Category Manager - Indirect Procurement

Company Overview

At Motorola Solutions, we believe that everything starts with our people. We’re a global close-knit community, united by the relentless pursuit to help keep people safer everywhere. We build and connect technologies to help protect people, property and places. Our solutions foster the collaboration that’s critical for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals, safer businesses, and ultimately, safer nations. Connect with a career that matters, and help us build a safer future.

Department Overview

In Global Procurement, we don’t just manage a supply chain; we build the lifelines that connect people in their moments of greatest need. Every component we source and every partnership we forge directly impacts the reliability of the communication systems used by police, fire, and emergency services worldwide. We are a team of strategic orchestrators, navigating a complex global landscape to ensure that when the call for help comes, the technology is ready. Join us in building a more resilient world.
The Procurement team is moving beyond traditional sourcing goals to create value for the enterprise by improving profitability, increasing supplier collaboration, and supporting new solution development. We are a client focused team designed to bring value and help lead innovations within the enterprise.

Job Description

Motorola Solutions is building talent pipelines to meet future hiring demands. This is a pipeline role, while there is not an immediate opening, we want to build relationships with prospective candidates like you. If your background is a match to our requirements, we’ll follow up with an exploratory conversation.

The Strategic Sourcing Manager - Indirect Procurement is the commercial architect for our global Business Services categories. You are responsible for more than just buying; you are tasked with creating a competitive advantage by optimizing how the company spends millions of dollars on non-production services. This role requires a "consultative" approach—partnering with executive leaders to ensure their departments have the best tools and services to succeed while protecting the company's bottom line.

Core Responsibilities

1. Category Strategy & Market Intelligence

• Global Strategy Development: Move beyond tactical buying to create 3-year category roadmaps that account for global market volatility, labor trends, and technological shifts (e.g., AI integration in services).

• Supply Base Optimization: Don't just manage vendors; curate a high-performing supply base. This includes "right-sizing" the number of vendors to leverage volume while mitigating "single-source" risks.

• Should-Cost Modeling: Build complex financial models to understand the cost drivers of services (labor rates, overhead, margins) to enter negotiations with a data-driven advantage.

2. Strategic Sourcing & Lifecycle Management

• Advanced RFx Execution: Design "Value-Based" RFPs that prioritize outcomes and KPIs rather than just the lowest price.

• Contractual Engineering: Partner with Legal to draft robust Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and Statements of Work (SOWs) that include "teeth"—clear SLAs, liquidated damages, and continuous improvement clauses.

• Supplier Relationship Management (SRM): Lead quarterly Strategic Business Reviews (SBRs) with "Tier 1" suppliers to drive innovation and ensure we are their "Customer of Choice."

3. Financial Impact & Value Creation

• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Shift the conversation from "price" to "value," identifying hidden costs in service delivery, implementation, and off-boarding.

• Working Capital Optimization: Negotiate favorable payment terms and lead-time reductions to maximize corporate cash flow.

• Demand Management: Work with internal departments to challenge "need vs. want," reducing unnecessary consumption of services at the source.

Location: Employee must be based in the Greater Chicago Area with the expectation to be in office 3 days per week.

Target Base Salary Range: $100,000.00 - $150,000.00

Consistent with Motorola Solutions values and applicable law, we provide the following information to promote pay transparency and equity. Pay within this range varies and depends on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The actual offer will be based on the individual candidate. 

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Basic Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in procurement, supply chain or similar business experience

• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. indefinitely is required. Employer work permit sponsorship is not available for this position.

Travel Requirements

10-25%

Relocation Provided

None

Position Type

Experienced

Referral Payment Plan

No

Our U.S. Benefits include:

• Incentive Bonus Plans

• Medical, Dental, Vision benefits

• 401K with Company Match

• 10 Paid Holidays

• Generous Paid Time Off Packages

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

• Paid Parental & Family Leave

• and more!

EEO Statement

Motorola Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally-protected characteristic. 

We are proud of our people-first and community-focused culture, empowering every Motorolan to be their most authentic self and to do their best work to deliver on the promise of a safer world. If you’d like to join our team but feel that you don’t quite meet all of the preferred skills, we’d still love to hear why you think you’d be a great addition to our team.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience for candidates with disabilities, or other physical or mental health conditions. To request an accommodation, please complete this Reasonable Accommodations Form so we can assist you.