Global Category Leader, Product Operations (Finance)

Company Description
At Intuitive, we are united behind our mission: we believe that minimally invasive care is life-enhancing care. Through ingenuity and intelligent technology, we expand the potential of physicians to heal without constraints.

As a pioneer and market leader in robotic-assisted surgery, we strive to foster an inclusive and diverse team, committed to making a difference. For more than 25 years, we have worked with hospitals and care teams around the world to help solve some of healthcare's hardest challenges and advance what is possible.

Intuitive has been built by the efforts of great people from diverse backgrounds. We believe great ideas can come from anywhere. We strive to foster an inclusive culture built around diversity of thought and mutual respect. We lead with inclusion and empower our team members to do their best work as their most authentic selves.

Passionate people who want to make a difference drive our culture. Our team members are grounded in integrity, have a strong capacity to learn, the energy to get things done, and bring diverse, real world experiences to help us think in new ways. We actively invest in our team members to support their long-term growth so they can continue to advance our mission and achieve their highest potential.

Join a team committed to taking big leaps forward for a global community of healthcare professionals and their patients. Together, let's advance the world of minimally invasive care.
Job Description
Primary Function of Position

The Global Category Leader in Product Operations is tasked with spearheading strategic sourcing initiatives across Intuitive's MRO, R&D (prototype, engineering services, clinical development), Capital Equipment, Lab, and Logistics (land, air, sea transportation & distribution) spend categories. This entails crafting processes and procedures that ensure compliance with regulated procurement standards while maintaining supplier quality requirements. As a managerial role, the position demands the development of strategies aimed at reducing business risk and total cost of ownership, alongside managing demand, governance, and compliance within the designated spend categories. This role is integral to support our product operations teams and involves collaboration with Intuitive's R&D, engineering, operations, and supplier quality departments.

The ideal candidate should be adept at performing thorough supplier and category/market research, including market index analysis, data analysis, baseline development, RFP creation, bid management, contract negotiation, offer analysis, and category strategy formulation. Responsibilities also encompass post-bid management activities such as contract and business reviews, spend analysis, and supplier management. Moreover, the candidate will oversee multiple direct reports and projects simultaneously.

Roles and Responsibilities:

1. Resource Management:

• Direct supervision of team members.
• Train and support product operations sourcing managers to maintain consistency in quality and quantity of work output.
• Capacity planning and balance of category workload.
• Select, train, and develop skill level of subordinate personnel.
• Management of overall team performance to meet goals and KPIs.

2. Supplier Relationship Management:

• Build and sustain strong supplier partnerships to promote collaboration, trust, and mutual success.
• Establish and maintain the preferred supplier list within managed spend categories.
• Drive spend to incumbent suppliers when possible and consider supplier consolidation opportunities.
• Act as the main liaison for key suppliers concerning performance and strategic initiatives.
• Regularly review supplier performance, evaluate capabilities, and implement plans to boost performance and reliability.
• Set global standards to evaluate supplier performance and minimize business risks.

3. Strategic Sourcing:

• Independently manage the RFx or strategic sourcing process for complex/high visibility projects, from initiation to completion.
• Analyze spending patterns and conduct market and supplier assessments to uncover cost-saving and innovation opportunities.
• Lead cross-functional teams to develop category strategies aligned with business goals and market trends.
• Optimize buying channels and create spend treatment plans for assigned spend categories, considering Procure to Pay (P2P) requirements.
• Provide comprehensive financial analysis for bid comparisons and alternative proposals.

4. Contract Management:

• Negotiate and manage supplier contracts, ensuring compliance with company policies and industry standards.
• Monitor contract performance and compliance with terms and conditions.
• Possess in-depth knowledge of terms and conditions for contracts included in scope of this role.
• Identify opportunities for contract optimization or consolidation to enhance cost efficiency and reduce risks.
• Secure favorable terms, quality, service compliance, and discounts while mitigating company risk.
• Evaluate actions to take on contract inquiries, disputes, and changes.

5. Category Management:

• Establish a baseline for current spend categories and define future success criteria considering business goals and market conditions.
• Analyze market trends, risks, and potential new suppliers.
• Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the health of all managed spend categories in scope.
• Implement spend treatment plans for all levels of spend and risk within the category.
• Work with suppliers and stakeholders to execute the category strategy.

Qualifications
Required Skills and Experience

• 8+ years of experience in sourcing & procurement, with at least 2-3 years in product operations procurement roles.
• 4+ years of people management experience.
• Superior analytical ability to quickly gather facts, perform root cause analysis and draw conclusions.
• Strong conceptual thinking skills with adeptness to lead others through ambiguous and/or complex issues.
• Experience working in regulated environments with quality management systems preferred.
• Experience managing change across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Superior negotiation skills to influence senior leadership on strategic direction, business case value proposition and sourcing recommendations.
• Strong contract/vendor negotiation preparation and execution skills to achieve desired outcomes from supplier negotiations.
• Ability to build consensus and function as an independent arbiter to achieve sourcing outcomes that meet business requirements without sacrificing service or increasing risk and cost.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, people, and tasks concurrently.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Excellent oral and written communication and people skills for interaction with team members and stakeholders including senior leadership.
• Exceptional attention to detail and the drive to get things right with minimal supervision.
• Must be able to listen, understand, and communicate with employees at all levels of the company.
• Proven ability leading a team to consistently achieve stretch goals and objectives.
• Effectively manages task breakdown, helps keep individual contributors on task, player-coach; ability to step in and perform hard tasks.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects successfully.
• Ability to build strong and effective internal and external relationships.

Required Education and Training

• Minimum Bachelor's Degree Required (Business, Supply Chain management, Finance, or related Discipline preferred)

Additional Information

Due to the nature of our business and the role, please note that Intuitive and/or your customer(s) may require that you show current proof of vaccination against certain diseases including COVID-19. Details can vary by role.

Intuitive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, genetic information or any other status protected under federal, state, or local applicable laws.

Mandatory Notices

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair chance laws.

Preference will be given to qualified candidates who do not reside, or plan to reside, in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or Tennessee.

We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives, benefits, and equity. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors, including experience, skills, and qualifications. The target salary ranges are listed.

Base Salary Range Region 1: $168,000 USD - $252,000 USD
Base Salary Range Region 2: $142,800 USD - $214,200 USD
Shift: Day
Workplace Type: Set Schedule - This job will be onsite weekly, the percentage of onsite work will be defined by the leader.