AVP, Category Management Greater Chicago, IL Area + 4 more

When you’re the best, we’re the best. We instill an environment where employees feel engaged, satisfied and able to contribute their unique skills and talents while living and working as their authentic selves. We provide extensive opportunities for personal and professional development, building both employee competence and organizational capability to fuel exceptional performance through an inclusive environment both now and in the future.

Summary

The AVP, Category Management provides executive leadership for a client-facing category management team and is responsible for setting the strategic vision, operating model, and organizational priorities for multiple category portfolios. As a transformational people leader, this role leads and develops an organization of professionals, including Category Management Executives, Senior Category Management Executives, Directors, and other people leaders, while fostering a high-performing, collaborative culture.

The AVP oversees the continued evolution of the National Sourcing Center by developing organizational capabilities, driving enterprise sourcing and contracting strategies, and ensuring consistent execution across complex category initiatives that deliver measurable financial, operational, clinical, and strategic value for clients. Working closely with executive leadership, this role establishes long-term business strategy, develops future leaders, drives organizational transformation, and champions innovation across sourcing, contracting, analytics, implementation, supplier relations, and clinical stakeholder engagement.

Serving as a trusted executive advisor, the AVP builds strong relationships with internal leaders, client executives, suppliers, and industry partners while ensuring the organization is positioned to meet evolving market needs and deliver exceptional business outcomes.

Responsibilities

Leadership & Talent Development

Lead, coach and develop a multi-level organization of people leaders, senior professionals, and category management talent, including workforce planning, succession planning, performance management, engagement, and retention.

Lead multiple people leaders responsible for Category Management teams, ensuring consistent leadership practices, talent development, performance management, and organizational effectiveness.

Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement, and employee engagement.

Recruit, mentor, develop, and retain high-performing talent while promoting diversity of thought and inclusive leadership.

Transformation & Growth

Lead the continued evolution and scaling of the National Sourcing Center by developing organizational capabilities, governance models, and operational frameworks that support long-term growth.

Drive organizational transformation initiatives that improve scalability, consistency, efficiency, client experience, and business performance.

Identify opportunities to modernize processes, enhance organizational effectiveness, and implement best practices across the Category Management function.

Lead change management efforts that successfully align teams, stakeholders, and business partners around strategic priorities.

Partner closely with other leaders on the National Sourcing Center to develop ways of working and operating models that support growth and value

Enterprise Category Strategy

Establish the strategic vision and long-term direction for Category Management across multiple product and service portfolios.

Ensure alignment of category strategies with Vizient's business objectives, client priorities, financial goals, and market opportunities.

Provide executive oversight of complex sourcing, contracting, supplier, and category management initiatives led by Directors and senior category leaders.

Balance near-term operational priorities with long-range strategic initiatives that position the organization for sustainable growth.

Drive innovation, supplier optimization, standardization, value creation, and risk mitigation across the portfolio.

Executive Leadership & Strategic Partnership

Serve as a trusted executive advisor to senior leadership regarding category strategy, sourcing priorities, supplier relationships, market dynamics, and organizational performance.

Build executive-level relationships with provider executives, supplier executives, and strategic business partners to advance Vizient's sourcing strategy and organizational objectives.

Present organizational strategy, portfolio performance, business outcomes, and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.

Represent Vizient as an executive spokesperson at client meetings, industry conferences, advisory councils, supplier engagements, and other external forums.

Influence enterprise decision-making through collaboration across sourcing, contracting, analytics, implementation, legal, operations, and executive leadership teams.

Operational Excellence

Establish organizational goals, operating metrics, governance standards, and performance expectations across the Category Management organization.

Ensure consistent execution of sourcing methodologies, contracting standards, and category management best practices.

Monitor organizational performance against financial, operational, quality, and strategic objectives.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives that increase efficiency, consistency, scalability, and client value.

Lead enterprise change initiatives while building alignment across executive stakeholders and supporting adoption of new business capabilities and operating models.

Partner closely with other executive leaders supporting the client account to maximize Vizient’s impact and value to the client

Financial & Business Performance

Accountable for organizational performance, resource allocation, financial planning, investment prioritization, and achievement of strategic business objectives across multiple category portfolios.

Oversee portfolio performance, savings realization, supplier performance, contract outcomes, and operational effectiveness.

Monitor market trends, regulatory developments, emerging technologies, and competitive conditions to inform strategic direction.

Ensure effective prioritization of organizational resources to maximize business impact and client value.

AI Leadership & Innovation

Champion responsible adoption of AI technologies across the Category Management organization to improve productivity, market intelligence, sourcing strategy, decision-making, and stakeholder engagement.

Establish organizational expectations for effective AI governance, responsible use, and continuous capability development.

Evaluate emerging technologies and innovative business practices that improve organizational effectiveness and competitive advantage.

Promote a culture of innovation while ensuring appropriate human oversight, compliance, and business judgment in AI-enabled decision-making.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree (MBA, MHA, or related field) preferred.

10+ years of progressive leadership experience in strategic sourcing, category management, supply chain, consulting, healthcare operations, contracting, or related business leadership.

7+ years of progressive people leadership experience, including leading managers, senior professionals, and multi-level organizational structures.

Demonstrated success leading organizations of 30+ employees through multiple layers of leadership.

Proven experience building, scaling, or transforming high-performing organizations.

Demonstrated success leading organizational change initiatives and enterprise transformation efforts.

Executive-level experience establishing business strategy and influencing senior executives across complex organizations.

Extensive experience leading strategic sourcing, contracting, supplier negotiations, and category management initiatives.

Strong financial, operational, and business acumen with experience managing organizational performance, budgets, resource planning, and strategic investments.

Exceptional executive communication, relationship management, coaching, and change leadership skills.

Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity, influence without direct authority, and deliver measurable business results.

Advanced AI fluency with demonstrated ability to establish governance, promote responsible AI adoption, and leverage AI to improve organizational effectiveness and business performance.

Healthcare, group purchasing, consulting, or other highly regulated industry experience preferred.

Ability to travel 15–20% as needed.

Estimated Hiring Range:

At Vizient, we consider skills, experience, and organizational needs in our compensation approach. Geographic factors may adjust the range estimate and hires typically fall below the top range. Compensation decisions are tailored to individual circumstances. The current salary range for this role is $156,500.00 to $290,100.00.

This position is also incentive eligible.

Vizient has a comprehensive benefits plan! Please view our benefits here:

Equal Opportunity Employer: Females/Minorities/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The Company is committed to equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, color, gender identity, ethnicity, age, national origin, sexual orientation, disability status, veteran status or any other category protected by applicable law.