Senior Director, Technology Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

Our team members are at the heart of everything we do. At Cencora, we are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures, and every person here is essential to us being able to deliver on that purpose. If you want to make a difference at the center of health, come join our innovative company and help us improve the lives of people and animals everywhere. Apply today! Job Details Serves as the single accountable owner for one or more technology categories within Cencora's global data and technology indirect spend portfolio, covering sourcing strategy, negotiation, supplier management, and portfolio and demand management for that scope. Owns the category roadmap for both near-term execution and multi-year delivery, and establishes clear sub-category ownership so every area of spend has a named owner. Directs enterprise-wide negotiations with major technology providers and owns the supplier performance, risk, and value agenda for assigned categories. Leads a team of Director-level category owners and sourcing professionals, building capability and a culture of accountability and commercial rigor. Acts as the defined sourcing business partner to assigned Technology senior leaders, translating their roadmaps and budgets into a forward demand plan so sourcing gets ahead of requirements rather than reacting to them. Establishes the governance, controls, and performance measures that convert category strategy into realized savings, improved service levels, and managed third-party risk. Responsibilities Directs technology category strategies for assigned spend areas, including demand assessment, sourcing approach, supplier segmentation, risk evaluation, and value engineering initiatives. Leads category planning and sourcing execution by aligning business and technology requirements, market intelligence, financial objectives, and procurement priorities into actionable multi-year strategies. Oversees supplier selection, negotiation, and contracting to improve commercial outcomes, service performance, and total cost of ownership. Establishes governance, controls, and performance measures that strengthen policy compliance, implementation discipline, and realization of sourcing benefits. Leads team performance, capability development, workforce planning, and talent management activities to support business priorities and sustained functional effectiveness. Category Ownership and Operating Model Acts as the single accountable owner for assigned technology categories, including the category roadmap, in-year execution plan, and multi-year strategy. Defines and maintains sub-category ownership within the team so every area of spend has a named owner with clear scope, decision rights, and accountability. Operates the category-based model rather than a vendor-tier model, segmenting suppliers within each category by value, risk, and criticality instead of by relationship status. Leads completion of the transition from the legacy vendor-tier structure for assigned scope, including scope boundaries, handoffs, knowledge transfer, and stabilization of new ways of working. Publishes and refreshes the category roadmap on a defined cadence, covering priorities, savings commitments, renewal timing, supplier strategy, and risk posture. Represents assigned categories in functional planning and coordinates with peer category owners, including the MA&D category, where scope, suppliers, or agreements intersect. Portfolio and Demand Management Serves as the defined sourcing business partner to assigned Technology senior leadership team members, acting as their single point of contact for category sourcing. Runs a standing cadence with business partners to capture roadmap, budget, and demand signals well ahead of need, typically 6 to 12 months in advance of requirement or renewal dates. Maintains a rolling demand, renewal, and pipeline forecast for the category so spend is planned and proactively managed rather than processed tactically as it arrives. Aggregates requirements across business units and regions to build leverage, reduce duplication, and rationalize overlapping suppliers and licenses. Owns designated strategic vendor relationships within the category, including executive cadence, business reviews, roadmap alignment, innovation discussions, and escalation. Challenges demand, specifications, and consumption with business partners before sourcing begins, using market intelligence, benchmarking, and should-cost analysis. Category Strategy and Sourcing Develops and executes multi-year sourcing strategies for assigned categories that align to enterprise priorities, technology roadmaps, and the annual financial plan. Owns the sourcing pipeline and savings commitments for the assigned portfolio, and sequences initiatives to balance value capture against business capacity. Directs evaluation of vendor solutions to confirm they meet business requirements, technical specifications, security standards, and compliance obligations. Builds a pipeline of innovative suppliers and emerging technologies, including AI and data solutions, to support growth and digital transformation. Negotiation and Contracting Leads complex, enterprise-wide negotiations with major technology providers to secure favorable commercial and legal terms that optimize total cost of ownership, quality, and service delivery. Directs structuring of master agreements, statements of work, service level commitments, subscription and license terms, renewal and true-up provisions, benchmarking clauses, and exit and termination rights. Partners with Legal, Information Security, and Privacy to secure protections for data, intellectual property, audit rights, and regulatory requirements in technology contracts. Serves as escalation point for contentious negotiations, supplier disputes, and commercial risk decisions within the assigned categories. Supplier and Vendor Management Holds sup