Customer Field Services Category Manager

Customer Field Services Category Manager Description - This role is responsible for developing and executing category and sourcing strategies for Customer Field Services, including install, move, add, change, and decommission (IMACD) services, on-site customer support, break-fix repair, and related field-service capabilities. The Category Manager partners with business, operations, finance, legal, and regional stakeholders to translate service requirements into sourcing plans, supplier strategies, competitive commercial models, and executable contracts. The role proactively manages stakeholder expectations, leads or participates in planning activities and recurring governance forums, monitors supplier and category performance, and identifies opportunities to improve cost, service quality, delivery coverage, customer experience, and supply continuity. Responsibilities • Develops and executes regional or global category strategies for Customer Field Services, including IMACD, on-site customer support, break-fix services, deskside support, dispatch services, and associated parts or logistics requirements. • Maintains knowledge of field-service market trends, supplier capabilities, labor models, geographic coverage, emerging technologies, cost drivers, and applicable regulatory or workforce considerations. • Partners with operations and business stakeholders to understand service requirements, demand forecasts, geographic coverage, service-level expectations, customer commitments, and planned business changes. • Proactively manages stakeholder expectations by establishing clear objectives, timelines, decision points, dependencies, escalation paths, and communication routines. • Participates in annual and quarterly planning, demand and capacity reviews, business reviews, project meetings, sourcing councils, and recurring stakeholder governance forums. • Develops category plans, sourcing strategies, supplier segmentation models, competitive bid events, business cases, and supplier recommendations supported by market, operational, and financial analysis. • Leads or supports requests for information, requests for proposal, supplier evaluations, negotiations, contracting, renewals, and supplier transitions. • Evaluates commercial models such as fixed fee, per-dispatch, per-device, per-site, time-and-materials, dedicated staffing, and outcome- or performance-based arrangements. • Negotiates pricing, service levels, performance measures, governance requirements, transition obligations, risk protections, and continuous-improvement commitments. • Monitors supplier performance against contractual commitments, service-level agreements, key performance indicators, financial targets, customer-experience measures, and corrective-action plans. • Identifies and mitigates risks related to service continuity, supplier dependency, geographic coverage, workforce availability, subcontracting, information security, compliance, transition readiness, and business continuity. • Works with internal partners and suppliers to resolve performance issues, manage escalations, implement recovery plans, and maintain uninterrupted customer support. • Develops productive supplier relationships while maintaining appropriate commercial discipline, accountability, and adherence to procurement policies. • Identifies savings, cost avoidance, demand-management, standardization, automation, and productivity opportunities without compromising service quality or customer outcomes. • Supports implementation and transition activities following sourcing decisions, including stakeholder communications, supplier onboarding, knowledge transfer, readiness reviews, and stabilization governance. • Maintains category documentation, market intelligence, sourcing records, contract data, performance reporting, and a forward-looking pipeline of sourcing and renewal activities. • Uses procurement, contract-lifecycle, sourcing, and reporting systems to maintain accurate data, support sourcing events and approvals, monitor obligations and milestones, and produce actionable category and supplier insights. Education & Experience Recommended • Four-year or graduate degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, Operations, Information Technology, or a related discipline, or commensurate work experience and demonstrated competence. • Typically, 4–7 years of experience in category management, strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, IT services, field-service operations, or a related discipline. Experience sourcing or managing IMACD, deskside support, on-site customer support, break-fix, dispatch, or comparable outsourced service categories is preferred. Experience working across countries or regions and managing multiple stakeholder groups is also preferred. Preferred Certifications • Professional procurement, supply chain, project management, or IT service management certification is preferred but not required. Knowledge & Skills • Category management and strategic sourcing • Customer Field Services and IT support delivery models • IMACD, on-site support, deskside support, dispatch, and break-fix service operations • Supplier selection, competitive bidding, and commercial evaluation • Contract negotiation and service-level agreement development • Supplier performance and governance management • Stakeholder engagement and expectation management • Financial analysis, should-cost modeling, and total cost of ownership • Demand, capacity, and sourcing pipeline planning • Risk assessment, business continuity, and supplier transition management • Executive communication, facilitation, and presentation skills • Ability to work effectively across business, technical, legal, finance, operations, and procurement organizations • Familiarity with or prior use of procurement, strategic sourcing, and contract-lifecycle management platforms such as SAP Ariba, Icertis, Jaggaer, or comparable enterprise systems • Significant experience and expertise in Microsoft Excel, including advanced formulas, pivot tables, data validation, large-data-set analysis, financial modeling, and dashboard development • Strong proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint, including development of concise executive presentations, sourcing recommendations, business cases, and supplier-performance reviews • Proficiency with data collection, visualization, reporting, and collaboration tools used to consolidate information, track performance, identify trends, and communicate actionable insights • Ability to maintain data quality, reconcile information across systems, and translate market, financial, operational, and supplier data into clear recommendations Cross-Org Skills • Effective Communication • Results Orientation • Learning Agility • Digital Fluency • Customer Centricity • Strategic Thinking • Collaboration and Influence Impact & Scope • Influences sourcing, supplier, cost, service-quality, and risk decisions across multiple business teams, countries, or regions. May lead category initiatives, sourcing projects, supplier governance activities, and cross-functional workstreams. Complexity • Manages moderately complex categories and assignments involving multiple stakeholders, service requirements, suppliers, geographic markets, and commercial considerations. Applies independent judgment within established policies and escalates material business, contractual, operational, or supplier risks as appropriate. Disclaimer • This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed in this role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, skills, responsibilities, knowledge, etc. These may be subject to change and additional functions may be assigned as needed by management. Job - Supply Chain & Operations Schedule - Full time Shift - No shift premium (India) Travel - Relocation - Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) - HP, Inc. provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and prospective employees, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, age, disability, or status as a protected veteran, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic predisposition or carrier status, uniformed service status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable national, federal, state, and local law(s). Please be assured that you will not be subject to any adverse treatment if you choose to disclose the information requested. This information is provided voluntarily. The information obtained will be kept in strict confidence. For more information, review HP’s EEO Policy or read about your rights as an applicant under the law here: “ Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal "