Manager, Strategic Sourcing and Category Management

This position is National Remote. You'll enjoy the flexibility to telecommute* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in Minneapolis, Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office for a minimum of four (4) days per week.

Optum Insight is improving the flow of health data and information to create a more connected system. We remove friction and drive alignment between care providers and payers, and ultimately consumers. Our deep expertise in the industry and innovative technology empower us to help organizations reduce costs while improving risk management, quality and revenue growth. Ready to help us deliver results that improve lives? Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

The Manager, Strategic Sourcing & Category Management supports John Muir Health's supply chain strategy within an Optum-supported environment by leading sourcing initiatives, supplier partnerships, contract utilization, and category management activities that directly support clinical, operational, financial, and compliance objectives.

This leader is responsible for driving value through disciplined sourcing practices, stakeholder engagement, contract compliance, supplier performance management, cost optimization, and data-driven decision-making. The ideal candidate combines healthcare supply chain experience, strong business acumen, analytical capability, and the ability to lead through influence in a complex, matrixed environment.

Reporting Relationship: This position reports directly to the Director of Purchasing and Contracting.

Key Skills for Success:

Successful performance in this manager-level role requires:

• Ability to lead strategic sourcing and category management initiatives in a fast-paced, highly regulated healthcare environment
• Strong business, financial, and analytical acumen with the ability to translate data into sourcing strategies, savings opportunities, and executive-ready recommendations
• Experience managing supplier relationships, contract compliance, tier optimization, and performance improvement initiatives
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills with the ability to partner with clinical, operational, finance, legal, compliance, and supply chain leaders
• Strong organizational discipline with the ability to manage multiple categories, priorities, deadlines, and escalations

This position is full-time, Monday Friday. Employees are required to have flexibility to work any of our shift schedules during our normal business hours of 8:00 am - 5:00 pm PST.

We offer weeks of on-the-job training. The hours of the training will be based on schedule or will be discussed on your first day of employment.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead strategic sourcing, contracting, and category management initiatives that support JMH operational priorities, cost savings, service continuity, and compliance requirements
• Develop and execute category strategies by analyzing spend, utilization, supplier performance, market conditions, contract terms, and stakeholder requirements
• Partner with clinical, operational, finance, legal, compliance, and supply chain stakeholders to align sourcing decisions with business needs and patient care priorities
• Manage supplier relationships, including performance reviews, issue resolution, service level monitoring, escalation management, and continuous improvement opportunities
• Drive contract utilization, tier optimization, standardization, and value analysis efforts to improve financial outcomes and reduce operational variation
• Evaluate sourcing opportunities, prepare business cases, support negotiations, and recommend strategies that balance cost, quality, service, risk, and compliance
• Support governance for vendor management, contract intake, sourcing workflows, and audit-ready documentation standards
• Monitor purchasing trends, contract leakage, supplier risks, backorders, and utilization gaps; escalate issues and recommend mitigation plans as needed
• Provide leadership, guidance, and coaching to buyers or sourcing support resources involved in category execution, purchasing activity, and supplier follow-up

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Finance, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered where applicable
• 5+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, contracting, supply chain, or vendor management
• Experience supporting healthcare supply chain, hospital operations, clinical sourcing, or regulated procurement environments
• Experience managing supplier relationships, contract compliance, sourcing events, spend analysis, and category-level performance improvement
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, reporting tools, and data analysis used to evaluate spend, utilization, savings, supplier performance, and operational trends
• Ability to communicate effectively with leadership and cross-functional stakeholders, including the ability to prepare concise recommendations, business cases, and status updates
• Ability to work full-time, Monday Friday. Employees are required to have flexibility to work any of our shift schedules during our normal business hours of 8:00 am - 5:00 pm PST.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Workday, enterprise resource planning systems, contract lifecycle management platforms, sourcing tools, or supplier performance dashboards
• Healthcare experience supporting strategic sourcing, value analysis, purchased services, medical/surgical supplies, capital equipment, IT, facilities, or professional services categories
• Experience developing category plans, savings pipelines, supplier scorecards, executive summaries, and governance materials
• Knowledge of healthcare compliance, audit controls, segregation of duties, contract review processes, and sourcing governance standards
• Experience leading or mentoring buyers, analysts, coordinators, or cross-functional project teams

Telecommuting Requirements:

• Ability to keep all company sensitive documents secure (if applicable)
• Required to have a dedicated work area established that is separated from other living areas and provides information privacy.
• Must live in a location that can receive a UnitedHealth Group approved high-speed internet connection or leverage an existing high-speed internet service.

Soft Skills:

• Strategic thinker with strong execution discipline and the ability to translate complex information into actionable sourcing plans
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence stakeholders and present recommendations clearly
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing competing priorities in a high-volume healthcare environment
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to build trust across clinical, operational, finance, legal, compliance, and supplier teams
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify root causes, assess business risk, and recommend practical solutions

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy.

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $91,700 - $163,700 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location, and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups, and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.