Global Procurement - Senior Category Manager (Digital Technology)

United Airlines - Chicago, IL

Full-time - Mid Level

Chicago, IL

Air Transportation

About the position

There's never been a more exciting time to join United Airlines. We're on a path towards becoming the best airline in the history of aviation. Our shared purpose - Connecting People, Uniting the World - is about more than getting people from one place to another. It also means that as a global company that operates in hundreds of locations around the world with millions of customers and tens of thousands of employees, we have a unique responsibility to uplift and provide opportunities in the places where we work, live and fly, and we can only do that with a truly diverse and inclusive workforce. And we're growing - in the years ahead, we'll hire tens of thousands of people across every area of the airline. Our careers include a competitive benefits package aimed at keeping you happy, healthy and well-traveled. From employee-run "Business Resource Group" communities to world-class benefits like parental leave, 401k and privileges like space available travel, United is truly a one-of-a-kind place to work. Are you ready to travel the world? We believe that inclusion helps us thrive and grow at United across our collaborative Finance teams consisting of Financial Planning & Analysis, Internal Audit, Treasury, Global Procurement, Controllership, Investor Relations and more. These teams provide the financial fuel that keeps our operation running from providing detailed analyses of financial planning, performance, and forecasts to managing our investments and financial strategies. Our Finance team plays an integral role in making our airline profitable and successful by meeting our financial goals. United's Global Procurement organization is responsible for the efficient procurement of a vast portfolio of products and services on behalf of the entire airline. Whether it be check-in kiosks, electric baggage tractors, green energy, financial services, employee benefits, marketing & consulting services or cloud-based technology, United's Global Procurement organization plays a meaningful role in sourcing high quality products and services by establishing reliable sources of supply while mitigating cost and risk.

Responsibilities

• Lead sourcing initiatives within the digital technology categories, specifically hardware and software.
• Collaborate with technology leaders to drive the digital transformation of United Airlines.
• Research and analyze market trends and potential suppliers to develop detailed sourcing strategies and plans.
• Engage, consult, and influence partners and leadership on sourcing strategy.
• Conduct requests for proposals (RFPs) to competitively source products and services, including gathering requirements, identifying vendors, proposal evaluation and scoring, partner engagement, and TCO analysis.
• Negotiate commercials and contractual terms to drive savings and reduce overall risks while ensuring partners' needs are met.
• Identify investment opportunities in emerging technology or innovative firms in collaboration with United's venture arm.
• Redline and negotiate contracts by collaborating with United's legal department, Global Procurement leadership, and other partner departments.
• Develop and maintain knowledge in assigned spend categories through relationships with department leaders, suppliers, and market authorities.
• Engage with internal partners and external suppliers to lead ongoing business relationships, demand forecasting, and upcoming initiatives.
• Identify continuous improvement opportunities by demonstrating new systems and product/services as well as new and innovative market offerings.
• Participate in vendor management activities, including following up on performance against contract compliance and resolution of any constraints or issues.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• 5 years of experience in Procurement, Sourcing, Supply Chain, Analytics, and/or Finance
• Minimum of 3 years experience in Technology Sourcing or Technology Consulting
• Proven proficiency leading multiple concurrent projects of various scale
• Knowledge and application of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) concepts
• Demonstrated analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills for internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience negotiating with third parties
• Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Office Products

Nice-to-haves

• Master's degree
• Hardware/software sourcing experience
• CPSM certification or other relevant certification
• Experience acting as a change agent that seeks out and advocates new and innovative solutions to meet business needs
• Experience working in a client-facing role in a technology consulting firm

Benefits

• Parental leave
• 401k
• Space available travel