Senior Category Strategy Lead, Indirect Spend

Who We Are

Forcepoint simplifies security for global businesses and governments. Forcepoint's all-in-one, truly cloud-native platform makes it easy to adopt Zero Trust and prevent the theft or loss of sensitive data and intellectual property no matter where people are working. 20+ years in business. 1,400+ employees. 150 countries. 11k+ customers. 300+ patents. If our mission excites you, you're in the right place, and we want you to bring your own energy to help us create a safer world. All we're missing is you!

About the Role

Forcepoint Procurement is the strategic engine that connects enterprise spend to business outcomes.

At a glance:

• Team:High-performing team of six, reporting to the Sr. Director, Head of Procurement

• Scope:Up to $30M in total contract value across the highest-priority indirect categories each contract year

• Categories:Marketing, Cloud, Technology, Professional Services, Travel, AI platforms, and others

• Location:Austin, TX (Hybrid, Tuesday & Wednesday in-office)

This is not a role for someone who wants to manage a process.

This is a role for someone who wants to transform one.

Success in year one looks like elevating procurement from a delegated, administrative function into a trusted extension of the business team, earning that seat through competency, speed, and results that stakeholders can see and feel. The right candidate will make Forcepoint's business partners wonder how they operated without a procurement partner at the table.

Not a traditional procurement professional? That's okay. Candidates with enterprise SaaS or technology sales experience, particularly those who have worked the other side of the negotiating table in cyber security, technology, or travel industries, bring a perspective that makes procurement stronger. If you understand how enterprise deals are structured, how vendors think, and how to create mutual value in complex commercial relationships, your background may be exactly what this team needs. We encourage you to apply.

What You'll Do

Strategic Stakeholder Partnership

You will be the connective tissue between Forcepoint's business needs and its supplier ecosystem.

• Operate as a trusted advisor and collaborative partner to business and budget owners, senior leaders, and cross-functional support organizations, championing shared outcomes over procurement-centric process.

• Facilitate speed, simplicity, and value across the source-to-contract lifecycle; proactively remove friction, reduce cycle times, and eliminate unnecessary complexity that slows business decisions.

• Build and sustain strong working relationships across functions; surface sourcing opportunities, market intelligence, and risk insights in a manner that informs, not dictates, business decisions.

• Align Procurement priorities to enterprise operating objectives, ensuring every sourcing action adds velocity and clarity rather than churn or bureaucratic overhead.

Category Strategy Ownership

You will own the strategy, not just the transaction.

• Partner with business and budget owners to collaboratively build and own category strategies for assigned indirect categories, grounding decisions in stakeholder priorities, spend analytics, and multi-year sourcing roadmaps with defined savings, risk, and compliance targets.

• Leverage market intelligence, GPOs, Private Equity (PE) programs, competitive supplier dynamics, and Forcepoint's operational profile to develop differentiated strategies that deliver advantaged Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

• Continuously refresh category strategies in response to market shifts, technology evolution, and changing business priorities.

Sourcing Execution & Contract Leadership

You will lead deals from start to finish.

• Lead complex, high-value sourcing events including RFPs, RFIs, and competitive bid processes across Marketing, Cloud, Technology, and Professional Services categories.

• Structure, negotiate, and execute enterprise-grade agreements including MSAs, SLAs, SOWs, and licensing contracts, driving optimal commercial terms while managing legal and operational risk.

• Develop contract renewals roadmap, negotiation frameworks, and cross-functional workflows that enable speed and consistency across the organization.

Procurement Operating Model & Transformation

You will help build the infrastructure that makes great procurement repeatable.

• Optimize processes, systems, metrics, and standards according to aligned category strategies; operationalize strategies for measurable impact across the enterprise.

• Contribute to category standards, market intelligence, contract templates, and sourcing assets (RFP, MSA, SOW, SLA, etc.) that enable the company to make highly informed and rational buying decisions.

• Contribute to procurement policy frameworks and source-to-pay workflows to increase efficiency and compliance; enable partner organizations (Go-to-Market, Engineering, IT, Accounting, AP, Legal, Finance) to contribute to category success.

Supplier Performance & Travel Program Oversight

You will hold vendors accountable and keep the travel program running smoothly.

• Monitor supplier performance against contractual commitments for critical partners; conduct periodic reviews and escalate material issues proactively to stakeholders.

• Oversee the corporate travel program including Travel Management Company (TMC) relationships, travel policy governance, preferred supplier agreements, and traveler experience optimization.

• Partner with Finance, CISO, and Legal on contract compliance; identify and flag emerging supplier or category risks that could impact business continuity.

Value Delivery & Executive Reporting

You will make the value of procurement visible to leadership.

• Define, track, and report a structured savings pipeline with rigorous attribution methodology; present category performance dashboards to senior leadership on a quarterly basis.

• Lead or contribute to high-complexity cross-functional initiatives with enterprise-wide financial and operational impact.

• Monitor industry innovations, emerging supplier ecosystems, and procurement best practices; deliver actionable insights to internal stakeholders to drive strategic decisions.

What You Bring

• 8+ years of strategic sourcing and category management experience, or equivalent enterprise experience in SaaS/technology sales within the cyber security, technology, or travel industries.

• Demonstrated influence over up to $30M TCV in contract portfolio.

• Advanced negotiation skills with demonstrated ability to structure and close complex, multi-year enterprise agreements including MSAs, SLAs, and licensing deals.

• Experience managing or overseeing a corporate travel program, including TMC relationships, travel policy design, and preferred supplier negotiations (e.g., airline, hotel, ground transportation, duty of care programs).

• Working knowledge of paid enterprise AI platforms (e.g., Microsoft Copilot Pro, Claude, Gemini, Productive, or equivalent); ability to evaluate, negotiate, and manage AI tool contracts; experience partnering with IT and Legal to develop AI platform usage and cost containment frameworks.

• Demonstrated success influencing senior executives and cross-functional partners without direct authority; ability to challenge assumptions and drive decisions in the organization's best interest.

• Strong analytical acumen, with the ability to synthesize spend data, market benchmarks, and supplier financials into clear strategic recommendations.

• Proficiency in procurement analytics and source-to-pay platforms; experience with Workday Financials and Workday Strategic Sourcing strongly preferred; Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) platform experience a plus.

• Demonstrated action-oriented leadership style with a track record of delivering results in a fast-paced, matrixed, global environment.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; capable of presenting complex procurement topics clearly to C-level audiences.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution required; MBA, CPSM, CSCP, or equivalent advanced credential is a plus.

The policy of Forcepoint is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, citizenship status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

Forcepoint is a Federal Contractor. Certain positions with Forcepoint require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations or the Export Administration Regulations. Applicants for these positions may need to be "U.S. Persons," as defined in these regulations. Applicants must have the right to work in the location to which you have applied.