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Senior Category Manager, HR Portfolio

Hybrid in Nashville

Every organization needs supplies and services to operate. From laptops and rental cars to pens and pallets, all businesses, schools, and government bodies have procurement needs. That’s where CoreTrust comes in. CoreTrust works with our members and suppliers to transform how procurement professionals buy billions of dollars’ worth of supplies and services annually. We’re on a mission to be the one place where buyers and suppliers connect, secure purchasing agreements, transact, and partner to accelerate value and realize savings.

To support our rapid growth, we’re seeking a dynamic Senior Category Manager, HR Portfolio.

This role will define category strategy, assess the relevance of expanded offerings with members and CoreTrust priorities, negotiate contracts with suppliers, lead the launch of offerings including go-to-market (GTM) planning with Sales, Marketing, and suppliers, and manage supplier relationships and contracts to deliver high-impact solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of GPO clients while driving CoreTrust’s growth objectives.

The role will also coordinate across the CoreTrust organization to set strategy and ensure accountability for expanding supplier relationships to grow non-core revenue—including International and adjacent markets (like non-profit and franchisees) aligned with the growth strategy.

This position requires a blend of strategic thinking, business acumen, and deep understanding of GPO dynamics. It plays a pivotal role in helping members spend wisely and operate efficiently by delivering price advantage, contract structure advantage, quality, speed, and value-added services. The Senior Category Manager will partner with suppliers to launch products and offerings that grow their market share, advancing CoreTrust’s mission to develop, bring to market, and manage winning solutions that deliver significant value to members and suppliers.

Responsibilities

  • Define and communicate the category vision, strategy, and a multi‑year (3–5 year) roadmap aligned to business goals and member needs.
  • Support long‑term strategy and expansion planning, including portfolio growth and adjacencies.
  • Conduct competitor and market analysis to benchmark performance, pricing, value, and positioning. Maintain an up‑to‑date view of market trends, emerging trends, and supplier capabilities to inform strategic direction.
  • Gather and analyze member feedback, market inputs, and business data to inform Portfolio strategy. Coordinate with PE and member advisory boards to shape category strategies and identify continuous improvement, savings, value levers and new offerings.
  • Contribute to the annual category plan and budget; prioritize initiatives based on goals, ROI, and strategic alignment.
  • Support corporate initiatives and M&A (due diligence, synergy identification, post‑acquisition integration) where category expansion or consolidation is strategic.
  • Lead end-to‑end offering development from concept and design through development and piloting (transitioning to launch under GTM).
  • Segment and prioritize suppliers based on strategic importance to focus sourcing, contracting, and investment.
  • Lead or support sourcing to secure competitive, value-driven‑ offering (CoreTrust product) to members.
  • Source, negotiate, and finalize contracts; lead end‑to‑end contract processes with Legal and contract specialists.
  • Leverage spend data analysis to identify cost-saving‑ opportunities and drive efficiency in procurement process.
  • Identify process improvements that increase effectiveness and efficiency in procurement process that can add value through GPO lever.
  • Develop and execute GTM strategies for new/updated offerings—positioning, messaging, and enablement—in partnership with Sales, Marketing, and Portfolio Operations.
  • Launch offerings and partner with Sales to understand member needs and provide needed solutions.
  • Build revenue forecasts and define GTM success metrics, collaborating with suppliers, Marketing, and Finance.
  • Review and update category management policies, sales enablement materials, and SOPs to align with best practices and organizational requirements.
  • Facilitate cross‑functional cadence (meetings to discuss changes, progress, address challenges, and foster collaboration across Portfolio Sales, Marketing, Finance, Member success, etc.) to ensure successful adoption.
  • Own offering financial performance, work with Sales and suppliers on revenue targets, Member Success on churn and Finance on data needed to have visibility into P/L to drive companywide P/L accountability.
  • Develop the annual category plan and budget in collaborate with Finance and Sales.
  • Define and track KPIs; make data‑driven trade‑offs and prioritization of investment decisions, GTM efforts, contract improvement opportunities and long term strategy implications.
  • Manage the comprehensive analysis of category performance metrics; use data‑driven insights to identify strategic opportunities and drive continuous improvement.
  • Establish and monitor supplier performance and overall health of the relationships  via regular business reviews; proactively identify improvement opportunities and manage supplier risks.
  • Build and maintain strategic, mutually beneficial supplier partnerships; serve as the primary point of contact and coordinate multi-level relationships across company and suppliers.
  • Foster deep stakeholder relationships with members, sales teams, suppliers, and provide regular updates to senior leadership on category performance and initiatives.

Qualifications

  • Experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, and supplier relationship management
  • Go to Market experience, such as commercial sales experience, channel management or partner management.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or related field.
  • Minimum 10-15 years of experience structuring complex commercial contracts with suppliers (or equivalent experience on the supplier side), assessing demand, negotiating, and sourcing Human Resources spend to support enterprise needs.
  • Strong industry knowledge across Human Resources and familiarity with Human Resources procurement practices and buying behaviors.
  • Extensive negotiation experience, with strong knowledge of relevant contract terms and conditions.
  • Proven track record in category research and development.
  • Supplier relationship management experience with proven track record of mutual benefit and success.
  • GPO knowledge and experience is a plus.
  • Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills to build credibility and foster professional relationships with stakeholders and suppliers at various levels. Ability to build trust and collaboration is key.
  • Excellent negotiation, communication, and problem-solving skills.
  • Strong business and financial acumen. Able to balance various stakeholder needs in strategic context.
  • Solid understanding of supplier economics and partnership levers to drive mutual value.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to be nimble and flexible, driving goals and projects to completion in a dynamic environment.
  • Ability to work independently while taking direction and articulating a clear point of view.
  • Analytical mindset, comfortable using data-driven insights to inform category decisions.
  • Proactive, innovative problem-solver with a continuous improvement orientation.
  • Demonstrated growth mindset to continuously improve self, team, and solutions offered.
  • Passion for driving operational efficiency and member value through Human Resources solutions within the GPO framework.
  • Excellent project management skills, capable of managing multiple priorities simultaneously.
  • Must be willing to travel approximately 25% of the time, as required.

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation package 
  • Free individual employee medical coverage 
  • Company subsidized dental and vision coverage 
  • Dollar for dollar 401(k) match up to 6% of your salary with immediate vesting 
  • Company-paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability coverage 
  • Employee Assistance Program to support your wellbeing and mental health 
  • $1500 annual stipend for undergraduate/graduate college courses; $500 annual stipend for continuing education courses/certifications 
  • Free snacks and beverages on-site
  • Brand new, state-of-the-art, tech-enabled work environment in downtown Nashville
  • Flexible/hybrid work culture 

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