Director, Analyst – Procurement - Category Management

Director, Analyst – Procurement - Category Management  
(East Coast can be in U.S. or Canada ) 

About the role: 

Gartner Analysts are industry thought leaders who create must-have research, market predictions and best practices for a broad range of world-leading organizations. A Director serves as a leader within Gartner’s Business and Technology Insights (BTI) group. Utilizing research and analytical skills, a Director plays a significant role in producing pragmatic and provocative research which Gartner clients consume and apply to propel their business toward key objectives. They are a trusted source of advice for clients, reinforcing Gartner’s value every day by engaging them via in-person meetings, virtual meetings, sales support visits and Gartner conferences to discuss complex client challenges and offer appropriate recommendations.  

What you will do:  

• Create innovative, thought provoking, and highly leveraged “must-have research” content 

• Develop new research and ideas through thought leadership and offer compelling, actionable approaches to client's needs and requests that accelerate the client's ability to act 

• Develop in-depth analysis to identify the root cause of a client’s barriers or overall needs and reframe thinking to drive strategy forward  

• Demonstrate thought leadership in establishing research positions across a team of analysts 

• Bring provocative, independent insights to Gartner leaders that can evolve the course of a research agenda 

• Be capable of taking strong positions supported by fact-based evidence as part of mission critical research for Gartner clients 

• Research, analyze and predict market trends and shifts to provide clients and vendors with actionable insights  

• Provide clients and prospects with actionable advice aligned to their designated content area via virtual or face-to-face interactions  

• Create and deliver high value presentation materials on and off stage for Gartner events, industry and professional association conferences, and client briefings  

• Support Research and Sales: Provide sales support serving as voice of the market to help research teams create content and to drive engagement with clients to make progress against their critical priorities to grow their business 

• Provide high quality and timely research content peer review 

• Build credibility as an industry expert to represent Gartner research, methodology and strategy  

• Actively participate in innovation, ideation, and research discussions and collaborate effectively with peers in the research community 

• Identify research process improvements or develop new processes that help the team and Research & Advisory provide excellent service delivery 

• Be a mentor and a coach by supporting more junior team members 

• Be client-centric while actively seeking to help clients engage regularly and often with Gartner research and interactions 

Subject Matter Expertise  

• Demonstrated experience having led category management within procurement at an enterprise level.  Before that, having developed and executed category strategies across multiple spend categories, including direct and indirect.  

• Proven track record of designing and implementing best-in-class category management programs, frameworks, methodologies, and governance structures, including KPIs, talent models, and technology adoption. 

• Deep understanding of what constitutes an effective category strategy to deliver value beyond cost savings, including levers like strategic sourcing, contract management and supplier relationship management. 

• Experience in quantifying and communicating the ROI of category management to stakeholders and senior leadership. 

• Experience assessing and then advancing the maturity of category management within organizations. 

• Experience in defining and evolving the skills, competencies, and organizational capabilities required for high-performing category management teams.  

• Expertise in leveraging procurement technology (e.g., e-sourcing, spend analytics, contract management, supplier risk tools) and market intelligence providers to enable and optimize category management processes and strategies.  

• Ability to assess and articulate the impact of market trends, innovation, and digital transformation (AI’s impact) on procurement and category management practices.  

• Strong knowledge of influencing skills, change management, stakeholder engagement, and cross-functional collaboration in the context of category management success and transformation.  

• Thought leadership in procurement, demonstrated through publications, presentations, or participation in industry forums. 

• Ability to critically evaluate and challenge traditional procurement models, defining cutting edge practices, and driving continuous improvement and innovation.  

• Experience in mentoring and developing category managers and procurement professionals. 

What you will need:  

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; Graduate degree preferred 

• 10+ years of relevant field or industry experience  

• Demonstrate executive presence; can immediately establish credibility with executives and additional stakeholders 

• Strong organizational skills; ability to work under tight deadlines and produce high quality deliverables 

• Demonstrate excellence in research and writing ability 

• Strong written and verbal proficiency, analytical and presentation skills; ability to engage clients and respond effectively to questions  

• Proficient in analyzing and synthesizing data; can effectively apply patterns and frameworks while drawing and defending conclusions to client challenges 

• Strong confident communicator who is able to explain complex concepts concisely and simply  

• Subject matter expert comfortable presenting at large and small-scale speaking engagements  

• Strong business and financial acumen  

• Deep knowledge of the global and competitive landscape within subject area as well as the interplay in that market 

• Ability to work independently, while also being intrinsically motivated to collaborate across teams and support the workflow of others, in a multicultural global team 

• Learning agile and adept with navigating highly matrixed environments 

• Ability to represent Gartner's research methodology and strategies effectively at all levels 

• Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% (where applicable) 

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