coupa, to develop opportunities in sourcing, category management and contract negotiation. Clearly articulate and present improvement opportunities to all levels of the organization. - (5%)

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED
• 8+ years experience in sourcing/procurement, category and supplier management, negotiations, cost analysis and process improvements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Business Analytics, Procurement, or Project Management
• 10+ years experience in banking, insurance or other regulatory environment, Services strategic sourcing, category management, high value negotiation, pricing scenario analysis, budget cycles, total cost of ownership, Procurement, Analytics and Microsoft tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

Skills

• Category Management
• Spend Analysis
• Contract Negotiations
• Project Management Essentials
• Strategic Thinking
• Mentoring Colleagues
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint

Reports To: Director and above

Direct Reports: 0

Work Environment

• Normal office environment. (Remote or Hybrid), 3 to 4 days per month are required in office if within 60 miles of a posted Bread Financial location.

Travel

• Ability to travel up to 10% annually

Physical and Mental Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily and meet the physical, mental and work environment requirements. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions, absent undue hardship.

• Communicate/Hearing
• Communicate/Talking
• Stationary Position/Seated
• Typing/Writing
• Maintain focus in high pressure or fast-paced work environment

Other Duties

This job description is illustrative of the types of duties typically performed by this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of each and every essential function of the job. Because job content may change from time to time, the Company reserves the right to add and/or delete essential functions from this job at any time.

Salary Range (unless otherwise noted below): $108,300.00 - $196,300.00

Full Salary Range for position: California: $124,600.00 - $245,400.00

Colorado: $108,300.00 - $206,100.00

New York: $119,200.00 - $245,400.00

Washington: $113,700.00 - $225,700.00

Maryland: $113,700.00 - $215,900.00

Washington DC: $124,600.00 - $225,700.00

Illinois: $108,300.00 - $215,900.00

New Jersey: $124,600.00 - $225,700.00

Vermont: $108,300.00 - $196,300.00

Ohio: $108,300.00 - $196,300.00

Maine: $108,300.00 - $196,300.00

The actual base pay within this range may be dependent upon many factors, which may include, but are not limited to, work location, education, experience, and skills.

Bread Financial offers medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and other voluntary benefits (including basic and optional life insurance, supplemental medical plans, and short and long-term disability) to eligible associates (regular full-time associates scheduled to work 30 hours per week or more) and their spouses/domestic partners, and child(ren) under the age of 26. New associate elected coverage begins on date of hire (with the exception of disability coverage which has a 6-month waiting period). Six weeks of 100% paid parental leave for eligible parents is available after a 180-day waiting period. Hired associates can immediately enroll in Bread Financial’s 401(k) plan.

All associates receive 11 paid holidays. Associates have discretion in managing their time away from work through the Flexible Time Off (FTO) program and may need to notify and receive approval from their manager prior to taking the time off. Associates (except those located in Illinois) receive 80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time (“PSST”) upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. Illinois associates receive 40 hours of Illinois PSST upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year and 40 hours of Illinois Paid Leave upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. Illinois Paid Leave must be used before associates in Illinois will be approved to take FTO.

Hired associates will be able to elect the purchase company stock during offering periods in June and December. You will be eligible for an annual incentive bonus based on individual and company performance.

Click here for more Benefits information.

About Bread Financial®

At Bread Financial, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your career, give back to your community, and be part of our award-winning culture. We’ve been consistently recognized as a best place to work nationally and in many markets and we’re proud to promote an environment where you feel appreciated, accepted, valued, and fulfilled—both personally and professionally. Bread Financial supports the overall wellness of our associates with a diverse suite of benefits and offers boundless opportunities for career development and non-traditional career progression.

Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers. Our payment solutions deliver growth for some of the most recognized brands in travel & entertainment, health & beauty, technology, electronics, jewelry, home and specialty apparel through our co-brand and private label credit cards and pay-over-time products providing choice and value to our shared customers. Additionally, we offer Bread Financial general purpose credit cards and saving products that empower our customers and their passions for a better life.

Bread Financial proudly marks 30 years of success in 2026. To learn more about our global associates, our performance and our sustainability progress, visit breadfinancial.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

• Bread Financial offers competitive pay, a comprehensive selection of benefit options including 401(k).
• The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
• Any applicant offered employment will be required to establish that they are legally authorized to work in the United States for the Company.
• The Company participates in E-Verify.
• The Company will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act. Applicants with criminal histories are encouraged to apply.
• The Company complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended, and all applicable state/local laws. The Company will provide accommodations to applicants needing accommodations to complete the application process. Applicants with disabilities may contact the Company to request and arrange for accommodations. If you need assistance to accommodate a disability, you may request an accommodation at any time. Please contact the Recruiting Team at TaOps@breadfinancial.com.

Job Family: Purchasing

Job Type: Regular