Senior Indirect Sourcing Category Manager

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.

Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and we believe that the unique ideas of every member of our team contributes to our collective success. Our values were crowdsourced by employees and are brought to life through each of us everyday - from disruptive innovation and collaboration, to execution. From showing up for each other with integrity to creating an environment where we all feel included.

As a member of our team, you will be shaping the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and we respect each employee as a unique individual. Knowing we all have different needs, our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to give you choice in how you are supported. This includes our FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees, our mental and financial health resources, and our personalized learning opportunities - just to name a few

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work full time from our office with flexibility offered where needed. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. Our goal is to create an environment where we all win with precision.

Your Career

Palo Alto Networks is looking for a skilled Senior Sourcing Category Manager to join the organization. The position requires a well-rounded individual who has demonstrated the ability to deliver results in a global, dynamic, and fast-paced environment. The Senior Sourcing Manager will be passionate about all aspects of Sourcing with specific experience and focus on indirect sourcing categories.

This position will work cross-functionally and assist in managing the relationships of multiple supply sources, including contracting, delivery, quality, cost performance, and the overall relationship between Palo Alto Networks and the supply sources. Objectives include development of solutions to optimize demand, costs & supply chain and to drive performance based on KPI’s and SLA’s.

Your Impact

Key objectives for this position include:

• Cultivate relationships with the client team and key stakeholders by listening, partnering, and educating teams on Sourcing strategies to optimize the bottom line
• Developing sourcing strategies, lead contract negotiations, write scopes of work, review and process contract redlines, supplier onboarding review and advise
• Help develop and execute the Strategic Sourcing function by leading or facilitating supplier selection, Request for Proposals (RFP)s and negotiation processes to deliver agreements that include excellent long-term pricing models, measurable service level/performance criteria, effective remedies for non-performance, etc.
• This is a key business partner role to help drive the business forward and increase the managed spend within the assigned categories
• Continually identify and implement new opportunities for cost savings and avoidance, and proactively track the progress
• Overall Supplier relationship management in partnership with internal business clients
• Advisor to developing the Sourcing function by taking on some projects for the team as a whole
• Propose and drive opportunities for optimal cost savings through analysis of current spend vs external category/commodity analysis and benchmarking
• Mentor team members - Ensure they are set up for success and can achieve and/or exceed required expectations and drive career development plans

Responsibilities

• Partner with internal stakeholders and suppliers to establish advantageous purchasing, commercial terms, and payment requirements
• Effectively communicate Sourcing values and responsibilities, consistently interpreting the difference between what stakeholders ask for, what they need, what contracts/buying arrangement may already exist to serve those needs and/or provide direction as to how best competitively source what is needed
• Propose and drive opportunities for optimal cost savings through analysis of current spend and external category analysis and benchmarking
• Evaluate supplier risk - manage supplier onboarding and ongoing data management
• Consistently draw from past experiences and ongoing benchmarking to optimize processes
  
  

Your Experience

• Minimum of 12 years within Sourcing and Procurement related activities Including remote support for various global locations
• Experience supporting engineering and/or research and development or facilities organizations a strong plus
• General experience procuring a diverse set of indirect goods and services to support Engineering, Research and Development, IT, facilities and other functions
• Bachelors degree is required - Finance, Supply Chain Management, or business related field or equivalent military experience required
• Advanced skills in quantitative applications such as Business Intelligence, Data Warehouse solutions, Microsoft Excel, etc.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret information from various sources
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced, hyper-growth environment
• Experience with Ariba Sourcing
• Experience negotiating pricing, contracts and commercial terms
• MS Office, Google Suite, Visio and presentation skills
• Engaging, team-player with a can-do attitude
  
  

The Team

As a pivotal member of our Sourcing team, your impact will be multifaceted and integral to our success. You will directly contribute to enhancing our strategic sourcing capabilities and bolstering supplier relationships, ultimately fortifying our position in the industry.

Compensation Disclosure

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (for non-sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/commissioned roles) is expected to be between $138,000/yr to $221,000/yr. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship?: Yes

Our Commitment

We’re problem solvers that take risks and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at accommodations@paloaltonetworks.com.

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.